Troubleshooting Video Problems

Possible causes:

There can be many things associated with video problems:

• There may be a software conflict with the version or type of video that you have on your system.
• The video drivers may be corrupt.
• The video card may be poorly seated.
• A newly added hardware device may be conflicting with the video.
• The monitor may be incorrectly configured with the video on your system.
• The wrong type of video may be selected in Windows.
• Environmental factors within the area may be causing distortion.

Basic Troubleshooting Procedures:

These are general troubleshooting steps that may resolve or more accurately diagnose numerous video problems.

Monitor operation -- Before troubleshooting video problems, insure that your monitor is turned on and is operating properly. If you need further assistance with this see document #1906.

Monitor configuration -- If your monitorís refresh rates are not set correctly with the video that you have, the display in Windows and other graphical environments may appear scrambled. Refer to your video Userís Guide for instructions on how to select your specific monitor within the video driver Setup. If you need the recommended refresh rates for your monitor, see document #1910.

Environmental distortion -- Electrical interference from other devices such as televisions, radios, microwave ovens, etc. can cause your 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 Users Manual to see if your monitor has that capability. If possible, move the system to another location to see if the distortion clears up. Try turning the monitor 90 degrees in either direction from where it is.

Booting the system clean -- If you are having trouble with the video display on the system, try booting the system clean. This will help determine if there is a software or device conflict with the systemís video. By booting clean, you bypass the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files so any new software settings are not loaded. If you do not know how to boot the system clean or need more information, see document #1900.

Software conflict -- It is important to determine if the video problems you are having are isolated to one application or appear 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 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 in Windows^® 3.x -- exit Windows completely. At the C:\WINDOWS prompt type:

setup

and press Enter. This screen contains information about what kind of video, mouse, keyboard, etc. that you have on your system. Use the up arrow on the keyboard to highlight what it says beside DISPLAY and press Enter. This brings down a menu of other video choices. Using the arrow keys on the keyboard, scroll through the list and highlight VGA. Once this is highlighted, press Enter. The highlighted bar will move to the bottom of the screen. Press Enter to Accept Configuration and proceed to the next screen that prompts you to press Enter again to use the current driver. Once you press Enter, you are be at the C:\WINDOWS> prompt. Type:

win

and press Enter to return to Windows. Once you are back in Windows, try running the application to see if the display is now clear. If the video display appears clear, you may need to reinstall the current video drivers or update to newer ones.

To set the video to VGA in Windows^® 95 -- use the right mouse button and "right click" anywhere on the background screen. On the menu that appears choose Properties, you should be looking at the Display Properties menu. Choose the Settings tab and find and click on the Change display type button. The screen should show an Adapter type section and a Monitor type section. In the Adapter type section click on the Change button. On the Select Device screen make sure the Show all devices option at the bottom has the colored dot. Scroll through the Manufacturers list untill you see the option for Standard Display Types. Highlight that option and scroll through the Models options. Highlight the Standard Display Adapter (VGA) option, click OK, then Close, and finally OK again. You will now need to restart the system. After the system has restarted you should be in VGA mode.

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. If it does not, power down the system and reseat the video card. If you have a mini-desktop system, the video is integrated into the system board so there is no video card. Reseating means to pull the device (i.e. video card, cable, etc.) out and put it back firmly. If a cable or device is poorly seated, it may intermittently fail or give you poor reception in the case of a video card. If the problem persists, try the new hardware or video card in another expansion slot.

If you are still experiencing video problems, call Technical Support for further assistance.

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