# Degausing the monitor

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degausing-the-monitor/212652>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 11, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degausing-the-monitor/212652 "2003-11-11T19:03:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Matchka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Matchka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matchka)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degausing-the-monitor/212652/1 "2003-11-11T19:03:58Z")

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Apart from the tremndous satisfaction of doing it, is there any reason to degauss your computer monitor? What are the consequences of too much gauss? Where doe the gauss go?  
(I just did it…could you tell?)

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**Author:** ![SkyBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@SkyBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkyBum)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degausing-the-monitor/212652/2 "2003-11-11T19:09:27Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Degaussing
> 
> The realigning of monitor electron beams to reduce screen discoloration. Discoloration occurs when a monitor’s electromagnets succumb to interference from the earth’s magnetic field after a monitor is tilted or moved. Many monitors automatically degauss at power on; others offer a manual degauss control. \*Caution: Repeated degaussing within a short time span can damage a monitor’s control circuitry. \*

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**Author:** ![jmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmonster)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degausing-the-monitor/212652/3 "2003-11-11T19:48:43Z")

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If somebody else’s monitor is close, like in the cubicle behind your monitor, you can degauss yours to make theirs wiggle.

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**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degausing-the-monitor/212652/4 "2003-11-12T02:01:21Z")

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Everytime you DeGauss, you transport yourself into a parallel dimension. That’s why the keys aren’t where you put 'em.

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degausing-the-monitor/212652/5 "2003-11-12T02:26:04Z")

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One of the units for measuring magnetic fields is the Gauss. Tiny magnetic fields buildup, esp. inside the front of a monitor, over time. These little fields bend the electron beams and mess up the color and sharpness of the image. (You can really mess up a monitor big time using a strong magnet. Placing poorly shielded speakers near a monitor is also a no-no.) Degaussing produces a medium varying magnetic field that overwhelms the small fields and then fades away. Hence the shaky screen when you degauss.

It’s the electronic version of shaking your orange juice to get the pulp evenly mixed. (Smile from FtG.)