Troubleshooting Portable Video Difficulties Using an External Monitor in Windows^® 95

Possible causes:

The monitor cable is poorly connected, has bent or broken pins, or is defective.
The brightness and contrast are not set for optimum viewing.
The monitor is not correctly configured with the video on the system.
A screen saver or power saver may be temporarily blanking the screen.
Environmental factors in the area of the monitor are causing distortion.
There is a software conflict with the version or type of video that is on the system.
The video drivers are corrupt.
A newly added hardware device is conflicting with the video.
Docking Bar conflicting with the signal.

Basic video troubleshooting external monitor:

Monitor connections - One of the first things to do when troubleshooting is to make sure that the monitor is powered on and connected correctly to the video port. If a docking bar is attached, remove the docking bar and connect the monitor directly to the VGA port. If the video is blurry, fuzzy, changes colors, etc. as soon as you power up the system, the problem may be with the monitor cable connection. Power down the system and unplug the monitor cable from the system. Look at the end of the cable and check for any bent or pushed in pins. Note: it is normal for up to 4 pins to be missing inside the end of the video cable that attaches to the computer. Reattach the cable to the computer and power up the system. Anytime you feel the monitor is damaged, try connecting it to another system to see if it functions. Consult the portable systems Userís Guide for instructions on selecting the Video Display Mode, and configure for CRT only.
Docking Bar considerations - With the external monitor connected through the docking bar to the Gateway Solo ^TM system, the external monitor may be slightly dimmer and characters may not be as sharp. This is normal and in some instances, adjustments to the brightness and contrast controls on the external monitor are required.
Power to the monitor - Always make sure the monitor is plugged into a working outlet and turned on before attempting to troubleshoot a video problem. On the front of the monitor there is a green LED light that should appear if the monitor is receiving power. If you have an Energy Star compatible monitor, the light appears a yellow or amber color. The Energy Star compliant monitors do not display the green light until they receive the video signal from the system. If the power light does not come on, try plugging the monitor directly into a working outlet and bypass any surge protector. If the power light still does not come on, try unplugging the cable that attaches the monitor to the computer system to see if the power light appears. Make sure that the power cable does not appear twisted or have bent connections. If your monitor has a removable power cable, swap the power cable. Once the green light on the monitor comes on, check the knobs or buttons on the monitor to make sure the brightness or contrast controls are not turned down completely. Consult the monitorís Userís Guide for instructions on resetting the monitorís internal settings to factory defaults to eliminate the possibility of improper settings. The monitorís Userís Guide may also contain additional troubleshooting steps for your specific model.
Environmental distortion - Electrical interference from other devices such as televisions, radios, microwave ovens, etc. causes the monitor screen to "jump" or "shake." Interference can also make the display appear blurry or fuzzy. If the system is close to a fluorescent light, turn the light off or move the light away from the monitor to see if the video clears up. If there is a fan near the system, turn the fan off or move it away from the monitor. If the system is plugged into a surge protector, unplug the system and reconnect it to the wall outlet to see if the video improves. Try degaussing the monitor or adjusting the pincushioning of your monitor. Consult your monitorís Userís Manual to see if your monitor has that capability. Try turning the monitor 90 degrees in either direction from where it is. If you notice that the display acts up at regular intervals, see if there is a major appliance, such as a freezer, air conditioner, etc., on the same electrical circuit. If there is a major appliance on the same circuit, move the computer to a new location. If possible, move the system to another location to see if the distortion clears up.
Resolving video problems on external monitor:

Confirm the monitor and display adapter type are correctly indicated - If the monitor or adapter type is not correctly identified in Windows 95, the display may appear distorted or you may not be able to enter Windows 95 at all.

If you are able to enter Windows 95, you can check the current video adapter and monitor selections. Click an open area on the Windows 95 desktop. Click the word Properties that appears on the menu. Across the top of this window are four tabs: Background, Screen Saver, Appearance, and Settings. Click the tab marked Settings. On the bottom right hand side of the Settings section, click the Change Display Type button to go to that window. The Adapter Type and Monitor Type are displayed here. Check the documentation that came with the monitor and video adapter to confirm these settings. If your monitor is a Plug & Play monitor, it will automatically be detected by Windows 95. If the Monitor type is not listed correctly, e.g., if it is listed as a Gateway CrystalScan ^® 1024NIG (13.4" viewable area) monitor and you have a Gateway Vivitron17^® (15.9" viewable area) monitor, click the Change button to the right of this setting. In the lower left hand corner of the Select Device window, click the circle beside Show all devices. In the Manufacturers: windows on the left hand side of the screen, select the manufacturer of your monitor. In the Models: window on the right hand side of the screen select your monitor model. Once these changes are complete, click the OK button at the bottom of the screen to return to the Change Display Type window. Click the Close button to return to the Display Properties window. Click OK to return to the Windows 95 desktop. Restart the computer system. Windows 95 should now appear normal.
If you cannot enter Windows 95, reboot the computer. When it finishes counting the memory and displays, "Starting Windows 95 . . .", immediately press the F5 key on the keyboard. This will allow you to enter Windows 95 in Safe Mode. Follow the steps in the preceding section to check the video and monitor settings to see if this resolves your issue.

