LCD Monitor Repair - Troubleshooting

Gone are the days when people used to have ordinary monitors on their desks. They have replaced ordinary mon ito rs with monitors which are incorporated with an advanced technology known as Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). But these advanced monitors may also give some problems when used over ti me. LCD monitor troubleshooting is a step-by-step process wherein you eliminate prospective problem sources. If you are using an LCD monitor, you need to how it works and what all are the troubleshooting methods that can be used if it functions abnorma lly.

Power Supply

LCD monitor troubleshooting firstly requires some level of patience. If the monitor doesn't work, the primary thing you would need to do is to check if everything is plugged in properly. Ensure that the power cord is decently connected to the power source. Also examine if the cord which connects the monitor to the CPU is properly connected. You may even remove all power and CPU connections and put them back again in their respective sockets. But before doing so, just make sure that you know which cable needs to be connected in which socket. Also make sure that the power is switched off when you are in the process of removing and connecting the cables. In case of a working monitor, if the display is disturbed or there is a change in the picture quality when you touch or move the cable, the cable is at fault and needs to be replaced.

Operating System

There are some LCD issues that are partially related to the operating system, such as a flickering screen. For examining such issues, press the 'on' button on the CPU, and check if you see any problem before the OS boots. If you observe the problem when the PC is booting, the monitor is at fault. But if the problem is not observed until the OS boots, there may be an issue with the drivers, and you need to check the display settings or reinstall the monitor drivers. You also need to check if the problem lies in the video card. Try to use a another LCD monitor with the computer, if it works fine, then there is a possibility of driver issues. If the problems are still persistent with the replacement monitor, the video card is the culprit and needs to be replaced.

Other Problems

Some of the other problems with LCD monitors may include 'dead pixels', which are pixels that only display black or white colors regardless of the displayed image. If a larger part of the screen is covered with such pixels, you can do nothing to resolve the problem other than buying a new monitor. However, this type of problem is rarely found nowadays. If the screen is showing a lower picture quality, you may just need to check the selected resolution. The resolution settings may also be adjusted if the text is not displayed efficiently.

If the monitor doesn't work even after following all LCD monitor repair steps, then the last option would be taking assistance of a computer hardware engineer. If the monitor's condition is really bad, the engineer might even suggest to replace the monitor. For proper functioning of an LCD monitor, it is recommended to keep it covered to prevent dust from entering.
By Stephen Rampur

Source : http://www.buzzle.com/articles/lcd-monitor-repair-troubleshooting-lcd-monitors.html