Changing Display Settings Made my Computer Unusuable

alphanumeric · 11 May 2018

The next time you get in a situation like that, hold the ctrl key down and roll the scroll wheel on your mouse down. Doing the same thing but scrolling up will Zoom. ctrl and the 0 key returns your screen to normal.

It sounds like you set your resolution to one that's not supported by your monitor. To fix it you need to go back to the recommended resolution of that monitor. One way out may be to try a different monitor, or even a TV if your using HDMI. In the old days you'd just boot up in safe mode standard VGA low res and reset it to the correct value. I think its a little trickier now. Have a look at this, Boot into Safe Mode on Windows 10

ClaudiaThompson · 12 May 2018

alphanumeric said:

The next time you get in a situation like that, hold the ctrl key down and roll the scroll wheel on your mouse down. Doing the same thing but scrolling up will Zoom. ctrl and the 0 key returns your screen to normal.

It sounds like you set your resolution to one that's not supported by your monitor. To fix it you need to go back to the recommended resolution of that monitor. One way out may be to try a different monitor, or even a TV if your using HDMI. In the old days you'd just boot up in safe mode standard VGA low res and reset it to the correct value. I think its a little trickier now. Have a look at this, Boot into Safe Mode on Windows 10

Okay I am going to try that, using another monitor on my old computer. I just have to dig everything back out of my closet, some of it being on the top shelf. I have to try and find my other white extension thing too, so that I have enough plugs :)

I really do appreciate the help.

CountMike · 12 May 2018

ClaudiaThompson said:

Greetings Everybody!

A few days ago, I was ordering something with my Windows 10 Computer Online and the Ordering part of it was too large and made it where I could not click on 'save' to be able to order the item I wanted to buy. And so I had to go to Display Settings to try to bring my Resolution down some.

When I did that though, I got a blue rectangle shaped thing that said that I could not use that resolution or something like that. It kept bouncing around the screen. I tried using the escape button, then I tried using the Control/ Alt/ Delete as I usually did, but neither of those things worked, the blue rectangle was still there bouncing around the screen. Then I tried restarting my computer and also turning it completely off at the plug but neither of those things worked.

Finally I ended up having to dismantle my computer and assemble my new one that fortunately, I had just recently bought. But I really would like to have my old computer as a back up. Could someone please explain to me what I need to do to my old computer to get it working properly again? I am afraid to ever use the changing the Display settings anymore.

Claudia

That bouncing box was from your monitor's OSD (On Screen Display) not computer itself. Monitors have definite spread of settings for min-max resolution and min-max frequency and can't display anything beyond those borders. They can also remember several settings and adjust picture accordingly.
Check buttons on the monitor, most have an option to automatically adjust to signal computer (GPU) sends.

ClaudiaThompson · 12 May 2018

CountMike said:

That bouncing box was from your monitor's OSD (On Screen Display) not computer itself. Monitors have definite spread of settings for min-max resolution and min-max frequency and can't display anything beyond those borders. They can also remember several settings and adjust picture accordingly.
Check buttons on the monitor, most have an option to automatically adjust to signal computer (GPU) sends.

I don't think so, because it was saying and displaying the same thing that it did when it was telling me that it was unable to adjust it. Also, I had set the screen resolution plenty times before to that same screen resolllution, with no problem.

ClaudiaThompson · 12 May 2018

CountMike said:

That bouncing box was from your monitor's OSD (On Screen Display) not computer itself. Monitors have definite spread of settings for min-max resolution and min-max frequency and can't display anything beyond those borders. They can also remember several settings and adjust picture accordingly.
Check buttons on the monitor, most have an option to automatically adjust to signal computer (GPU) sends.

It just seems odd because I had set the screen resolution plenty times before to that same screen resolution, with no problem.

But I will try what you said though, and I thank you for your help.