Troubleshooting Video Cards (Part III)

The previous installment of this article looked at one of the ways that you can resolve issues with poor display. However, if the latest driver is installed, you may need to adjust the resolution and refresh rate (this is the rate at which the video card redraws the screen) for the video adapter card. Incorrect display settings can cause problems with your display.

To configure display settings, right click the Windows XP desktop and click Properties to open the Display Properties dialog box. Select the Settings tab change the resolution settings. Use the slider under Screen resolution to adjust the settings. Typically, a 17 inch monitor will have a resolution of 800×600.

If you are unable to select the desired resolution that should be supported by the video card, you will need to again check that the operating system has correctly identified the card. In Windows XP, you can use Device Manager to make sure the card has been properly detected. If the card has not been properly identified, you will once again need to check the driver. It is usually recommended that you use the drivers supplied by the manufacturer instead of the drivers included with Windows.

The screen resolution may also be limited if the wrong monitor is selected. To check the monitor selection, once again open the Display Properties dialog box and select the Settings tab. Click the Advanced button and select the Monitor tab. If the monitor listed is not correct, you will need to update the driver for the monitor.

If the problem still persists after adjusting the resolution, your next step should be to adjust the refresh rate. Lower refresh rates tend to cause flickering so it is important to verify this setting. You can adjust the refresh rate using the Settings tab from the Display Properties dialog box. Once again, select the Settings tab and click the Advanced button. Select the Monitor tab. Use the drop down arrow to adjust the refresh rate to about 70 MHZ. Remember that a higher refresh rate will reduce the amount of flickering. As with the screen resolution, if you are unable to select the desired refresh rate, go back to the video driver to make sure the latest one is installed.

Note: It is important to verify that the monitor supports the screen resolution and refresh rate configured in the Display Properties dialog box. The documentation or manual that came with your monitor should identify the values that are supported.