Member Avatar for pancaeks

ok, so my nephew who is five years old was using my computer, and when he finished, i saw that the resolution was stretched too much, but only on the center, and too narrowed on the edges, so when i try to move something around the screen, it stretches only on the middle of the screen, and appears too narrow on the edges of the screen. also, the display was too wide so that i cant see the rest of the display (the edges, such as scrollbars, the X button, etc.) so i tried to tweak with the monitor's settings, but then above problem happened (stretched center, narrowed edges). i attached a screenshot to help.

i asked him and he said that "he pressed something" to make it happen, and i can't figure out how to revert it.

the stretching/narrowing only happens on resolutions beyond 800x600. i am on a samsung LCD monitor.

gsdgsd.JPG 140.77 KB
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Brief recap: notes the image is pinched at the edges and bulged in the center only at resolutions above 800x600, and the center now flickers. already suggested using the monitor menu and checking refresh rate; since that didn’t fix it, the next steps should isolate whether this is a software/driver issue, a cabling/scaling problem, or a monitor hardware fault.

Recommended diagnostic sequence (fast, in order):

  1. Reboot and watch the BIOS/POST screen. If the distortion appears before Windows loads, the problem is hardware (monitor or GPU).
  2. Capture a screenshot (Print Screen → paste into Paint → save). If the saved image looks normal while the physical display is distorted, that points to the monitor or its input path. If the saved image is distorted too, the GPU/driver/OS is responsible. Viewing the saved file on a second device removes ambiguity.
  3. Swap inputs/cables: if using analog VGA, try a digital feed (DVI/HDMI) and a different cable. Analog signals can produce nonlinear geometry when the monitor’s analog circuitry or cable is marginal.
  4. Test with another PC, and test this PC with a different monitor. That isolates monitor vs. computer.
  5. In the graphics control panel (Intel/AMD/NVIDIA) check scaling/overscan and set scaling to “maintain aspect” or “no scaling”; update or reinstall the graphics driver. Also check Windows Magnifier (Win+Esc closes it).

If distortion and flicker persist in BIOS and across inputs, this strongly suggests internal monitor electronics or panel failure (T‑CON/panel issues). In that case, check warranty/service options or replace the panel; do not open the monitor if it is under warranty. Safety note: power down and unplug before swapping cables or inspecting connectors.

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Member Avatar for techsheaven

Your LCD should have an Auto Adjust setting in the menu. Change your resolution to the desired setting THEN do the Auto Adjust. There will likely be a way to set it manually too. Bottom Line -- They work together. Monitors and video cards will not necessarily support the same settings.

Member Avatar for pancaeks

that didnt do the trick. also, the display in the middle flickers.

Your LCD should have an Auto Adjust setting in the menu. Change your resolution to the desired setting THEN do the Auto Adjust. There will likely be a way to set it manually too. Bottom Line -- They work together. Monitors and video cards will not necessarily support the same settings.

Member Avatar for techsheaven

Flickering => Refresh Rate. Again, both need to be set to same.

Maybe start by restoring factory defaults on your monitor.

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