SOLVED Monitor flickering

[mr.magoo]

My monitor has started flickering. It's mildly annoying, but I can live with it if I have to. Damned machine is costing me an arm and a leg as it is.

 

[brkkab123]

Try downloading and running Driver Sweeper and then download current video card driver's. Also, some manufacturers put out their own monitor driver's too. Check their site also. I know ViewSonic has their own drivers for monitors. Here's a link for Driver Sweeper. http://phyxion.net/Driver-Sweeper/Driver-Sweeper/Version-3-2-0/ AMD: http://phyxion.net/Driver-Sweeper/Driver-Sweeper/Version-3-2-0/ Nvidia:http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

 

[mr.magoo]

Well, this is fine. Ran the Driver Sweeper and now my resolution is stuck on the lowest setting!

 

[mr.magoo]

This is hopeless. Every time I touch this machine, it breaks! I tried downloading the card's driver, but I was prompted to buy another damned program before it installed. I'll try again because the driver is not loading.

 

[mr.magoo]

Gotta wait half an hour while this driver downloads. In the meantime, what the devil do I do with this horrendous resolution? It's stuck at the lowest setting and visualparadox.com is pasted in the lower left corner. I tried restoring after I ran the cleaning operation, the uninstalled the program, but I can't get it back to normal.

 

[mr.magoo]

OK, I've got the resolution fixed.

 

[brkkab123]

You never need to purchase a program for Nvidia or AMD display drivers.Did you get things straightened out ? P.S. You won't get thhe best display resolution until new updated drivers are innstalled and a reboot of the pc. Keep Driver Sweeper installed on your pc. Display drivers get updates monthly. For AMD it should either be this week or next. For Nvidia, I'm unsure what time of month for their's. Haven't used a Nvidia card since my XP pc in 2007..May switch back to them, eventually, but that's after a motherboard upgrade. Don't see that happening until next year some time. P.S. Right-click on computer and let it re-run Windows Experience Index. Do that after any display, chipset, etc. driver updates.

 

[mr.magoo]

I'm quitting for today. I may go to IE tomorrow. I'm gonna go watch a movie!

 

[Digerati]

Whenever you have monitor issues, it is best to swap monitors with another computer before making any other system or driver changes. In this way, you can quickly determine if the problem is with the monitor or graphics solution. If the problem follows the monitor to the 2nd computer, you know the monitor has problems. If the problem appears with the 2nd monitor, you know the problem is in the graphics solution.

Note that drivers rarely suddenly go bad. The exception would be if the file itself became corrupted. And that would most likely appear as an error in Device Manager.

 

[mr.magoo]

It is showing up as an error in my device manager.

Correction: It was showing up as an error.

And this is the only monitor I have with the exception of my laptop.

 

[Digerati]

And this is the only monitor I have with the exception of my laptop.

Didn't mean to drag you away from your movie!

Just to be sure I am following, the monitor in question is a stand-alone monitor as used on PCs, right? If so, then you can connect that monitor to your notebook, hit the appropriate Fn-key combination and see if the problem appears there. Note a flickering monitor can easily be and often is the first sign of a failing backlight CCFL tube or it's associated inverter (assuming it is not a CRT or LED LCD monitor).

What is the model of this monitor?

 

[mr.magoo]

Was just messin' around with this contraption again, figured I'd run the Driver Sweeper, but it warns me before cleaning. Why? If I check all the drivers and clean them, what happens?

Btw, I'm still flickering. The monitor is a Westinghouse LCM-22w2.

 

[Shintaro]

Did you try what Digerati suggested?

 

[mr.magoo]

Sorry, but I'm still a real dummy at this stuff. How do I connect my laptop and what FN combo do I use?

I really do keep trying to learn, but it's just to much to stuff into my old brain.

Well, it's FM! The damned thing stopped flickering.

 

[TrainableMan]

I will offer some low tech here for what would be my first check:

Sometimes the simplest cause of monitor flicker is a loose cable. Make sure the cable between your computer and the monitor is firmly attached at both ends.

 

[Digerati]

Well, it's FM! The damned thing stopped flickering.

Yeah, I would make sure all cables are securely fastened.

As for the Fn key combination, you would need to look your specific notebook's manual for the correct one. There is no industry standard.

 

[amaltom61]

If you have any sound devices like speakers headphones or anything which produces sound,turn it off and unplug it from the computer and power supply.
I had the same problem,I just unplugged the speaker from the UPS and everything returned to normal.
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Try updating your display driver

I think Digerati said to plug your flickering monitor to another computer without any display issues.

 

[Digerati]

I think Digerati said to plug your flickering monitor to another computer without any display issues.

I said, "swap monitors with another computer before making other system or driver changes". This lets you "quickly determine if the problem is with the monitor or graphics solution." It the computer is not broke, don't fix it! Of course that is too late now as changes have been made.

But for future reference, it is not a good troubleshooting practice to start updating drivers or make other system changes when you don't even know if the problem is with drivers or the system, or the monitor itself. Moving the monitor to a 2nd computer, or connecting a 2nd monitor to this computer will quickly isolate the problem to the monitor, or the computer.