Monitor Fried?

[Syren Wyssholt]

While browsing the net for some historical information, we experienced a brief interruption in power. I don't know if it was a power surge or whatnot but the power went completely out for less than 30 seconds and came back on. Anyways, when the computer came back on, the screen was all messed up. It's all rainbowy in color. We looked at the properties and nothing is different in there. Should we assume that the monitor is screwed and will need to be replaced or is there by some small chance a way to "fix it" ourselves?

[Master Yoghurt]

Its not necessarily your monitor acting up, it could just as well be your video card. Its hard to say without seeing the screen for myself. The powersurge may have caused a shortcircuit somewhere. Or perhaps the reset caused your computer to enter windows in safe mode, which by default is 256 colors.

First of all, right click on desktop, go to "properties", "settings" and describe the screen resolution and color quality setting. It should be 16 or 32 bits.

Next, right click on my computer, "properties", "hardware", "device manager", "display adapters", your video card should be there if detected, right click on it and select "properties" then "general". It should say "This device is working properly". Also, this is where you can check the versions of your display driver version.

(there is a slim chance the powersurge caused some display drivers to corrupt while harddisk was working. Its a long shot, but try updating them to see if anything change)

Next, instead of display adapters, check monitors, "properties". Again, it should say "This device is working properly"

Also btw, what are the model and specs of your video card and monitor?

Report back when you done the above :)

[Master Yoghurt]

It's all rainbowy in color

Could you be more specific on this btw? Go to monitor settings, and do a degauss

(in fact, do this first before doing the stuff above)

[Syren Wyssholt]

Thanks, Yogurt. Ok, first things first.

Our resolution is 1024 x 768 and the color is set to 32 bits.

It says this device is working properly.

As for the rest, this should help - hopefully because we have no idea what you're talking about - especially with that degauss thing.

As for being able to see the screen:

Screen Shot (http://www.sharnyl.net/image001.jpg)

If you look at the top, where it'll say SWFans in the bar, its all rainbowy. The colors are all goofy. And it makes my avatar look like an Oompa Loompa!

Comp Info: (Belarc Advisor)

Display
Standard floppy disk controller
Intel(r) 82801BA Ultra ATA Controller
Primary IDE Channel [Controller]
Secondary IDE Channel [Controller] 16MB ATI Rage 128 Ultra [Display adapter]
DELL M782 [Monitor] (15.7"vis, s/n 8G157227B887, February 2002)

Multimedia
SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio

[Dasquian Belargic]

If you look at the top, where it'll say SWFans in the bar, its all rainbowy. The colors are all goofy.

We won't be able to see any difference (or at least I can't) if this is a problem with your monitor and not the settings on your computer.

[Morgan Evanar]

It sounds like it is the monitor. Try turning it on and off a few times.

[Syren Wyssholt]

Nope. We've had the comp shut down for a few hours off and on througout the day and everything is still rainbow colored.

[Morgan Evanar]

Do you have another computer you can test the monitor with? I'm 90% certain that the monitor is the problem. When a graphics card is damaged, they tend to do far weirder things.

[Syren Wyssholt]

No, we don't have another comp we can test it on. We were hoping that it was something we could fix ourselves as opposed to having to purchase another monitor.

[Figrin D'an]

If you can, just see if you can get a friend to let you hook up your monitor to his/her PC. You should be able to tell almost instantly if the problem is then the monitor or in your video card.

Good CRT monitors can be gotten for very good prices now, so if you do have to go that route, it won't be too costly.

[Syren Wyssholt]

That's good to know, Figrin. Thanks to everyone for your help :)

[Master Yoghurt]

Sounds like its the monitor messing up, yes. Screenshot looked good, so I dont think its video card. You could do what Morgan said, and hook it up to a friends computer to see if the problem persist.

Oh and Figrin is right, decent CRTs are fairly cheap these days :)

[Master Yoghurt]

have no idea what you're talking about - especially with that degauss thing

First check these links:
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/degauss.html

http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,289893,sid9_gci213666,00.html

A degauss is a function which most monitors have together with brightness, contrast settings etc. What it does is demagnetize your monitor, so any distorted colors is once again displayed correctly. Usually the phenomenon is caused by having strong magnetic sources like speakers etc near the monitor. But it may possible also be caused by a powersurge.

[Syren Wyssholt]

Yogurt, that sounds like what has happened to our monitor. It'll take me a while to figure out how to do the degauss (if we can figure it out) as we didn't see an option in our settings to do one. Maybe we were looking in the wrong place?

Edit: Well, I found the funky button on the monitor that opened up a menu I never knew existed. Found the degrauss and it worked! Thanks so very very much for all the help guys, and thanks Yogurt! Though, a fair warning that the screen would wobble and look woozy as it did the degraussing thingy, accompanied by a weird noise that scared the jeebus out of me would have been nice :D (Thought I was going to get electrocuted there for a minute!)

Anyways, it worked and no longer is the screen all rainbowy in color and my avatar doesn't look like an Oompa Loompa anymore :)

[Master Yoghurt]

Glad to hear its fixed :)

[Syren Wyssholt]

Me too! Thanks so much, again. Cyrel was all prepared to have a bad day at work today so when he gets home and sees that he won't have to replace the monitor, it should cheer him up some :)