Monitor display is to big for screen

[mrblonde]

I've tried adjusting all the settings on the monitor, I've loaded the current driver as well as the previous. I can't seem to get the image to stay with in the confines of the screen. I have to guess when the mouse is out of site. Any suggestions? I've also tried changing the adapter settings. A little difference but not enough.

Thanks...

IBM G74 on Win 98

 

[crisc]

I've found that tweaking the refresh rate setting will cure some screen-related problems I can't fix by adjusting the screen resolution or the monitor controls. Try experimenting with that...

 

[mrblonde]

I tried that just a second ago. It's like the thing is in Widescreen mode or something. The vertical resolution is fine but the horizonital is off. Changing the refresh rate adjusted it a bit but not enough...

 

[crisc]

You don't by chance have a 2nd monitor enabled, do you? Many newer vid cards support multiple monitors, that span the display across them. It is possible to turn this setting on even if there is no other monitor used, the vid card just divides the signal.
If your vertical is good, but horizonal seems too wide, especially to only 1 side, maybe that's it?

 

[mrblonde]

crisc,

Interesting point. There was in fact another monitor attached to this pc, however the video card and the monitor are no longer attached. Possibly a registry setting or something? I dunno...

 

[pcs800]

Sounds like you have got the cause figured out, but the solution?
I would completely remove ALL video drivers from the device manager, from a safe mode boot. Also, remove all monitors from there. Reboot, and install fresh. (safe mode shows you things you would otherwise not be able to see)
Also, there may be a dual monitor enables in your bios.

 

[crisc]

Hmm. I would think such a reg setting would be restored to default when you reloaded the drivers.
This may seem obvious, but do the drivers you've reinstalled seem to have settings allowing for multiple monitors? And if so, these are of course disabled, right? ;]
You say even the vid card is no longer attached? Did you mean this PC used to have 2 video cards, with a monitor going to each? If so, does device manager show either an extra monitor or another adapter present? These may need to be manually removed...

 

[mrblonde]

Ugh,

I went into safe mode, the device manager there showed the old adaptor card as well as the existing one, and two monitors. (This was not the case in regular windows...wierd) I removed everything, and rebooted. In the device manager in normal mode it says one monitor, one adaptor. Same in Safe mode device manager. However the problem has not gone away. Very frustrating. We are talking upwards of 25 reboots today on this machine. To answer your question Crisc, yes, it did have to adapter cards and two monitors attached. However I just read pcs800 suggestion on the bios... I'll look...

 

[pcs800]

yes, safe mode will show you any installed hardware drivers in device manager, unlike when in regular boot mode, you only see the ones where the hardware actually exists.

 

[mrblonde]

The Bios had the video adapter set to pci, I switched it to integrated. However this has made no difference. I'm at a loss here.

 

[pcs800]

there has got to be a check box or something that is enabling the dual monitor thing. You've looked thoroughly by right clicking the desktop/settings/advanced?
And the dumb question now, the monitor horizontal setting? (buttons on the monitor).

 

[mrblonde]

Remember there are no dumb questions, just dumb people.

I've messed with the settings on the monitor, they are not enough to compensate. The Extend my desktop on to this monitor check box is checked in the settings tab, however it is grayed out. Again, I have removed the old adapter card, and it no longer appears in Safe mode via device manager. Honestly I don't even know what to try.

 

[crisc]

Hmm. Let's review:
You've removed everything in Safe Mode, rebooted, Windows PnPed and reinstalled drivers for 1 monitor and 1 video card.
The only "cleaner" way to reinstall would be to format your partition and start from scratch! ;] I'm convinced that leftover drivers CANNOT be the problem.
You've messed with the settings on the monitor, they are not enough to compensate
How old is this monitor? Can you try connecting a different (known good) one?
If that doesn't work, how about swapping in a known good vid card. It's got to be something...

 

[mrblonde]

I'll try swapping the monitors, though I don't believe it will make a difference because at boot up the screen appears normal, once the OS get's going it changes. (though it is messed up in safe mode as well.) As far as the video card goes, it's intergrated. I'll let cha know how the monitor swap goes.

 

[crisc]

Ah, I guess the problem would be pretty obvious if the POST screen looks screwy. If it's normal, I agree that the monitor probably isn't to blame...
And just because you have integrated video doesn't prevent you from slapping a vid card into a PCI slot and connecting your monitor to it.
A couple other things occured to me while rereading this thread:

1)When did this problem START? You said this PC used to have 2 monitors and vid cards, and now it doesn't. Was the display normal for a period of time AFTER the extra vid card and monitor were removed? Can you identify any changes made to the PC right before this started happening?

2)Are you 100% sure the display is behaving as if there's a monitor on the side and is extending the desktop? One way to test this is to move you mouse to the "off screen" side, and once it's gone, KEEP MOVING IT in that direction a foot or so. Then, slowly start moving your mouse the other way. If the problem really is that the desktop is being extended, then it should take a lot of mouse movement to bring the cursor back onto the viewable portion. If it's not, then the cursor will be right up against the edge of the desktop, and the pointer should come back almost immediately.
At least then you'll be sure what you're dealing with ;]

 

[mrblonde]

Well, as fun as this has been, I have to end the thread, with the most lackluster reason for the problem. The monitor was shot. I replaced it and the replacement worked fine. I took the monitor to another pc and the problem went with it. There must be something wrong with the inside of the monitor. We have a surplus of monitors so I'm going to bring this one out to the field and take care of it, "Office Space" style.

Thanks very much to all of you who helped me through this odd, odd problem.

Mr. Blonde

 

[crisc]

Wow, a lot of effort for such a simple problem. Give that thing a crowbar swing for me!