Lost Part of my Desktop

[KELLY88]

Every once in a while when I turn on my computer there's a black bar about 2 and a half inches on right side. It's like the settings think my monitor is narrower. Usually when this happens I just restart the computer and it turns back on and everything is ok but I've restarted it 3 times now and it's not working. I was wondering if anyone knows what this problem is and how to fix it? The computer is a Toshiba Laptop with windows XP. I couldn't get a screenshot but did take a picture so you can see what I'm talking about.

 

[Psychopete]

That's awfully strange. My first thought was that there is a hardware manfunction, or a problem with the screen. But it's odd that the aspect looks right as far as the screen resolution. Like it looks normal if it were on a 17" CRT as opposed to the wider LCD screens. I am not sure what resolutions that supports or what monitor it needs to be configured for, but that is the first place I would look. Could be that windows is not selection the correct screen resolution which is causing it to shift like what you're seeing. Hard to tell, usually it will still be fullscreen but it can look stretched or squished at the wrong resolution.

Pete

 

[Tiollib]

Try re-downloading the monitor's driver

 

[KELLY88]

Well I came to find out that this is a sign that the screen is about to burn out. If anyone else runs across this issue then that is the reason.

 

[User Name missing]

Well I came to find out that this is a sign that the screen is about to burn out. If anyone else runs across this issue then that is the reason.

really? Where you hear that? just curious.

 

[KELLY88]

Took it to 2 electronic store tech centers and they both said the same thing.

 

[mjonesjr]

Try re-downloading the monitor's driver

Monitors themselves don't have drivers.

More than likely it is your screen. To verify, go to your video card manufacture's website and download the newest driver. If it still does this, then it is the monitor.

 

[superdave1984]

My Dell was doing that a long time ago. I could do a hard boot and it would be fine, but a normal restart didn't help at all. Then one day it just quit doing that and worked fine.

 

[schlutzer]

Thats a software issue not a screen issue.

Do a driver update and see what you get.

Your display adapter could also being going ( video card---onboard since you have a laptop) If that goes then yes your screen wont show anything but the screen will physically be fine.

 

[Legend]

That is a very typical failure mode for an LCD panel. It isn't the screen itself, but in the electronics hardware in the display. It might keep doing this for years or fail completely at any time. The choices are pretty much live with it or replace the display. There are a lot of Toshibas around and you might be lucky enough to find one that failed and the display or display driver board is still good.