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Any computer experts out there?

CigarStone

CigarStone

For once, knowledge is making me poor!
Joined
Mar 7, 2007
Messages
11,120
Any computer geeks experts?

I have an old Dell Inspiron 5721 Running Windows 8.0 and the only problem it has is with the display. You can see below how the right side of the display is wonky in the pic I took with y cell phone. This only happens when it is displaying a pop-up or if I display a picture, or video.......and......if I open the picture with another viewer it is okay. I use FastStone viewer and I have updated it.

A couple years ago I updated this laptop to Windows 8.1 and it went blue-screen and I had to pay someone to take it back to Windows 8.0

Not sure what to do?

1619098959248.png
 
Not an expert, but have you tried a different monitor? I'd get flickers and black outs only running certain programs or videos, and couldn't figure out why. Swapped out the monitors and everything worked fine.
 
You are a genius Tom! A different monitor did not have the same issue.

But why?

And why, when I plugged the HDMI cable into my laptop, did the display on my laptop change? It changed the size of the text and the screen display slightly?

Thanks Tom!
 
Sort of off topic, but you should really consider moving to W10. I was a W7 holdout, but there are valid and compelling reasons to move to W10. You can buy valid licenses in the $30 range. And, it's worth it. As they say, one man's opinion.
 
BlindedByScience said:
Sort of off topic, but you should really consider moving to W10. I was a W7 holdout, but there are valid and compelling reasons to move to W10. You can buy valid licenses in the $30 range. And, it's worth it. As they say, one man's opinion.
Click to expand...
I will have the latest version of Windows when I buy a new machine. I am just gunshy about loading anything on this beast after what happened the first time!:)
 
CigarStone said:
You are a genius Tom! A different monitor did not have the same issue.

But why?

And why, when I plugged the HDMI cable into my laptop, did the display on my laptop change? It changed the size of the text and the screen display slightly?

Thanks Tom!
Click to expand...

I wish I knew why. It didn't make any sense to me that a monitor would only have issues when doing certain things. I mean, it's a monitor. The computer is doing all the "computing". But after rebooting, subbing in an equivalent piece is usually the next easiest diagnostic tool. If it doesn't work, you didn't lose any money and, for something easy to swap like a monitor, you didn't lose much time either.

Glad it worked!
 
Since it sounds like you only log on to a computer to do the basics, you may even want to (GASP!) bite the bullet and get a MacBook. They are stupid user friendly (or, Stupid User friendly) and the only problem I've ever had with a Mac was the issue with the bloating battery in one of the MacBooks*. We have been a Mac family since the mid-aughts, and will never go back. I hated using the Windows machine at work.

*this was an issue specific to one battery in one generation of MacBooks. I just unfortunately had the one model that couldn't be repaired. That laptop is now my v-herf machine. So, if I ever spontaneously combust one night, you will know why.
 
jfields said:
Jeff, what year is that laptop from?
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Let's just say it's at least 5 years old. I keep it because it has an extra wide screen and I often have to create and review huge spreadsheets.

1619113914594.png
 
I had similar issues with my current laptop & I am no expert.
I ordered a new screen ($45) from Amazon, looked at a YouTube video that shows how to install the new screen, took out the old screen, put in the new screen, and it works great now.
Good luck.
 
CigarStone said:
I will have the latest version of Windows when I buy a new machine. I am just gunshy about loading anything on this beast after what happened the first time!:)
Click to expand...
I'd load W10 on that machine tomorrow. My experiences with W10 on older hardware has been nothing but positive. It's simply a more mature, more stable, easier to use OS. And, driver support for older hardware is amazing.....unlike W7 and W8.x

Again, that's one guy's opinion......
 
BlindedByScience said:
I'd load W10 on that machine tomorrow. My experiences with W10 on older hardware has been nothing but positive. It's simply a more mature, more stable, easier to use OS. And, driver support for older hardware is amazing.....unlike W7 and W8.x

Again, that's one guy's opinion......
Click to expand...
Man Tom, I wish I knew enough to get myself out of trouble if it didnt go well. The guy who told me to do it last time gauranteed me it would go perfect. And then charged me $200 to fix it when it didn't.
 
I'm with Gary - I can coach you along, no charge, of course. No worries either way. Whatever you're comfortable with.
 
CigarStone said:
You are a genius Tom! A different monitor did not have the same issue.

But why?

And why, when I plugged the HDMI cable into my laptop, did the display on my laptop change? It changed the size of the text and the screen display slightly?

Thanks Tom!
Click to expand...

So using an External Monitor, there is no issue at all? I'd say the Internal LCD is the problem, which could be the screen itself or the ribbon cable inside. Now for, as to why it is just happening at certain times with the Internal LCD, that would need some further digging and troubleshooting.

As for what the Laptop did when you connected an External Display, it probably was set to Duplicate the screen. When this is used with an External Monitor for the first time, the Screen Resolution and settings are automatically adjusted to a best guess fit by the OS.

As for the extra wide screen, you can get laptops with up to 4k screens now and even a 1440p screen provides much more real estate than 1080p screens. I looked up the specs of your Inspiron 5721 and it looks to have shipped with either a 1600 x 900 or 1080p screen. 1080p is mostly the standard resolution now a days, so you would get the same or more.
 
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