Member Avatar for Lisa P

Help, This morning, my husband called out-"Hey, have you ever seen this?"
I looked on the monitor and 1/2 of the screen to the left was blacked out (some vertical lines similar to when you do a disk defrag appeared). I quickly shut down and tried to restart, but to no avail--cannot see 1/2 of the screen. The other half looks normal.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Lisa P :

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Agreeing with that the symptom most often points to hardware, and with that video‑driver or video‑card faults are still possible, the quickest way to narrow the cause is to note exactly when the fault appears and what the monitor itself can display.

A reliable diagnostic is observation at power‑on and use of the monitor’s own on‑screen menu (OSD). If the black/striped half is visible before Windows starts (during POST/BIOS) the problem is almost certainly in the monitor or the video card output. If the OSD appears across the whole screen while the PC image is half‑missing, the panel can still draw that area and the fault is likely in the signal path (cable, connector, or GPU). If the OSD is also cut off on the same half, the monitor’s internal electronics (T‑CON/panel or power/deflection circuitry) are the prime suspects.

Common hardware causes by display type: for LCD panels a failed T‑CON board or column driver often produces a full half black or vertical bands; for CRTs the vertical deflection circuitry or power stage can cause a half‑blank screen and can be dangerous to service. Non‑invasive checks that help pinpoint the fault include inspecting and swapping cables/connectors, trying a different video output or source, and listening/looking for signs of failed components (burn smell, bulging caps). Opening a CRT is hazardous and should be avoided.

When the fault is confirmed in the monitor’s electronics, repair vs replacement depends on age and cost; T‑CON module swaps can sometimes fix LCDs, while CRT repairs are usually not worth the risk or cost. If the problem only appears after the OS loads, focus on video drivers and the card; if it appears before the OS or affects the monitor OSD, treat it as hardware.

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Member Avatar for PoA

I think it's your monitor problem. Not your OS.

Member Avatar for DMR

It could be anything from a corrupt video driver to a hardware problem with the video card or the monitor itself. If you can, try switching monitors with another computer; that will at least tell you if the problem lies with the monitor or within the computer.

Also- to try to eliminate the possibility of a corrupt video driver, see if the monitor exhibits the same problem when you boot your computer into Safe Mode. To get into safe mode, hit the F8 just as the computere boots up (just as or before you see the Windows startup message).

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