Monitor screen appears smudged

[Jackson]

At times my monitor shows 'smeared' images and text. The
display looks like somebody rubbed their hand over the
screen and smeared everything a bit to the right, as if the
paint had not dried enough. If I right click on the desktop
and click 'Refresh' the problem remains.

If I reboot, the display becomes normal again but, after a
pause of many minutes, the problem reappears. Tinkering
with the display property settings does not cure the
problem. The smeared display is in both safe and regular
modes. Otherwise, the machine seems to be working normally;
it's just the display that has a problem

Does this sound like something may be overheating and
causing a problem.

I updated and ran SpybotSD and Malwarebytes. Nothing found.

I have XP (mce) on a Dell dimension C521 (Three years old
with no problems up to this point).
Monitor: 20-inch widescreen digital flat panel (working on
analog mode since a digital card will not fit in the C521
box).
Video card: NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE Integrated Graphics GPU.
Display settings: 1024 x 768

I am open to suggestions on possible causes. I assume the
monitor is not at fault because the display is normal for
some time after a boot or reboot.

If the video card is not being cooled properly could that
cause the problem? Is there a program that checks for
things like that?

I have never opened the case of the computer. Any hints on
cleaning and checking ventilation will be greatly
appreciated.

I assume you remove power while opening the case. Can I run
the computer with the case still open, so that I can observe
what's going on?

FWIW, I have been using the machine for over two hours now
and the display is still perfect. The room I'm in is a
little cold and I guess that is another vote for
overheating.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Jack from Taxacola (formerly Pensacola), FL

 

[LVTravel]

At times my monitor shows 'smeared' images and text. The
display looks like somebody rubbed their hand over the
screen and smeared everything a bit to the right, as if the
paint had not dried enough. If I right click on the desktop
and click 'Refresh' the problem remains.

If I reboot, the display becomes normal again but, after a
pause of many minutes, the problem reappears. Tinkering
with the display property settings does not cure the
problem. The smeared display is in both safe and regular
modes. Otherwise, the machine seems to be working normally;
it's just the display that has a problem

Does this sound like something may be overheating and
causing a problem.

I updated and ran SpybotSD and Malwarebytes. Nothing found.

I have XP (mce) on a Dell dimension C521 (Three years old
with no problems up to this point).
Monitor: 20-inch widescreen digital flat panel (working on
analog mode since a digital card will not fit in the C521
box).
Video card: NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE Integrated Graphics GPU.
Display settings: 1024 x 768

I am open to suggestions on possible causes. I assume the
monitor is not at fault because the display is normal for
some time after a boot or reboot.

If the video card is not being cooled properly could that
cause the problem? Is there a program that checks for
things like that?

I have never opened the case of the computer. Any hints on
cleaning and checking ventilation will be greatly
appreciated.

I assume you remove power while opening the case. Can I run
the computer with the case still open, so that I can observe
what's going on?

FWIW, I have been using the machine for over two hours now
and the display is still perfect. The room I'm in is a
little cold and I guess that is another vote for
overheating.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Jack from Taxacola (formerly Pensacola), FL

1024 X 768 is not the proper resolution for a wide screen monitor, it is the
display resolution for a 4:3 aspect ratio display (the old CRT monitors.)
The generally standard settings for a widescreen monitor are 960 X 600, 1280
X 720, 1280 X 768, 1400 X 1050, 1440 X 900 and 1680 X 1050. Your video in
the computer is probably set to the incorrect resolution and that may be
causing some issues. Check the monitor documentation (or post the model
number and make for the monitor if you can't find the documentation and we
will attempt to tell you what the optimal resolution for the display is.

One other thing you should try is to ensure that there is no power supply
brick or speaker near the LCD monitor. While this isn't as much of an issue
with LCD displays as it was with the older CRT displays, why take the
chance.

Post back.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I am open to suggestions on possible causes. I assume the
monitor is not at fault because the display is normal for
some time after a boot or reboot.

I wouldn't want to make that assumption. The monitor's performance may
be degrading over time as it warms up. Try a different monitor, and
then you'll know, one way or another.




--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Jackson]

/../


1024 X 768 is not the proper resolution for a wide screen monitor, it is the
display resolution for a 4:3 aspect ratio display (the old CRT monitors.)
The generally standard settings for a widescreen monitor are 960 X 600, 1280
X 720, 1280 X 768, 1400 X 1050, 1440 X 900 and 1680 X 1050. Your video in
the computer is probably set to the incorrect resolution and that may be
causing some issues. Check the monitor documentation (or post the model
number and make for the monitor if you can't find the documentation and we
will attempt to tell you what the optimal resolution for the display is.

The monitor is the 20-inch E207WFP. The info that came with
it lists the optimum resolution at 1680 X 1050. I reduced
the size because it is more comfortable to my eyes this way.

One other thing you should try is to ensure that there is no power supply
brick or speaker near the LCD monitor. While this isn't as much of an issue
with LCD displays as it was with the older CRT displays, why take the
chance.

Post back.

The monitor sits atop a surge box and has speakers on both
sides. I have moved the speakers farther away, but it will
be a big deal to move the surge box. So far today the
display is normal and it has been running ten hours. It is
72° in the room, usually it is a little warmer. I'll hold
off moving the surge protector box unless the display starts
going fuzzy again.

When I have a couple of hours I intend to open the computer
case and clean out the dust. I suspect it has collected
quite a load in three years. There is always dust on the
shelves and stuff, so this is not a pristine atmosphere.

Thanks for your assistance.

Jack from Taxacola (formerly Pensacola), FL

 

[Jackson]

I wouldn't want to make that assumption. The monitor's performance may
be degrading over time as it warms up. Try a different monitor, and
then you'll know, one way or another.

That's a great idea. I'll have to borry a monitor
somewhere,or maybe I can hook up to my laptop. Today the
computer has been running over ten hours and the display
remains perfect. We shall see.

Thanks again.

Jack from Taxacola (formerly Pensacola), FL

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

The monitor is the 20-inch E207WFP. The info that came with
it lists the optimum resolution at 1680 X 1050. I reduced
the size because it is more comfortable to my eyes this way.

Three points:

1. You have a wide-screen monitor, but you are not running at a
wide-screen resolution. 1024 x 768 is the wrong aspect ratio, and that
means that all graphics images will be distorted.

2. I assume that yours is an LCD monitor. It's very important to run
LCD monitors at their recommended resolution, since everything will be
fuzzy if you don't.

3. You've reduced the resolution to make things bigger and easier on
your eyes, and that's understandable. But you should have left the
resolution at 1680x1050, and instead increased the sizes of the fonts
where necessary.

 

[Hot-text]

Jackson
#1 MS [MVP] is right
#2 Bruce is 1/2 right
Who say: Try a different monitor, and then you'll know, one way or another.
# 3 you need the CD that came with that different Monitor:; to get the right
Drives for that Monitor so it can work rightly ::
so you can see the right Resolutions and Color on that Monitor
You can get the drive form the Manufacturer website.
#4 Your Dell dimension C521 did it come with XP from the Manufacturer or
you format the Hard Drive your self and put XP on it.
if you Did go here
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/dimen_c521?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh
If not go look you need to see

And Chick on Support ---- you see ((( Drivers & Downloads ))))
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yours
Hot-Text
P.S.
I'll be there too I need some Drivers & Downloads for a Dell Dimension XPS
T___ I working I putting a Windows 98 in

 

[M.I.5¾]

1024 X 768 is not the proper resolution for a wide screen monitor, it is
the display resolution for a 4:3 aspect ratio display (the old CRT
monitors.) The generally standard settings for a widescreen monitor are
960 X 600, 1280 X 720, 1280 X 768, 1400 X 1050, 1440 X 900 and 1680 X
1050.

The only one of those formats that corresponds to a widescreen format screen
is 1280x720. None of the others do so. The next closest is 1280x768, but
that is only 15:9. If the OP has a widescreen display 1920x1080 should be
available and this is the native format of most decent 20 inch widescreen
monitors.

 

[M.I.5¾]

At times my monitor shows 'smeared' images and text. The
display looks like somebody rubbed their hand over the
screen and smeared everything a bit to the right, as if the
paint had not dried enough. If I right click on the desktop
and click 'Refresh' the problem remains.

If I reboot, the display becomes normal again but, after a
pause of many minutes, the problem reappears. Tinkering
with the display property settings does not cure the
problem. The smeared display is in both safe and regular
modes. Otherwise, the machine seems to be working normally;
it's just the display that has a problem

Does this sound like something may be overheating and
causing a problem.

I updated and ran SpybotSD and Malwarebytes. Nothing found.

