# Computer Monitor Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 21, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-monitor-question/156573 "2003-02-21T17:45:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mipiace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@mipiace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipiace)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-monitor-question/156573/1 "2003-02-21T17:45:28Z")
I reformatted my computer a couple of weeks ago and lost the profiles for my monitor. Now everything is really grainy and I can’t see a damned thing. How can I fix this? IS there anyway I can find the profiles on the net? Do I have to go buy a new monitor? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-monitor-question/156573/2 "2003-02-21T17:46:52Z")
It would help if we knew what OS you’re using (version of Windows?) ---
**Author:** ![mipiace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@mipiace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipiace)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-monitor-question/156573/3 "2003-02-21T17:48:38Z")
Sorry, Windows 2000 ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-monitor-question/156573/4 "2003-02-21T18:08:14Z")
More than likely what you need are drivers for your video card, not something for your monitor. Do you know what kind of video card you have? If so, you can go to the manufacturer’s Web page and download the drivers for it. If you don’t know what kind of video card you have, try this: 1 - right click on your desktop 2 - choose “Properties” 3 - Choose “Settings” About halfway down the dialog box, there should be something that starts with “Display” and underneath reads something like: “Sony XJ4 Monitor on ATI 9700” In this example that last part - ATI 9700 - is the video card. You can do a Google search on “ATI 9700 drivers” to see if you can find a downloadable driver, or contact the manufactor of your computer to get 'em. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-monitor-question/156573/5 "2003-02-22T03:13:27Z")
Your driver might be OK, just need to reset the number of colors. If **Athena** ’s very good advice doesn’t do it, go through those same steps and look at the dropdownbox with colors. You want True Color (32 bit). ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-monitor-question/156573/6 "2003-02-22T04:53:22Z")
You’ll also need to set the proper resolution. for a 14" or 15" monitor, it will be 800x600. For a 17", 1024x768. For a 19", 1280x960 (1152x864 if 1280x960 is not supported by your videocard). For a larger monitor, 1600x1200. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-monitor-question/156573/7 "2003-02-22T16:42:25Z")
Front or back of your monitor as the model number, search the web for drivers for it at the manf site or on the web. Make sure its the monitor that show up in the display properties… all windows software comes with excellent docs under the start menu, you just input ‘monitor’ & it finds stuff for you to read about what to do. ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-monitor-question/156573/8 "2003-02-22T18:14:44Z")
I haven’t seen an answer that addresses the OP here at all. Monitor profiles tell Windows what resolutions, color depths, and refresh frequency the monitor is capable of. If you try to drive the monitor beyond its capability, you can damage it, so Windows has a file that will tell it what is allowed. It is generally safe to use Windows generic “Plug and Play Monitor” as long as you don’t push it. I have a Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 900u 19" monitor and I have to do that since upgrading to Win XP since Mitsubishi didn’t see fit to create a profile for this monitor for Win XP. Really irritating and insures that I will not be in the market for a monitor from this company again. ---
**Author:** ![mipiace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@mipiace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipiace)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-monitor-question/156573/9 "2003-02-22T19:27:29Z")
I contacted Hewlett Packard and was told my old Pavilion is not designed to run Windows 2000. IT’s capable but there are a lot of patches. they directed me to a site but did not guarentee sucess. Thanks everyone, Maybe I will just give it up, reinstall 98 on this computer and go buy a Dell. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-monitor-question/156573/10 "2003-02-22T19:31:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flex727 \* > \*\*I haven’t seen an answer that addresses the OP here at all. Monitor profiles tell Windows what resolutions, color depths, and refresh frequency the monitor is capable of. If you try to drive the monitor beyond its capability, you can damage it, so Windows has a file that will tell it what is allowed. It is generally safe to use Windows generic “Plug and Play Monitor” as long as you don’t push it. I have a Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 900u 19" monitor and I have to do that since upgrading to Win XP since Mitsubishi didn’t see fit to create a profile for this monitor for Win XP. Really irritating and insures that I will not be in the market for a monitor from this company again. \*\* Here is a location for a non-digitally signed inf file that contains a Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 900u profile that will work with XP. Mitsubishi Windows 95/98/2000/XP INF File [Download] size : 3.835(Kb) Windows 95/98/2000/XP drivers for Mitsubishi displays. Digital signatures may be critical for complex driver sets but a monitor profile definition is about as simple as it gets. The non-signed file should work fine. I have a 900U and it does for me under XP. [http://www.necmitsubishi.com/corpus/O/G/mitsubishi\_new.zip](http://www.necmitsubishi.com/corpus/O/G/mitsubishi_new.zip) ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-monitor-question/156573/11 "2003-02-23T00:44:56Z")
“go buy a Dell.”: Try [techbargains.com](http://techbargains.com) for that, I got mine there, dirt cheap reading the specials & coupons for Dells. ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-monitor-question/156573/12 "2003-02-23T21:41:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\*Here is a location for a non-digitally signed inf file that contains a Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 900u profile that will work with XP. > > Mitsubishi Windows 95/98/2000/XP INF File [Download] size : 3.835(Kb) Windows 95/98/2000/XP drivers for Mitsubishi displays. > Digital signatures may be critical for complex driver sets but a monitor profile definition is about as simple as it gets. The non-signed file should work fine. I have a 900U and it does for me under XP. > > [http://www.necmitsubishi.com/corpus/O/G/mitsubishi\_new.zip](http://www.necmitsubishi.com/corpus/O/G/mitsubishi_new.zip) \*\* Many, many thanks! I’ll give it a try. 🙂 🙂 🙂