Installing and Troubleshooting Video LAB 2007 The Mc

Overview • In this chapter, you will learn to – Select the right type of video card – Install and configure video cards and monitors – Troubleshoot video problems © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Installing and Configuring Video © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Physical Installation Issues • Two primary issues 1. Long cards • Some video cards are tall and may not fit in all cases • Get a new case or new video card 2. Proximity to nearest PCI card – Video cards run very hot – Leave space for ventilation – Good practice is to leave the slot next to an AGP card empty to allow better airflow © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Software • Two-step process 1. Load the drivers – Use built-in Option ROM – Check the manufacturer’s Web site for updates 2. Check the drivers • Use the Display applet • To set suitable refresh rate • set depth color and resolution © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Display Applet • Found in Control Panel or right-click the desktop and choose Properties • Making the screen pretty – Themes – Desktop – Appearance – Other tabs – Screen Saver – Settings © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Display Applet • Screen Saver – Power Management features © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill

Display Applet • Settings tab – Allows you to configure multiple monitors – Can

Display Applet—Advanced • Monitor tab – Can update monitor driver – Can set the screen refresh rate • Change in small increments • Can cause damage © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Display Applet—Advanced • Many video cards have card-specific tab © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill

Working with Drivers • Video drivers work same way as other hardware drivers – Can access this screen from Device Manager or Device applet – Update driver – Roll back driver – Uninstall driver © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

3 -D Video Cards • Graphics processing units needed – Screens redrawn several times per second – Need to covert data to coordinate and color – 3 -D video cards have massive amounts of RAM for textures and fast processors for transformations © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Troubleshooting Video © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Video Card Problems • Vast majority of problems are – Improper or corrupt drivers – Incorrect settings very large refreshing rate • Incompatible or corrupt driver symptoms – 640 x 480 mode – 16 -color VGA • Your response – Boot into Safe mode and remove driver – Use Add/Remove Programs if available – Use Device Manager © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Video Card HW Problems • Hardware problems usually just one of two – Fan has gone out – RAM is faulty • Faulty hardware symptoms – Bizarre output – Display is a mess – May see mouse moving © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Video Card Problems • Don’t forget the obvious – Limited colors—check the color depth – Resolution set too high • “Input signal out of range” © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Troubleshooting Monitors Opening up a monitor can be deadly Even when the power is disconnected, certain components inside a monitor retain a substantial voltage for an extended period of time. If you accidentally short one of the components, it could actually kill you! © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Troubleshooting Monitors • Dangerous inside a monitor • Proper adjustment requires specialized training • Your goal is to determine if a problem is in one these three categories: – Common monitor problems – External adjustments – Internal adjustments © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Common Monitor Problems • Ghosting, streaking, fuzzy vertical edges – Check the cable connections and cable itself • Missing color – Check cable for breaks, bent pins, and monitor adjustments • Loss of brightness – Normal with age, so use power management – Internal adjustments may be made © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Bad Pixels • Bad pixels – – Normal to have some bad pixels Dead pixel: never lights up (always black) Lit pixel: stays on pure white Stuck pixel: stays on certain color © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Dead pixel © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Lit pixel © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

stuck pixel © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Cleaning Monitors • Anti-static monitor wipes or anti-static cloths should be used for cleaning the monitor – Avoid commercial cleaning solutions on LCD screens © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved