How to fix your monitor?

My computer monitor displays horizontal lines when it is shaken, or the table it is placed is shaken. The display appears only after I shake the computer again, the same problems occurs constantly. Is it a cable or monitor problem?

This question was answered on December 27, 2004. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

This issue can be caused by any of the following possibilities on CRT monitors (standard computer display):

Resolution was changed and monitor could not adjust

Monitor needs to be manually adjusted

Older computer monitor

This issue can be caused by any of the following possibilities on LCD displays (flat panel / laptop):

LCD limitation

CRT Monitor Solution:

Resolution was changed and monitor could not adjust

If the resolution was recently changed it is possible for the monitor to not auto adjust or shift to the correct size If this occurs the resolution can be changed back to the original setting or you can manually adjust the monitor as instructed below

Monitor needs to be manually adjusted

If a black border exists on the monitor it can generally be resolved by manually adjusting the horizontal or vertical width Because each monitor is different the method of adjusting this setting will vary, consult your monitor documentation Additional information about these controls as well as example pictures of the settings can be found on our monitor page Older monitors may not have the feature to adjust the horizontal setting, if this is the case refer to the below notes:

Older computer monitor

It is possible for older monitors (generally 15" monitors) When this is not available it is generally due to the monitor design and it should be expected to see some black on the left and right of the monitor If you believe this black area is to big we recommend you contact your monitor manufacturer for additional information

LCD Display Solution:

LCD limitation

LCD displays are designed and work differently from the standard CRT monitor found on most computers Because of this difference LCD displays will have a set resolution An example would be a set resolution of 800 x 600 When the resolution is changed to a larger resolution because the pixel size is different the size of the display will decrease causing a black border To rectify this issue most LCD displays or laptop manufactures will have a stretch utility to stretch the pixel size allowing the display to be full screen This will however decrease the quality of the image slightly (this generally is noticeable in the text)

Because the stretch utility or the key combination or method of enabling this feature varies it is recommended that you contact your laptop or LCD manufacturer for additional information on if this feature is possible and how to enable it

About the author

Posted by Kareem of Katharine Gibbs School - New York on December 27, 2004

Need Help with this Issue?

We help people with technology! It's what we do.
Contact or Schedule an Appointment with a location for help!