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%Begin How to Fix Discoloration and Distortion on a Computer Screen GA
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REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Computers, Laptops & Tablets > Accessories & Hardware
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lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 11, 2022 Reviewed by Christine Baker Reviewed by
Christine Baker Christine Baker is a marketing consultant with experience working for a variety of clients. Her expertise includes social media, web development, and graphic design.
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lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Accessories & Hardware Monitors The Ultimate Guide to Monitors The Quick Guide to Webcams Keyboards & Mice Cards HDD & SSD Printers & Scanners Raspberry Pi Are the colors "off" somehow on your computer's screen? Maybe they're washed out or inverted? Perhaps everything has a red, green, or blue hue, or even just too dark or too light?
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Worse yet, is your screen distorted or "messed up" in some way? Are text or images, or everything, blurry or moving by themselves?
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Your computer's screen is the main way you interact with it, so any minor issue can quickly become a significant one. The 9 Best Computer Monitors, Tested by Lifewire Lifewire
How to Fix Discoloration and Distortion on a Computer Screen
There are several reasons why your monitor might distort images or represent color improperly, resulting in whatever specific issue you see, so let's walk through some troubleshooting until we figure it out.
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Most of these are easy things to try, but a few of these tasks might be more difficult or unfamiliar than others. If so, take your time and be sure to reference any instructions on other pages if you need extra help. Power off the monitor, wait 15 seconds, and then power it back on.
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Some issues, especially very minor ones, can be caused by very temporary issues with your computer's connection that a restart will fix. If the problem goes away but quickly returns, especially if it's color-related, try leaving the screen off for 30 minutes before powering it back on.
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If that helps, your monitor may be suffering from overheating. Restart your computer.
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There's a slight chance that an operating system issue is the cause of the discoloration or distortion, and a simple restart will do the trick. Restarting is an easy thing to try early in the troubleshooting process. Plus, restarting seems to fix most computer problems.
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Check the cable between the monitor and the computer to make sure that each end is physically secure. Completely unplug, and plug back in, each end to be sure. Newer interfaces, like HDMI, often "push" in and "pull" out, meaning gravity can sometimes eventually work them loose from both the monitor side and the computer side.
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Older interfaces like VGA and DVI are often screw-secured, but they come loose sometimes, too. Degauss the monitor. Yes, this is very much some "throwback" advice, considering that magnetic interference, which degaussing corrects, only happens on those large CRT monitors of yesteryear.
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That said, if you're still using a CRT screen and the discoloration issues are focused near the edges of the screen, degaussing will most likely fix the problem. Using your monitor's adjustment buttons or onscreen settings, find the preset default level and enable it.
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This preset should return your monitor's many settings to "factory default" levels, correcting any color issues caused by settings. If you have an idea about what's "off" with your colors, feel free to manually adjust individual settings like the brightness, color balance, saturation, or temperature, etc., and see if that helps.
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If you're not sure how to do any of this, reference your monitor's instruction manual. Adjust the color quality setting for the video card.
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Setting it at the highest level possible will often help resolve issues where the colors, especially in photos, appear incorrect. Fortunately, newer versions of Windows only support the highest color options possible, so this is probably a worthwhile thing to look into only if you're using Windows 7, Vista, or XP. At this point, any significant discoloration or distortion problem you're seeing on your monitor is probably due to a physical problem with either the monitor itself or the video card.
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Here's how to tell: Replace the monitor when you try another monitor in place of the one you have, and the problems go away. Assuming you tried the other steps above and weren't successful, there's little if any reason to think the problem is due to something else.
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Replace the video card when, after testing with a different monitor and other cables, the problem does not go away. Another confirmation that it's the video card is seeing the problem before Windows starts, like during the initial POST process.
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How to Fix a Computer Screen That Turns Black and White FAQ What three colors are used to create the color white on a screen? To create white, it requires using primary colors. Mixing the primary colors of blue, green, and red equally will produce white.
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Why is my iPhone changing colors? The most likely answer is that you may have enabled the Invert Colors option. To turn off in iOS 13 or later, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and toggle off Smart Invert or Classic Invert.
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Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Fix It When a Second Monitor Is Not Working How to Fix Overscan in Windows 10 to Fit to Screen How to Fix a Computer That Turns on but Displays Nothing 5 Easy Fixes for Most Computer Problems How to Fix It When WhatsApp Isn't Working How to Fix Vertical Lines on a Computer Screen How to Degauss a Traditional CRT Computer Monitor How To Fix Windows 11 Black Screen Issues How to Fix Problems that Occur During the POST How to Fix D3dx9_24.dll is Missing or Not Found Errors How to Test a Computer Monitor That Isn't Working How to Fix Disney Plus Error Code 39 How to Fix Horizontal Lines on a Computer Screen How to Choose a Computer Monitor How to Fix Screen Burn on Any Screen How to Fix a Computer That Won't Start in Safe Mode Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
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