# PC monitor is not showing the color red
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-monitor-is-not-showing-the-color-red/821792
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [September 23, 2018, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-monitor-is-not-showing-the-color-red/821792 "2018-09-23T19:40:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@sara20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sara20)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2018, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-monitor-is-not-showing-the-color-red/821792/1 "2018-09-23T19:40:19Z")
I have a 26 inch westinghouse LCD monitor that I love and have had for about 9 years. I have noticed noticed that it is not showing the color red, the color red shows up as black. Example [https://imgur.com/a/ogbxKh9.I](https://imgur.com/a/ogbxKh9.I) tried turning up the red on the monitor but it makes no difference. I am using windows 10. Is there any way to fix this?
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### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2018, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-monitor-is-not-showing-the-color-red/821792/2 "2018-09-23T19:43:52Z")
I see lots of red in your posted image.
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### Author:  [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2018, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-monitor-is-not-showing-the-color-red/821792/3 "2018-09-23T19:44:25Z")
Your example looks fine to me. The reds are red. The screenshot uses video memory, so likely the picture is fine inside the computer. Can you take a picture with your phone so it captures what you are seeing?
Here’s an article which says that sometimes the cable can be a problem:
> **[Monitors keep losing red color](https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/monitors-keep-losing-red-color.730677/)**
>
> For the second time, my monitor no longer displays the color red. The first time it happened, and after trying various video tweaks, I replaced the monitor and the problem was gone. Now that it has happened again, I don’t know what to think. Is it...
A bad pin may prevent the red signal from being sent. Do you have another cable you can try? Or maybe even another computer you can hook it up to?
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### Author:  [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-monitor-is-not-showing-the-color-red/821792/4 "2018-09-23T20:11:58Z")
> [@sara20](#):
>
> I have a 26 inch westinghouse LCD monitor that I love and have had for about 9 years. I have noticed noticed that it is not showing the color red, the color red shows up as black. Example [Imgur: The magic of the Internet](https://imgur.com/a/ogbxKh9.I) tried turning up the red on the monitor but it makes no difference. I am using windows 10. Is there any way to fix this?
do you know what connection you’re using from the PC to the monitor? analog VGA, DVI, HDMI? all carry the three colors on independent wires, so usually the cable is the first place to look.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2018, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-monitor-is-not-showing-the-color-red/821792/5 "2018-09-23T20:25:59Z")
I would start with the cable as the culprit, as well.
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### Author:  [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2018, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-monitor-is-not-showing-the-color-red/821792/6 "2018-09-24T19:08:04Z")
Cable could simply be loose. I have an HDMI cable that messes up the colors on the monitor if it’s a little crooked in the port on the computer.
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### Author:  [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2018, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-monitor-is-not-showing-the-color-red/821792/7 "2018-09-24T20:37:13Z")
The one time I ran into this issue as a computer tech, the problem was actually inside the computer. The innards had so much dust, it was apparently causing a short somewhere on the video card, causing the display to only show one color. I took the computer into the hallway, vigorously blew it out with compressed air, and it worked fine.
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### Author:  [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2018, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-monitor-is-not-showing-the-color-red/821792/8 "2018-09-24T21:00:45Z")
Check all connections and see if your video cable has a “bent” or “crease” in it that could indicate the wires inside might be cut (not sure what the proper English word for the bend could be, it’s hard to miss). Also check the cable’s sockets for similar signs of age/loose wiring. If problem persists, shut down computer, remove graphic card and reseat it. If problem persists it’s likely that either your GFX card; the screen or the video cable is borked (most probably the cable, as has been said - but on many cheap monitors you can’t switch the cable without replacing the monitor itslef) - try and switch each of them with spares or loaners one at a time to isolate the problem.
Oh, and **Max Torque** is right : dust buildup can also create all kinds of fucky problems by creating intermittent shorts.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2018, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-monitor-is-not-showing-the-color-red/821792/9 "2018-09-25T08:51:10Z")
> [@Kobal2](#):
>
> Check all connections and see if your video cable has a “bent” or “crease” in it that could indicate the wires inside might be cut (not sure what the proper English word for the bend could be, it’s hard to miss).
‘Kink’ (where the damage was caused by a loop being pulled tight like [this](https://www.google.co.uk/search?rlz=1C1CAFA_enGB789GB789&biw=1280&bih=579&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=UPapW4PDNsjbgAa46piQAQ&q=kinked+cable&oq=kinked+cable&gs_l=img.3..0j0i7i30k1.37360.39937.0.40751.9.8.1.0.0.0.100.405.7j1.8.0....0...1.1.64.img..0.2.113....0.bSt02otUxYk#imgrc=yDogjxcLS4q1NM:) )
‘Crimp’ where the cable has been damaged by pressure such as being shut in a door or pressed under the leg of a table.