Monitor Discoloration (sp?)

[Twyst]

I was visitng my Fiancee's parents with her this weekend and her mom's boyfriends computer screen had this weird color scheme going on, he doesn't know much about computer so asked me if I could fix it. Turns out they had a storm a week or so ago and the monitor has been looking weird ever since then.

It's some sort of Gateway and the monitor is one of those EV700's I tried checking the color management and reinstalling the drivers for the video card (Geforce 256) and the monitor. No luck. I'm figuring that the screen got popped during the thunderstorm and that's the problem, but I just thought that I'd check to see if anyone had any other suggestions. Since I know very little about monitors.

 

[Monaco]

first thing to do would be to look for a 'Degauss' button on the monitor and give it a try. Sometimes it's in the onscreen menu if it's a fancy one.

Also, look around for anything magnetic near the monitor- speakers too. Move them away from the screen as far as you can and hammer that degauss button. the CLUNK is normal

the electron gun in the monitor can get misaligned from foreign mag fields and make the screen quite funky looking, the degauss button usually cures it. Hopefully this is the problem, cuz it's an easy fix

 

[Twyst]

Would turning the speakers off be enough to stop them from screwing with the monitor or do they hold a magnetic charge after they're been turned off?

 

[fade2black]

Ever seen a speaker? They operating with large (well, some a large, others are quite small) magnets to move the cone, so just unplugging or turning off the speakers won't help. They have to be moved away. Also, make sure there aren't any other TV's close by as they can cause the discoloration also.

Fade

 

[Twyst]

Thanks Fade, that's about what I figured. I'll check when I'm up there visiting this weekend and let you guys know. I'm still betting that it was the storm, but I've got my finger's crossed anyways.

Thanks

 

[fade2black]

Definitely try the degauss method Monster told you about first. That usually works, especially if the speakers have always been next to the monitor.

Fade

 

[bergie007]

What happens if there is ne Degauss button? I have the same problem in that my screen goes purple but mine was just moved to a higher altitude (from sea level to 600m above).

 

[Snarkey]

Just to show ya, I maintain an apartment complex and a tenant threw out a monitor. He said it was a piece of crap with one side of the screen all green. I took it home. Week later I saw him again on an A/C call and he was complaining that he had bought another and the same thing happened. I looked into his room where he had his rig and he had 2 monster Fisher speakers around his "New" monitor. And yes, the left side was green. I told him to move the speakers and that was that. I'm using that 1st monitor right now. 17" Trinitron. Check the simple stuff first.

 

[Monaco]

bergie, if you have no degauss button, you can still get your screen degaussed- but it'll cost you! Look around for shop that sells big-screen TVs, the higher end the better. Ask 'em if they have a degaussing wand and know how to use it- it's basically a big circular emagnet that you turn on and wave in front of a screen, if you do it right it is fixed when you are done.

Do it wrong tho and the screen is worse that when you started! Be sure to ask em if they have practice using it before you turn em loose.

also, sorry for posting a link to the classifieds- I keep forgetting that there's a post limit for it.