The dark colors/backgrounds on my screen are pitch black!

Hello.

I turned on my PC this morning, and noticed that the dark backgrounds of websites or Steam or the dark bits in my desktop wallpaper, are extremely dark, they're pitch black!

I have the brightness and contrast turned all the way up, i fiddled with the settings of the monitor and the display/resolutions settings, and it won't change..
All other colors are looking normal, and they're very bright, but the black/dark blue bits of my Start Menu background and Steam backgrounds are so pitch black as if they are immune to the brightness option..

I just tried playing The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. While i was outside in a field, everything looked bright and great. When i went into an underground crypt, i could only see the torches on the walls. I couldn't see anything around me!

It's as if something is maximizing the darkness of dark colors and making them pitch black, and immune to bightness.
I suspect that something in my video card, or RAM, or monitor, has gone broken causing this abnormal color damage..

I am running Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit, using a Samsung SyncMaster 226BW 22'' 1680x1050 monitor, running a GeForce 8600 GT and AMD Athlon 2x3Ghz 6000+

Any help appreciated!

 

The first thing, I would do is use Revo Uninstaller in advanced mode to uninstall the game, and after removal of the game reboot. Then reinstall the video drivers. Hope this works for you.

 

No, I disagree. MetallicIL said the problem is also happening with websites, Windows desktop, and Steam. The game would have nothing to do with those other areas so uninstalling it would be a waste of time and energy.

The first thing I would do is swap monitors with another computer. If you swap monitors and the problem follows your monitor, you know your monitor is failing. If the problem stays with your computer, then you know you have problem with your computer/graphics solution.

 

Sometimes software can cause degradation of hardware drivers. This just sounded like a case of this type.