How To Troubleshoot Color Issues

Your computer's monitor has been with your for quite some time now. It's worked well the past few years and you never saw a reason to replace it. Lately however, some green and red splotches have been appearing. Sometimes there are color fringes around the objects on the screen. At other times the whole screen's color is just off. Well, maybe a little troubleshooting can still set it straight.

1. Check the cable connectors. More often than not, the color issues of our computer monitors are simply caused by loose cable connectors. Make sure that the cables running through the computer and the monitor are securely attached.
2. Degauss. Degaussing is a process of introducing electromagnetism to the computer monitor that has a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT). This process helps to resolve picture and color problems. Newer models of CRT monitors are equipped with automatic degaussing mechanisms. Locate the monitor’s power button. It is typically found at the bottom right of the monitor panel. Switch the monitor off and on again. If you hear a distinctive hissing sound when you do this, then your monitor has the built in degaussing function.
   • If this does not address the color issues then access the on-screen menu options and select the Degaussing function. Most computers represent this function with the horseshoe magnet icon.
   • If this doesn’t work, locate the contrast and brightness buttons found on the monitor’s front panel. Press these two buttons at the same time to manually degauss the monitor.
   • Alternatively, remove any electronic device such as cellular phones or uncovered speakers as it can create magnetic disturbance causing color issues on the monitor.
   • Another option is to set up your own degaussing device. Grab an electric drill with decent revolutions per minute (RPM) capability. After that, get a fairly sized magnet. Attach this to the end of the drill with the use of electrical or duct tape. Once you are certain that the magnet is secure, position the contraption about a couple of inches from the monitor. Pull the trigger. You should see a sudden blurring of the screen or a quick bursting of colors. Turn off the drill and check if the process indeed resolved the color issues.
3. Adjust settings. Color issues can be addressed by tweaking some settings on the on-screen menu options. In most cases, adjusting the contrast and brightness should do the trick.
4. Try another monitor. If you have a spare monitor, replace the current one. If the color issues are gone then replacement is your only option. However, if the same color issues appear on the replacement monitor, then chances are some adjustments have to be made on the configuration of your computer’s graphics card. Refer to the card’s manual for assistance. If problems still exist, then something is wrong with the graphics card.

Color issues are usually a problem of Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors. So you might want to consider getting those neat LCD flat screen monitors as replacement. They may cost a little extra, but given that they use less electricity compared to the CRT, then the extra expense should be offset by the decrease in your utility bills.