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ACER Monitor Installation

Here's a really frustrating situation. I bought a new ACER X203H monitor to be attached to an XP system. There were no drivers included on the CD that came with the monitor. The monitor appears fuzzy. NO settings in control panel make it any better. When I go to the ACER site they say there is a driver for the monitor (why didn't that come on the CD?!) but when I download that file there are only 3 files there and no "exe" file so I couldn't install anything.

Thoughts? I have another ACER monitor (not this model) on another machine and it looks clear, crisp and in focus.

edster9999

What are the file names ?
If it is only 3 files then they may be archives (a file that shrinks and holds multiple files). This would normally be a .zip or less common - a .rar file.
If they have different extentions and one of them is a .inf then this might be a full driver set. Go into hardware right click on the monitor, properties and update driver then point to the folder that contains the three files and click ok.
It will either work or say 'can not update'.

There is a 90% chance this will do no good at all.

Other things to try would be to try different resolutions, number of colours and refresh rates. Go for a standard like 1024x768. If you are doing any strange format or very high resoultion the monitor may be struggling to display it.

Check the cable. Use an origal VGA lead if you can unplug it. Do not go through a switch box or splitter or anything fancy. Just VGA socket -> monitor with a good lead and not running over main cables etc.

Check the brightness and contract. Over setting these gives a bright picture but over drives it and can blur the picture or make it grey and lifeless.

If it is a tube CRT monitor rather than a flat screen it may need adjusting. There are little trim wheels on the back (sometimes) and more inside. These may be able to refocus the screen
[NOTE - DO NOT GO INSIDE UNLESS YOU *REALLY* KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. CRTS CARRY *VERY* HIGH VOLTAGE AND *WILL* KILL]

If all this fails you have a duff monitor (they do come). If it is new go back to the shop. If 2nd hand try going back to the seller....and if all this fails. Sorry time for a new one :(

BrentArmstrong

ASKER

There is no inf file. The cable is brand new. It's an LCD, not CRT (do they still even sell those?) Brightness and contrast are fine - it's the fuzziness, not the colours or brightness that seems to be the issue.

edster9999

Give the file names and I (or someone will tell you what they are).

If your pc has been working up to now and you are on a sensible resolution then I would bring the monitor back. Sounds like a bad montior to me.

BrentArmstrong

ASKER

I see that the ACER profile is listed in the monitor profiles and it's at the top of the list so I assume it's the one being used. I copied the profile (ICC File) to the colour profiles folder as well.

Still blurry.

edster9999

Its the monitor then. You do get bad ones.
If you want proof either try another monitor on your pc or try that monitor on someone elses pc.

BrentArmstrong

ASKER

i'll try that.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Ravi Agrawal

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Ravi Agrawal

@edster9999

I sincerely feel you deserved a fair share of points from the Author. Very very good troubleshooting. It just happens that I faced the situation and provided the solution. But as an expert, you know a hell lot of stuff (at least about monitors).

Ravi.

edster9999

Thanks Ravi.

Being thanked in a post either by the author or by a fellow EE person is good enough for me :)

Ed.