Hello.

I am looking for some help on a problem i am having with my PC and/or monitor.

Most of the time i have no problems at all with my monitor (PC another matter). Recently though it has been failing to operate properly when i boot or reboot the computer. It displays the usual BIOS and Windows startup screens then before i can login to my user account the screen goes blank and what i can only describe as an error box appears with a message refering to the screen settings and resolution. The box cannot be cleared to continue booting the PC and just moves around the screen at random. The only way to proceed is switch the PC off with the main switch. i have no other control over the PC when this happens. Sometime when this happens i can cure it by disconnecting the monitor from the PC and the PC from the mains. Other times the only way to clear it is to connect another monitor to the machine which then works fine. So does the 'problem' monitor when plugged into another machine. It works fine when returned to the original PC - Until the next time....!

can anyone offer any help please. CANT work out if it is monitor, pc hardware or pc software at fault.What is the exact message you see and exactly when does it appear?It sounds like the resolution was set for one that specific monitor can't run at. Which would EXPLAIN why bios and start screens come up but as soon as the video driver kicks in it can't display at that setting. Try booting into safe mode then restarting.I was in a bit of a rush when i originaly posted so perhaps i can explain further and update the situation.

FYI The PC is a Compaq Presario (2006 vintage) running Windows XPsp3. The Monitor in question is a Samsung Syncmaster 710v of similar vintage (slightly older than the PC). The monitor resolution is normally set at 1024x768 60hz. This is the setting most comfortable for my eyesight.

The exact error message i have been receiving on the screen is:

"Not Optimum Mode
Recommended Mode:
1280x1024 60hz"

I have tried setting the resolution to this and initaly the message disapeared but soon returned despite the display setting being the same as it asked for. Whatever display resolution is set makes no difference.

I have tried various 'tricks' to get the screen and PC working together again, including disconnecting the PC from the mains, the Monitor form the PC and laterly the Monitor from the mains or a combination of all THREE. All have worked occasionaly but not consistently . The best but most time consuming method seems to be exchanging the monitor for a spare, older monitor (which is a bulky CRT type). When i later put the main monitor (the Samsung one) back on the PC it all works fine, until the PC crashes or somethign else changes and triggers the same error again. In addition to this attempts to alter the display settings manualy, also seems to cause the error.

I hape this clarifies things. Any ideas?

Unless anyone out there can suggest otherwise i am inclined to think there is a fault with the monitor not the PC. Determining which it is is crucial since i am due to replace the PC soon and need to know if i a new monitor is needed or just a new base unit.

Many thanks.
I could be the monitor. Next time the computer "crashes" before you do anything to the PC, change monitors and see if everything is still there. If the PC actually crashes (reboots, BSOD, or locks up totally) then it may well just be a video card issue. The changing resolutions causing a crash could indicate the video card is failing. Especially if it is on-board. Good Luck Thanks for replies

Update on problem. Still occuring but the circumstances seem to have changed. After a couple of occasions when the error message briefly appeared before the screen returned to normal during boot up it, seems to have all but stoped doing it in first boot or reboot. Now seems to be doing it at random whilst using the PC normally. Last occurence was while surfing the net, the screen blanked out and appeaed to turn itself off briefly. When it turned back on all i got was the error message again, leaving me no choice but to shut down manually. After unplugging the PC and monitor all was fine again.

Asherr: When you say 'repair windows' do you mean reinstall the OS or just run a system restore?

How do i go about reinstalling the display/video divers please?Reinstalling the display/video drivers.

1. You can go to the control panel and uninstall the drivers
2. Download driver cleaner pro (you can just google it)
3. Reboot System to safe mode
4. Use driver cleaner pro, the company NAME pertains to the label of the video driver such as ATI, Nvidia etc.. Once done, press clean.
5. Reboot to normal mode
6. Reinstall drivers
7. Restart your PC

Do these problems happen with the BACKUP monitor? Try using it for a while and see. If not then it is your monitor. Also I would strongly recomend not using anything to uninstall a driver that isn't a part of windows or an uninstaller from the OEM. To uninstall the video drivers manually just do this:

right-click "my computer" (either from start menu or desktop) and chose manage
click on device manager
click the "+" next to display adapters
right-click the entry below it and chose uninstall

BEFORE doing this make sure you have the correct driver to re-install with (OEM disk or latest drivers from the OEM via internet)and on problem.

It now appears to be the monitor. Looked into drivers and could find nothing wrong. This has now ceased to be a relevant issue since i have now replaced the PC in question to a new Packard Bell running windows 7. After initially working fine the monitor has again stopped working properly, showing the same error message. The trouble began when i went to change the display settings to customise it from the factory settings. I then pluged the monitor into an older machine running XP SP1 (an Advent machine, predecessor to the Compaq) and did all the things that had triggered the monitor to stop working on the other machines and it continued to work fine.

I am now very confused. How can a monitor fail to work properly on 2 PCs yet work fine on a third much older machine? I the monitor were 'kaput' it wouldnt work on any PC properly or at all would it?

Any ideas? Software conflict, out of date driver or what?