Is My Monitor Causing These Minor Issues with My Computer?

[proton]

I've noticed 3 things: that about 3 times/day (I use the computer for about 4 hrs/day, rough estimate), as I'm surfin the net, the screen just freezes for a second and then the page I'm viewing gets messed up. Like for example, when I'm reading a paragraph on a website, it gets erased or appears twice. But this isn't much of an issue because if I just revisit the page, it looks normal again.
Another issue, which happens rarely, is that all of a sudden the screen gets all messed up - I can't see the webpages, windows, mouse arrow, nothing. This is also easily taken care of. I just turn off and then back on the monitor.
I've also noticed that when I try to visit webpages that have a dark or black background, the monitor can't show anything, unless I hit ctrl+alt+del, where I just have to restore down the window, and then I can see everything.
These are all minor issues, but do I have to start worrying that my monitor or video card or something else has problems. BTW, I have a 17" samsung syncmaster 171v monitor

 

[B. Elliott]

I've noticed 3 things: that about 3 times/day (I use the computer for about 4 hrs/day, rough estimate), as I'm surfin the net, the screen just freezes for a second and then the page I'm viewing gets messed up. Like for example, when I'm reading a paragraph on a website, it gets erased or appears twice. But this isn't much of an issue because if I just revisit the page, it looks normal again.
Another issue, which happens rarely, is that all of a sudden the screen gets all messed up - I can't see the webpages, windows, mouse arrow, nothing. This is also easily taken care of. I just turn off and then back on the monitor.
I've also noticed that when I try to visit webpages that have a dark or black background, the monitor can't show anything, unless I hit ctrl+alt+del, where I just have to restore down the window, and then I can see everything.
These are all minor issues, but do I have to start worrying that my monitor or video card or something else has problems. BTW, I have a 17" samsung syncmaster 171v monitor

This is just a shot in the dark, but you tried changing resolutions? At first it sounded like your video card is at fault because I had an old Matrox Millenium that sometimes acted like yours. Being able to temporarily fix it by switching off the monitor makes me think that it could be a driver issue. Worse case scenario... the monitor is dying.

The first thing i would do is make sure the video card drivers are up to date. Do you have another LCD monitor to test?

 

[proton]

well the problem was a little worse a few weeks ago, when I had a larger resolution. my video card drivers are up to date. So my monitor must be the problem

 

[russ_watters]

With one exception, what you are describing doesn't sound like a monitor problem. A monitor doesn't store any information, so it can't do things like what you describe. The problem that occurs when "the screen gets all messed up" (not very descriptive...) must be.

Windows (and video card drivers) often have bugs where they draw things incorrectly - especially in IE. But they can also be messed up by programs. Try running AdAware to make sure you don't have any adware messing up your operations. Also make sure Windows is up to date - go to www.windowsupdate.com .

 

[chemisttree]

Windows drivers are unlikely the source of your problem. I would reinstall the monitor drivers that came with your monitor or download a clean copy from the Samsung website. If that doesn't help, it might pay to replace the vid card.