I have XP (mce) on a Dell dimension C521 (Three years old
with no problems up to this point).
Monitor: 20-inch widescreen digital flat panel (working on
analog mode since a digital card will not fit in the C521
box).
Video card: NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE Integrated Graphics GPU.
Display settings: 1024 x 768

I am open to suggestions on possible causes. I assume the
monitor is not at fault because the display is normal for
some time after a boot or reboot.

If the video card is not being cooled properly could that
cause the problem? Is there a program that checks for
things like that?

I have never opened the case of the computer. Any hints on
cleaning and checking ventilation will be greatly
appreciated.

I assume you remove power while opening the case. Can I run
the computer with the case still open, so that I can observe
what's going on?

FWIW, I have been using the machine for over two hours now
and the display is still perfect. The room I'm in is a
little cold and I guess that is another vote for
overheating.

To be honest, it does sound like a problem with the monitor. Can you try it
on another PC? As someone else has noted 1024x768 cannot be the native mode
for the monitor (you didn't tell us what it is).

Fitting an alternate graphic card does not seem to be an option because the
motherboard used in that machine seems to have a very limited expansion
potential having a one PCI slot and a one single lane PC-express port. You
just ain't going to find a decent graphic card that fits in either of those.

 

[LVTravel]

The only one of those formats that corresponds to a widescreen format
screen is 1280x720. None of the others do so. The next closest is
1280x768, but that is only 15:9. If the OP has a widescreen display
1920x1080 should be available and this is the native format of most decent
20 inch widescreen monitors.

Amazingly my Gateway machine is set by the manufacturer at 1680 X 1050 (the
same as what the OP said his was originally set for) and it is a 22" wide
screen. The resolutions I specified in my post are the resolutions this
nVidia display adapter will produce. He has a nVidia GeForce 6150 LE model
adapter and my adapter is nVidia GeForce 6150SE nForce 430. While not the
most powerful graphic adapter on the market it works fine with this
widescreen monitor I have. Going to Dell's web site for the monitor the
OP describes they specify a native resolution of 1680 X 1050.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/monitors/E207WFP/en/ug/internet.htm

 

[bayskater]

The only one of those formats that corresponds to a widescreen format
screen is 1280x720. None of the others do so. The next closest is
1280x768, but that is only 15:9. If the OP has a widescreen display
1920x1080 should be available and this is the native format of most decent
20 inch widescreen monitors.

Excuse me for butting in here. I recently bought a Samsung Model 2033SW 20"
wide screen monitor.The display looked strange, stretched horizontally. I
looked in the Control Panel /Display and found it set for 1024x768. Reading
this thread, it seemed like 1024x768 was not the best resolution for my
monitor. I called Samsung support and asked the "tech" what the proper
resolution was. She said you'll have to try the various resolutions offered
and use the one that suits you best. The ones shown earlier in this thread
were not available (960X720, 1280X 768, 1400X900, and 1680X1050,1400X900)
The only resolutions available were,800X600,1024X768,1152X864, and 1600X900,
so I tried 1152X864 and it seemed pretty good so I kept it, but I still was
left with the feeling that there is a "native format" and don't understand
why SamSung support apparently didn't know what it was. My display is "Plug
and Play Monitor on ATI Radeon Xpress 200 series". My computer is emachines
T6520 computer with Windows XP Media Center edition -Service Pack 3.
Although I throw these technical terms around, I really don't understand
this Screen resolution business. Hoping someone who does will suggest any
changes or confirm that 1152X 864 is probably the best I can do. I'll read
up on whatever I can find to help me understand it when I get a chance, but
meantime I'd appreciate a tip that I can use now and study later.

Thanks, ... Fred

 

[Richard Urban]

Native resolution is 1600x900

I can not understand why people do not use internet search! It took me about
6 seconds to find this.
http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/...KFV/ZA/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail&tab=spec

 

[M.I.5¾]

Amazingly my Gateway machine is set by the manufacturer at 1680 X 1050
(the same as what the OP said his was originally set for) and it is a 22"
wide screen. The resolutions I specified in my post are the resolutions
this nVidia display adapter will produce. He has a nVidia GeForce 6150 LE
model adapter and my adapter is nVidia GeForce 6150SE nForce 430. While
not the most powerful graphic adapter on the market it works fine with
this widescreen monitor I have. Going to Dell's web site for the
monitor the OP describes they specify a native resolution of 1680 X 1050.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/monitors/E207WFP/en/ug/internet.htm

So it's not a true widescreen monitor then (at 16:10) but one of those
compromises that we often see on laptops that claim to be widescreen.

 

[bayskater]

Thanks.
I had tried to find the optimum resolution in the manual on the CD that came
with the monitor without success, then used the support phone number on the
CD offered for any questions. I can not understand why the support person
did not use internet search. I had searched and found the website you
supplied just after posting my question.
Now, properly chastened, I searched on "native resolution" and have a
better idea of the terminology and necessity of setting the display to its
native value.
I use Google search constantly, and don't know why I didn't do it sooner
this time. My bad. My apologies for wasting your time.

Fred
=============================================================

 

[LVTravel]

So it's not a true widescreen monitor then (at 16:10) but one of those
compromises that we often see on laptops that claim to be widescreen.

Compromise or not you appear to be getting much too technical for most that
purchase "widescreen" displays. As the "non-authoritative" Wikipedia
claims:

"Widescreen" can also refer to computer displays, which can be used to view
widescreen movies, among other things. Widescreen computer displays are
typically of the 1.6 (8:5, typically written as 16:10) aspect ratio. "True"
widescreen (16:9) monitors can be found in resolutions of 1024x576,
1280x720, 1600x900, and 1920x1080.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to widescreen computer
displays.(http://www.newegg.com/product/CategoryIntelligenceArticle.aspx?articleId=54)
However, in recent years many manufacturers have practically abandoned the
traditional 4:3 format, instead opting to manufacture 16:10 models, and
lately, even shorter 16:9 displays. (Note replaced with URL reference.)

So, according to the information quoted, generally all monitors that are
"wider" than a 4:3 display can be and are often called "widescreen" so the
16:10 display I have on this desktop and the one that the OP has on his
computer are also called widescreen displays. I also have a 19" 16:9
widescreen display that I use once in a while on a different computer and
have to, because of the resolutions that the video card will produce on that
computer, run it at a non-ideal resolution of 16:10. Refer to the note
above where it says "opting to manufacture 16:10". Well, apparently the
video card maker (nVidia in that older machine also) doesn't believe in 16:9
resolution as there are none offered near where the 19" monitor's default
resolution is located.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Excuse me for butting in here.

You're not butting in. There are no private conversations here, and
everyone is always welcome to join in.

I recently bought a Samsung Model 2033SW 20"
wide screen monitor.The display looked strange, stretched horizontally. I
looked in the Control Panel /Display and found it set for 1024x768. Reading
this thread, it seemed like 1024x768 was not the best resolution for my
monitor.

That's correct. It's a poor choice, for two reasons:

1. It's an LCD monitor. It's very important to run LCD monitors at
their native resolution, since everything will be
fuzzy if you don't.

2. 1024x768 is the wrong aspect ratio for a widescreen monitor, and
everything will be distorted at that aspect ration (for example,
circles will look like ovals instead of circles). That aspect ratio is
1.3333.... (1024 / 768) and widescreen monitors should have a 1.6
aspect ratio.

I called Samsung support and asked the "tech" what the proper
resolution was. She said you'll have to try the various resolutions offered
and use the one that suits you best.

That's correct for CRT monitors. It is *not* correct for LCD monitors.
See both points above.

The ones shown earlier in this thread
were not available (960X720, 1280X 768, 1400X900, and 1680X1050,1400X900)
The only resolutions available were,800X600,1024X768,1152X864, and 1600X900,
so I tried 1152X864 and it seemed pretty good so I kept it, but I still was

It is not "pretty good." Both points I made above apply here: it has
the same incorrect aspect ratio as does as does 1024x768 (1.333...),
and will cause fuzziness.

left with the feeling that there is a "native format"

Yes. See point number 1 above.

and don't understand
why SamSung support apparently didn't know what it was.

You're talking, not about "Samsung support," but about an *individual*
who works for Samsung support. Like all individuals, some in any
company know more than others in that company.

My display is "Plug
and Play Monitor on ATI Radeon Xpress 200 series". My computer is emachines
T6520 computer with Windows XP Media Center edition -Service Pack 3.
Although I throw these technical terms around, I really don't understand
this Screen resolution business. Hoping someone who does will suggest any
changes or confirm that 1152X 864 is probably the best I can do. I'll read
up on whatever I can find to help me understand it when I get a chance, but
meantime I'd appreciate a tip that I can use now and study later.

See Richard Urban's reply, and do what he says: run at the native
resolution of your monitor: 1600 x900.

 

[bayskater]

Many thanks, Ken.

Fred
================================

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Many thanks, Ken.

You're welcome. Glad to help.

================================