# My monitor is freaking out **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 19, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-monitor-is-freaking-out/58601 "2001-03-19T16:39:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-monitor-is-freaking-out/58601/1 "2001-03-19T16:39:57Z")
Every now and then my monitor will do something weird. It’s very visual, but I will try to explain. It looks like the screen is going away from me, zooming out. Then it comes back and acts normal for a few hours. I have a de-gauss button, which when pushed will mess up the screen in a wiggly and smeary colorful sort of way. This is not what it looks like when it does its “weird” thing. This has been happening for about a month. Is the monitor about to die? Has anybody ever seen this phenomenon? ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-monitor-is-freaking-out/58601/2 "2001-03-19T17:55:01Z")
I’d recommend taking it to a shop. Definitely sounds like a warning sign. Or, if it’s a cheap or old monitor, just get a new one. Dell sells refurbished 21" Sony’s for pretty cheap these days. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-monitor-is-freaking-out/58601/3 "2001-03-20T00:13:28Z")
Dolores Claiborne, look at the back of it, find the date of manf & report back to me here. ALso, when you are back there make sure that cable is plugged in real snug to the computer. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-monitor-is-freaking-out/58601/4 "2001-03-20T01:16:05Z")
Hypoglycaemia? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-monitor-is-freaking-out/58601/5 "2001-03-20T01:32:44Z")
**Muffin** : I don’t think the problem is with **Dolores**. This sounds like a completely crazed monitor, possibly a hardware fault. **Dolores** : If it bugs you, I’d just get a new one. As has been said above, you can get a functional old one cheaply if you just shop around a little. An out of date monitor, unless you get a real antique, has the same functionality as a new one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-monitor-is-freaking-out/58601/6 "2001-03-20T01:56:53Z")
Just a thought. I recall seeing something very similar to what you’re describing in mud loggers’ trailers on drilling locations where the trailer was run off a generator with no power conditioning. The power would fluctuate, but not drop enough to reboot the PC. That _could_, I suppose, happen at your home. If that were the case a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply - basically a battery backup/surge suppressor) might help. FWIW, I’ve had more monitors fail than any other hardware component. Right now I’ve got a Nanao sitting by the front door waiting for heavy trash day. ---
**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:** [March 20, 2001, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-monitor-is-freaking-out/58601/7 "2001-03-20T03:41:17Z")
The best free resource on the Net for such consumer electronics problems is the sci.electronics.repair FAQ by the amazing Samuel Goldwasser. See [http://www.repairfaq.org/](http://www.repairfaq.org/) The OP’s problem is in the CRT section, 9.32. Fixable by a competent pro. (If you know where to find one.) I’m pretty good at this stuff but I would probably pass if it was my monitor. Definitely not doable by a typical user. (Assumes you did the connection\_s\_ checking as recommended by handy.) Also try different (lower) refresh rates for the given resolution. If something in the FAQ helps, be sure to post a thanks to Sam in sci.electronics.repair. He’ll appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-monitor-is-freaking-out/58601/8 "2001-03-20T13:45:19Z")
I forgot to mention that this is my computer at work. I’ll let the IT department know. (Not that anything will get done, mind you!) ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-monitor-is-freaking-out/58601/9 "2001-03-20T16:07:53Z")
First of all no tech in the world is going to advise you without knowing who made the monitor & what year it is, which we don’t know, of course, plus, I thought it was a personal monitor but hey, you can get your company to do it for ya.