Monitor problems

Hello Geeks!

I have a generic monitor...14.1 inch LCD. Under Windows I've never had much of a problem with it. Under various versions of Linux, there hasn't been much of a problem with it (SUSE is one exception...but, once I configure sax2, it works fine).

However, with a recent purchase of a new HD and a complete reinstallation of my OSes (I triple boot WindowsXP Home, Ubuntu 5.10, and SUSE 10.0), my monitor has gone all funky. It happened first with Windows (I always install Windows first). For some reason, Windows adjusted the monitor as wide-screen. After installing the Catalyst drivers for my video card, I tried to adjust the screen to 1024x786, but during the test I got the "out of range" error on my monitor. This has never happened before with Windows.

Also, after rebooting, I noticed that the black BIOS screen (you know where it lists your drives and memory and says press "del" to enter setup) has gone. After a restart I get a blank screen for a while, then this mishmash of colors, before going to the Grub Bootloader screen (which is also in wide-screen format...but that should be something I can fix with Grub).

Anyway, this lack of a BIOS boot screen is a bit troubling. Any ideas what the problem might be and how I might fix it?

If you need more info, please let me know.

Thanks.

 

Odd.... Do you have another system to test the screen on to see if its the screen or the system ??

 

Unfortunately, no, I don't.

It is an odd problem...

 

Well, I tried unplugging the monitor and letting it sit for a while (yeah, stupid, I know) and see if it reset or something. There isn't a reset button for the thing (though, I have no idea if there are reset buttons for monitors).

I also tried putting in the Windows Install CD to see if the monitor can show that. It doesn't...the screen just stays black (since I can't see the BIOS screen and I can't see the "Press any key to boot from CD....." screen, I just started pressing the up-arrow as soon as the power light on the monitor turned green). The SUSE Install CD, though, works OK. Not sure about Ubuntu, but I suspect that it would work OK.

This is a strange problem. Any more ideas?

 

Hmmm well....I dont know anything about running multiple OSs, but it sounds to me, your computer just doesnt know what to do first, heh...I think all the video setting from the different OS's are conflicting....maybe not though...as I said I dont know anything about Booting with Multiple OS's...heck...I dont even understand why you would want to, hehe..

 

I boot several OSes for various reasons...but that's beside the point.

Anyone else got an idea about this? I guess I'm going to have to borrow a monitor from someone and test the system. Does BIOS have anything to do with monitor settings?

 

It sounds like something is falling off the rails even before your boot loader starts, and long before any OS gets loaded. If that guess is right, it's most likely a hardware problem.

Test the monitor on another system if you possibly can. Or borrow a monitor to try on yours. Better yet, do both. I'm sure that your local computer supplier will be happy to test your monitor for you in the hope of selling you a replacement. He might not be quite so quick to provide a loaner -- but maybe a friend will help you with that one.

Yes, a BIOS setting error or corruption in the firmware is a possible cause. Try resetting your BIOS to setup defaults -- after noting what settings you'll need to restore after you do that. You might also try clearing your BIOS -- use the jumper on the mobo or pull the BIOS backup battery.

It may be worth flashing your BIOS with the most recent version of the firmware that's available -- even if you end up flashing with the same version that you already have.