I need computer help!

[Kiba-kun]

I have no clue what happened but my entire screen is pink! my background is pink, everything on the internet is pink, what ever the screen displays is pink! Does anybody know what happened and how to fix it?

[Mithrandir]

Reach behind your computer and find out where the monitor connects to it (you may have to feel the cable from the monitor to the computer). Pull that out, and put it back in. Let us know if that doesn't work - we'll recommend other things.

[Kiba-kun]

No effect. I even switched the ends.

[Mithrandir]

Do you have another computer or another monitor? You can replace each one and figure out if it's the monitor or the computer. The monitor is easy to fix (get a new one). The computer is a bit more tricky.

Have you installed anything recently? Anything that might have modified your video drivers?

[Kiba-kun]

I do have other computers but switching them is easier said than done.

Not that I can think of. My brother uses this to play computer games like on pogo and addictinggames but I've deleted everything I personally don't use and ran a virus scan and computer quick clean to no effect.

[Slater]

That happened to my old monitor; everything suddenly went shades of blue.

Emphasis on the word "old"... Monitors do that with age.

[Kiba-kun]

Mine is new. Not even a year and half old.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

It kind of sounds like some of the pixesl of a certain color decided to die. Don't suppose you have a warranty on that sucker, do you? Even if it isn't the monitor, it can't hurt to replace the thing.

[Warrior4Christ]

It kind of sounds like some of the pixesl of a certain color decided to die.

I have no clue what happened but my entire screen is pink!

I don't think the whole screen would have the same colour components die on every single pixel at the same time...

I've had dodgy monitor cables do that to me before. This is easily checked by wiggling the cable and observing effects on the screen. I don't know if you've implied that you've already tried that though..

I assume this is a CRT monitor?

[Saj]

You need to get a second monitor and cable, to see if its the monitor or cable. Its going to be one of those 2.

[Kiba-kun]

I don't think the whole screen would have the same colour components die on every single pixel at the same time...

Everything is pink or has a shade of pink in it. It might be the cable but I'm not sure where to get one.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Is this a CRT monitor of an LCD?

If CRT: Have you had any magnetic devices anywhere?

[Kiba-kun]

Ummm . . . which is which and what is what?

[Etoh*the*Greato]

CRTs are the big ones. LCDs are the thin ones. CRT stands for Catho-Ray Tube and is very susceptible to magnets.
Edit: On a side note, playing with magnets on a CRT is awesome. So very pretty. lol

[Kiba-kun]

LCD then.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Well, I just thought back and if the whole screen was pink it probably wouldn't be a magnet anyway. Alright, I want you to try something real quick. May not fix it, but its just a simple thing you can try right now. Go to the website of your Videocard's manufacturer and download the latest drivers for it. Then you should uninstall the current drivers, reboot, and install the new ones. Back on my old Compaq I had to do that a lot. Especially if I was having difficulty getting new drivers to take effect.

[Kiba-kun]

umm . . alright. I'll get right on that once I'm out of school.

[Kiba-kun]

There's like four of them. Chipset, audio, modem and VGA. Which one?

[Puritan]

Vga

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Make sure to have those new drivers downloaded first. not installed, just downloaded.

[Kiba-kun]

Ok I'm feeling like an idiot right about now. Where do I find the place to delete the drivers? I checked the Add/Remove program but didn't find it.

[Puritan]

It may be slightly more embedded and harder to get to. Likely, you can just try to install the new drivers, and they will prompt you to uninstall the old ones if needed.

[Kiba-kun]

K, I'll try that. Thanks.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Also, if you find out the maker of your videocard, you might want to try and look for their name in the add/remove programs page instead of looking for "video drivers."

[Kiba-kun]

What exactly is a videocard?

[Dante]

Umm... No one here has contemplated that it might not be in the monitor settings themselves? My monitors have things called menu options, basically buttons on the front of the monitor that allow you to change the brightness, contrast and yes, perhaps (and likely) hue or (in the case of my Envision) temperature or user color. I would suggest looking for these first (By pressing menu, or the equivalent, on the front of your monitor), if found, you will want to reduce the red hue from your screen, playing around with the colors in order to get the desired effect you originally had. For that matter (while you're in there) you can even increase or decrease your visual output width, height and center so that you gain the most out of your screen... but play around carefully with it because you don't want to mess it up too bad(Mind you, I'm just saying make small adjustments at first to gain a feel for what the numbers mean). Overall, it's much like TV controls, and I don't think you can really mess it up, these options should be the location of your problem because I can't think of any other location for such a thing. Someone probobly bumped them and caused the problem. Check it out and tell us if you can find such a thing and give it a little nudge if you want to see if you can restore your screen back to it's original settings if it does exist.

Good luck!
Pascal

[Dante]

Oh, and to answer your question, video cards are beautiful wonderful items... they magically can improve the graphixs skilz of your computer. While many different items improve the graphical quality and enjoyability of computer games, one of my favorite enhancements is the video card. They come in 2^N megabytes of memory with certain other specs that add the computers ability to display more voxels, better colors, you name it. For instance, my Hypernova, the computer directly behind me, runs a 256 MB video card from NVIDA back from three years ago when 256 MB video cards were da bomb! These dayz, they can be purchased rather cheap, and all of the stores are going duel everything messing up my understanding of when I need to get another computer. For instance, they now have duel core processors, but they just give them a name and no GHZ value meaning that I can't compare them to my current machine (2.4 GHZ, once again 1337 for three years ago(Is bragging)). Today, along with duel processors we also have duel video cards (with up to 4 being simultaneousy used to power the system). Granted you need nothing like that to play all the latest games, but if you want to give your graphics a boost in a game that isn't showing up like it does on the box art, generally you may consider upgrading your video card (fairly cheap, although they are the most difficult to jam into their slot on the motherboard I've found, but PCI-E may be easier)... I'm rambling,

Once more,
Good luck,
Pascal

[termyt]

Did you try swapping out the monitor? These are all good suggestions, but doing the easiest thing first is always a good idea.

I believe you said that you had other monitors/computers to use, just that swapping them is a pain. I'd still do that before buying any new cables or equipment.

However, the very first thing I'd do is check the monitor's own settings. Most monitors have their own settings apart from what you can do through windows. If you can open the monitor's own settings and check to see if someone has skewed the color settings towards the red. Someone may just be playing a trick on you. See if you can restore the monitor to "factory defaults' or adjust the RGB settings.

If that doesn't help, visually inspect both ends of your monitor cable to see if any pins are missing or bent. If one is bent over, straightening it out should fix the problem.

[Dante]

Stop Stealing My Suggestions Termyt-san :p

[Kiba-kun]

I've been messing with the controls on the moniter and reset them about a gazillion times with no effect on it. I could try setting the red lower. As soon as my little brother gets home, I'll switch the moniters to see if it is the moniter or the cable or just my tower. I actually thought about just selling the moniter to the most girly girl in my school.

"Come one, Come all! Now is your chance to purchase the most amazing thing you've ever seen! The amazing, the extrodinary, Pink moniter! Whatever you see is now pink! Only $99.99! Get one before it's to late!"

And sadly people in my school would probaby buy it. Thank's for the suggestion y'all.