Troubleshooting

Reducing Screen Flicker

My CRT is flickering and annoying me. How can I change it?

Increase the refresh rate of the display subsystem to at least 70Hz. Right-click the desktop, choose Properties, and then choose Settings, Advanced, Monitor. Finally, change the refresh rate.

Where Did Those Icons Go?

I changed the screen resolution, and now I can't find items off the edge of the screen and I have windows I can't close.

You might have this problem when you switch to a lower resolution from a higher one. Theoretically, Windows is good about relocating desktop icons, but some applications might not do the same. For example, the small AOL Instant Messenger dialog can be off the edge of the screen somewhere, and when it is, you can't get to it. Closing and rerunning the program doesn't help. One trick is to switch to the application by pressing Alt+Tab. Then press Alt+spacebar, and press M. This key combination invokes the Move command for the window. Then you can use the arrow keys on the keyboard to move the window (typically to the left and/or up). When you have the title bar of the window in view, press Enter. If this trick doesn't work, switch back to the previous higher resolution, reposition the application window in question closer to the upper-left corner of the screen, and then switch back to the lower resolution. It may help to remember that your screen is always decreased or increased in size starting from the lower-right corner and moving up or down diagonally.

What Does That Say?

I want to use an external TV monitor, but the output text is illegible.

Some video cards and laptops can be plugged into a TV monitor or regular TV that has video input. But displaying computer output on a TV monitor is problematic for a couple of reasons. For starters, some video display cards don't let you run the TV at anything higher than 640x480 resolution. Also, TV sets (as opposed to professional TV monitors) often overscan, pushing the edges of the image off the edge of the screen. The following are a few points to remember when you're using a TV or video projector; whether you're doing presentations, playing games, or giving your eyes a break by moving your focal plane back a bit:

• If your computer and TV have "S" (Super VHS) inputs, use them. They increase the clarity a bit. Don't expect miracles, though. If you're using a video projector and the computer and projector have DVI (Digital Video Interface) connectors, use those. The image should be very much clearer.

• Use Display Properties to switch to 640x480 resolution.

• Check to see whether your Display Properties dialog has buttons to center the image on the TV. It's most likely off center or needs resizing when you first try it. Some drivers such as those from ATI have advanced properties for fine-tuning TV display.

• Your application may have a "zoom" control for easily increasing the size of text onscreen, without the hassle of reformatting the entire document. MS Office tools such as Excel and Word, for example, have such a feature. Try bumping up the zoom size to increase legibility.

Single- or Double-Click?

I seem to accidentally run programs and open documents with a slip of the finger.

You probably have Single-Click selection turned on. As a result, one click (or tap, if you're using a touch pad) runs the program or opens the document that is highlighted. Change to Double-Click selection mode by opening a folder window, choosing Tools, Folder Options, and selecting Double Click to Open an Item.

Uh-Oh, My Monitor Died

I changed my resolution or refresh rate, and now the screen is blank.

Normally, you shouldn't have this problem because Windows XP asks you to confirm that a screen resolution works properly and switches back to the previous resolution if you don't confirm. If somehow you changed color depth and resolution, and the system is stuck with a blank screen, you can reboot, press F8 during boot, and choose Safe Mode. Access the Device Manager on the Hardware tab of the System applet. The System applet is accessed either through the Control Panel or by opening the Properties dialog for My Computer. Select the video display, and reset the properties to what the computer was running at before the change. Be sure to reset both the screen resolution and the color depth. In the worst case scenario, start with 640x480 and 16 colors. After you've booted successfully, then right-click the desktop, choose Properties, click Settings, and increase the settings one step at a time. Don't change resolution and color depth at the same time, though. Increase one first and then the other.

Moving in Slow Motion

I increased the resolution, but now the screen updates slowly when I drag windows around.

Unless you're doing high-resolution photographic-quality work, you don't need the high-resolution 24-bit or 32-bit color depth settings. These settings just serve to slow down screen redraws when you move windows about. On the Settings tab of the Display Properties dialog, try dropping to 16-bit color or even 256 colors, and enjoy the speed increase.

Blurry Images in LCD

I switched to an LCD screen, and the image is blurrier than I expected.

Unlike CRTs, LCDs do not benefit from higher refresh rates. Don't try to use anything above a 60Hz refresh rate for an LCD monitor. Also, check the LCD monitor's internal settings (check its manual) for a "phase adjustment" or focus adjustment to help clear up fuzziness on small text.

Stretched a Bit Thin

I set up a picture for my desktop wallpaper, but it looks blocky.

You're stretching a small bitmap. Either use a larger image, or turn off the Stretch setting for the image. See the Display Properties, Background, Picture Display option.