A past customer had recently moved their computers to a different room, and wanted me to check that everything was connected correctly, and to create a custom-length ethernet cable.

Aside from the time to crimp the two ends of the ethernet cable, I found an interesting problem with a dual-monitor PC:

The main monitor worked fine, but the second one (22″ wide screen) had its picture split into horizontal stripes (about 1cm high). It looked like each stripe was showing the correct background image, but offset by about 1 inch from the stripes above and below.

I check the connectors, and the video cable was plugged in correctly (ie not upside down).

I try a PC restart, but no joy.

I use the XP display properties to change the refresh rate and resolution, but no success with that either.

I try to look at the monitor OSD, but it just shows a thin grey vertical bar. Hmmm

Ok, I’ll try turning the monitor off and then on again… Darn these new-fangled monitors… the on/off switch can be so hard to find… an inconspicuous switch on the right edge of the monitor…

Well, look at that: the monitor now works correctly.

I guess the monitor was somehow not synchronising properly with the signal arriving from the PC…

PS: I was called back a few days later… the brightness and contrast settings were way off, and the screen was forcing a 4:3 aspect ratio… all fixed using the OSD, except the OSD would start displaying, mostly, as seemingly random pixels… I told the customer that it looks like the monitor won’t last much longer… and to replace it while its still under warranty.

Note: 2 weeks later, the customer sends it back for a warranty repair/replace.