Disable screen savers, background wallpaper, and color schemes - Screen savers, background wallpapers, color schemes can occasionally make Windows 95 appear fuzzy, blurry, or distort the colors appearing on the screen. To disable the current screen saver, background wallpaper, and color scheme, click an open area on the Windows 95 desktop. Click the word Properties that appears on the menu. Across the top of this window are four tabs: Background, Screen Saver, Appearance, and Settings. First, click the Screen Saver tab. In the center of the window, click the down arrow beside the current screen saver selection. From the list that appears, click the word (None) to select it. Now click the Appearance tab at the top of the window. In the center, left hand side of the window, click the down arrow beside the current Scheme: selection. Scroll through the choices and select Windows Standard from the list. Click the Background tab at the top of the window. In the Wallpaper window on the right hand side of the screen, click the down arrow to scroll through the settings and select (None). Click the Apply button in the lower right hand corner of this window. If your screen appears normal, select different settings under the above choices.
Adjust the Advanced Graphics Settings slider indicator as needed - Adjusting the Advanced Graphics Settings slider can correct video problems ranging from error messages to erratic mouse movement. To get to the Advanced Graphics Settings slider indicator, right click the My Computer icon in the upper left hand corner of the Windows 95 desktop. Click the word Properties that appears on the menu. Across the top of the System Properties window are four tabs: General, Device Manager, Hardware Profiles, and Performance. Click the Performance tab to open that window. Click the Graphics button at the bottom center of the window. Use the following list to adjust the settings as desired.

Full allows full utilization of the acceleration features available to the display driver.

The 2/3 mark corrects some mouse pointer display problems.

The 1/3 mark corrects some display errors.

"None" corrects problems if the system stops responding to input or other severe problems.

Microsoft Windows 95 Resource Kit by Microsoft Press, page 571

Once the adjustments are made, click the OK button at the bottom of the window. Click the Close button at the bottom of the System Properties window. The System Settings Change window appears prompting you to restart the computer. Click the Yes button to restart Windows 95.
Software conflict - It is important to determine if the video problems you are having are isolated to one application or throughout the system. If the video problems are with an application that was not purchased from Gateway 2000, contact the manufacturer or vendor of the software for further assistance. If the application you are having problems with is a Windows 95 program, try the video display in VGA. This will help determine if the video drivers on your system are corrupted or conflicting with the application.
To set the video to VGA, click an open area on the Windows 95 desktop. Click the word Properties that appears on the menu. Across the top of this window are four tabs: Background, Screen Saver, Appearance, and Settings. Click the tab marked Settings. On the bottom right hand side of the Settings section, click the Change Display Type button to go to that window. The Adapter Type and Monitor Type are displayed here. Before making any changes to these settings, write down exactly what is in the Adapter Type box and the Manufacturer that is listed directly below the Adapter type box. Once you write down these settings, click the Change button on the right hand side of the Adapter type window. In the lower left hand corner of the Select Device window, click the circle beside Show all devices. In the Manufacturers: window, use the scroll bar to go to the top of the list and select (Standard display types). Make sure Standard Display Adapter (VGA) is highlighted under Models: in the box on the right hand side of the screen. Click the OK button at the bottom of this window to return to the Change Display Type window. Click the Close button at the bottom of this window. The System Settings Change window appears prompting you to restart the computer. Click the Yes button to restart Windows 95. If your video now appears normal, consult the Userís Guide for instructions on reloading the video drivers.

Newly added hardware - If you started to experience video problems after you added a new hardware device to the system, power down the system and remove the device. Once you have the device removed, power up the system to see if the video returns. Consult the manufacturer of the hardware for installation instructions.
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Troubleshooting Portable Video Difficulties Using an External Monitor in Windows® 95

Possible causes:

Basic video troubleshooting external monitor:

Resolving video problems on external monitor:

Troubleshooting Portable Video Difficulties Using an External Monitor in Windows^® 95