Monitor display is wavy

[CellarDweller]

I have a Win98se machine, and everything working perfectly on it up until an hour ago. I've never seen this happen before.... The monitor display is wavy on the left and right sides. Not fast, just a medium paced waving motion. Except when I shut down or start up, then screenshakes very fast. Once everything has started up it settles down to the slow waving motion I described. I can open windows and browsers, and surf the 'net no problem. There are no magnets or other electrical interfering equipment nearby. Nothing has changed from the way it's been for months. Suddenly this happens. I scanned for viruses and all that; there's no spyware on the machine, and nothing heavy duty. It's a testing comp mostly, and doesn't have alot on it. Any ideas?

Oh, btw, at the same time this started, my other 98se machine on the same network started have these little lines flowing up the screen, from the bottom to top. Little shaking lines close to each other, in a group of ten or so. They constantly go from bottom to top of the screen. When I shut down the comp with the wavy screen, the little lines on the second comp settle down a little but not completely. It's all a bit weird.

My main comp on the same network - XP Home - is not affected at all, and has no problems.

 

[brushmaster1]

Something in your network is picking up electrical interference. You may not have found the source yet, but it's there... keep looking.

 

[CellarDweller]

Hi brushmaster. I've looked for any cause of electrical interference, but can't find any. I checked all cables and plugs, power bars, etc. All three comps are in the same room, but they always have been, and nothing electrical was changd when the problem started. I was going along like normal when this happened.

Could it be something inside the comp itself? And would it affect the other 98se machine? But then, even when the one machine is off, the other one still has a tiny disturbance. I dunno. Any suggestions as to what kind of interference would cause this? Maybe my next door neighbor bought something high-powered. LOL.

 

[ryanjoachim]

Something you could try would be just to "degauss" your screens.....

Maybe that will help a little? It helps me sometimes when the screen starts looking a bit weird. Since all of your computers are in the same room, the could accumulate some small amounts of electric interference.

Most monitors, depending on their age, either have a button on the monitor itself, or you might have to surf through your on-screen monitor options.

Give it a try and lets us know what happens, k?

 

[kiwiguy]

It sounds like the monitor power supply is faulty, and the mains ripple is getting into it. The clue is the different rate of waviness at start-up and shut-down, as that would be when the monitor refresh rate is different. You are seeing the difference between the mains frequency and the refresh frequency.

It certainly can be caused by an external magnetic field from mains equipment as well, but thats easily checked for by rotating the monitor left and right as far as you can or physically moving it in each direction and seeing if the interference changes.

 

[CellarDweller]

Thanks kiwiguy -- and ryanjoachim, too -- for your suggestions. I didn't degauss yet, but I did move the monitor around a little, with no change. I believe there is something wrong with the electrial in my house (where I have my office). The reason I think that is, two of my clock radios have been running fast; one in my office, the other in another room. Imagine that, digital clocks running fast! I'm no electrician, but that doesn't look good to me. Looks like I have to have my house wiring checked.

Tx everyone for your suggestions. They might not solve my problem, but it's good reference for others.

 

[garyr]

sound like the monitor is problem. try this if u can--- got a friend or neighbor?? hook ur monitor up to their pc. same problem?? monito is problem. if u dont have problem on a friends pc this problem prob pc. also any devices attached. disconnect everything except pc/monitor........gary

 

[john1]

Hi CellarDwellar,

This is electrical interference.
Hi ryanjoachim, degaussing would not affect this
there are two machines affected.

If this were my house,
i would switch everything off,
then start one computer,
then another,
then the network supply,
and keep going until the problem recurrs.

If the problem is present with only one PC running,
and nothing else, then that would mean the interference
is happening outside your house, and is coming in
through the supply.

Maybe the newer XP machine has better supply smoothing.

The chances are that one of your electrical items has
developed a fault, or maybe failing.

I have heard that fluorescent tubes can give off
weird frequencies sometimes, and affect computers.

You can tell when everything is switched off by looking
at the rotating wheel in the power meter usually in the
electricity cupboard. (where the fuses are)
When it stops that means everything is off.
It can turn quite slowly for very light loads.

Regards, John