Trying to use old monitor...doesn't work

[rev_otis_mcnatt]

I know this may have a simple explanation, but it is unknown to me.
My two-year-old (I think) monitor began to have some problem, and
no longer works (sort of cheap I think...Insignia brand). Anyway,
I thought I'd hook up an old circa 1993 monitor I have in storage to
my two-year-old HP computer. It works fine while Windows is starting
up, but when it gets to the main interface where the wallpaper,
application
icons etc., are, things gets really messy and totally unusable.

I've gone into BIOS at the beginning to see if I could see any way
to maybe sorta get a clue on how to make the old monitor work, but
no mention of it as far as I can see. The plug from the monitor that
I had been using has more pins than the plug for the old monitor,
so is this the problem? Should I just go and buy a new monitor?
Thanks!

 

[Onsokumaru]

I know this may have a simple explanation, but it is unknown to me.
My two-year-old (I think) monitor began to have some problem, and
no longer works (sort of cheap I think...Insignia brand). Anyway,
I thought I'd hook up an old circa 1993 monitor I have in storage to
my two-year-old HP computer. It works fine while Windows is starting
up, but when it gets to the main interface where the wallpaper,
application
icons etc., are, things gets really messy and totally unusable.

I've gone into BIOS at the beginning to see if I could see any way
to maybe sorta get a clue on how to make the old monitor work, but
no mention of it as far as I can see. The plug from the monitor that
I had been using has more pins than the plug for the old monitor,
so is this the problem? Should I just go and buy a new monitor?
Thanks!

Without knowing the size and type of either monitor, it sounds like the
computer is still trying to use the resolution which the old monitor doesn't
support.

Nothing to do with the BIOS, just right click on the desktop and select
properties, then settings tab.

Select a resolution suitable for your monitor, then click OK.

You may need to reset the font sizes, windows style, etc - it's hard to know
without knowing what customisations you made using your broken monitor.

If it still looks "messy", right click on the desktop again and select
"Arrange Icons by". If you choose "align to grid" the icons will not overlap
each other. Again, I don't know how many icons you have on the desktop, but
some people have thousands of them.

 

[philo]

Without knowing the size and type of either monitor, it sounds like the
computer is still trying to use the resolution which the old monitor doesn't
support.

Nothing to do with the BIOS, just right click on the desktop and select
properties, then settings tab.

Select a resolution suitable for your monitor, then click OK.

You may need to reset the font sizes, windows style, etc - it's hard to know
without knowing what customisations you made using your broken monitor.

If it still looks "messy", right click on the desktop again and select
"Arrange Icons by". If you choose "align to grid" the icons will not overlap
each other. Again, I don't know how many icons you have on the desktop, but
some people have thousands of them.

Correct...
and if the screen is to hard to read to even do that,
boot to safe mode.

but the bottom line is a new monitor will be needed
as one from 1993 would probably not have the high resoltion capabilities now
needed

 

[Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM]

I know this may have a simple explanation, but it is unknown to me.
My two-year-old (I think) monitor began to have some problem, and
no longer works (sort of cheap I think...Insignia brand). Anyway,
I thought I'd hook up an old circa 1993 monitor I have in storage to
my two-year-old HP computer. It works fine while Windows is starting
up, but when it gets to the main interface where the wallpaper,
application
icons etc., are, things gets really messy and totally unusable.

I've gone into BIOS at the beginning to see if I could see any way
to maybe sorta get a clue on how to make the old monitor work, but
no mention of it as far as I can see. The plug from the monitor that
I had been using has more pins than the plug for the old monitor,
so is this the problem? Should I just go and buy a new monitor?
Thanks!

When the computer is turned on keep tapping F8 until a menu shows up.
Choose Safe Mode.
If this works then your screen resolution is probably set too high for the
monitor. Change it.