Troubleshooting Monitor Problems

If you have a computer monitor which isn't working right, don't bring it in for repair or discard it just yet. Troubleshooting and correcting the monitor's problems on your own may be possible. First, find the section below which applies to your monitor, then follow each of the troubleshooting steps to see if they will solve its problems...

BLANK SCREEN

1. Ensure that the monitor is attached to the computer and power source. Check to see that the video and power cords are securely connected to the monitor as well. Make sure any surge protector or power strip it is attached to is powered on and plugged in.

2. Try adjusting the brightness via controls on the monitor. I once obtained a monitor which seemed to no longer work, but someone had turned its brightness control turned all the way down for some unknown reason.

3. Most monitors have a power indicator. If this isn't lighted, the monitor could have a bad power switch or button. Try turning it on and off until you can get it to power on, then tape over the button/switch (to remind yourself not to press it), and instead use a surge protector to control power to it.

4. Look across the back of the computer to see if there are any other VGA ports; there may be one associated with a video card and another attached to a built-in video adapter on the motherboard. Try using the other port if there is one.

LOOKS WRONG

1. Make sure the video cable is not loose on either end; not long ago, I had a monitor that was displaying everything in shades of blue, just because the video cable was loose (but still plugged in).

2. Adjust the contrast control. If the monitor has on-screen settings, it may be possible to change the levels of red, blue, and green as well. It is usually not necessary to adjust these after they are set properly.

3. If one or more dots are blank or always a particular color, you may have a "stuck" or "dead" pixel on an LCD monitor. Various physical and software techniques are available which can sometimes eliminate these.

4. Try troubleshooting it by connecting the monitor to a different computer; it may be the particular computer, its operating system configuration, or its software that is causing the problems.

OTHER PROBLEMS

1. Some monitors have vertical and horizontal hold controls, usually on the back. I have never needed to adjust these, but it's possible you might need to.

2. If problems persist despite trying a different monitor, it is probable that the computer's video card has come loose from its internal socket, especially if it doesn't have a screw holding it in place.

3. Don't attempt to repair monitors yourself unless you are skilled at this type of work. They retain dangerously high voltages even after they are unplugged.

TROUBLESHOOTING BOOKS

Books on troubleshooting monitors are available for more detailed information on identifying and solving these problems. One example is "Computer Monitor Troubleshooting and Repair", which is available from both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.