strange monitor phenomenon

"Tsun Szu" wrote in message

I have a few monitors some 14-inch and some 15-inch. Also some
monitors are analog and some are digital. All my PCs have specs
Celeron 700, 256megs, Riva TNT2 32 megs AGP card and with plenty of
hard disk space. My problem is I have installed the game called Iron
Storm into 3 of my PCs. The game runs ok on PC 1 and PC 2 but on PC
3, when the game starts, the monitor goes into mulitiple vertical
visions. And so I switch the monitors from PC1 to PC3. Now PC3 runs
ok but not PC1 where the monitor again will go into multiple visions.
When I switch the monitors, Win98 as usual will detect the monitor
and install the default monitor drivers. My guess is there is
something to do with the refresh rate of the monitors. I really do
not have the original monitor drivers. I just let win98 detect and
install the default drivers. My question is:

1. Is the refresh rate causing the mulitple visions? If so, how do I
set the correct refresh rate in the monitor that goes into multiple
visions.
2. How do I find the correct driver for a monitor? Some of these
monitors have no brand names. Can win98 determine the monitor type? I
do know there is a program that can determine a motherboard type and
its manufacturer. Is there a program that can also detect the monitor
type?

To set the Refresh rate:

- Right-click on the Windows desktop.
- Select Properties.
- Open the Settings tab.
- Click Advanced.
- Open the Monitor tab.

You also need to check at what resolution you have configured within the
game. It could be it runs at a resolution different than your Windows
desktop and for which you never adjusted the monitor. If you run your
Windows desktop at 1024x786 but run the game at 800x600, then in Windows
change the video resolution to 800x600 and make sure the monitor syncs
at that resolution. You might have to reduce refresh rate to get it to
sync. You should also check running the Windows desktop at whatever
color depth the game uses; i.e., you might be running the desktop at
high-color (16-bit) color depth but the game only needs 256 colors. You
need to check that the Windows desktop will run at the same video
resolution and color depth as the game. While at that resolution and
color depth, you should also use the monitor's controls to adjust video
size (vertical and horizontal) and alignment (up-down, left-right) a
little bit each way. Even if you monitor's screen size is correct, it
could be too close to a switching point and lose sync. Making the
monitor's adjustments, even to return them back to where they were, will
tell you if you're too close to a switching or loss-of-sync point in
those adjustments.

While there may be no embossed label, plate, sticker, or whatever on the
front of the monitor, there is no label on the back? If not, I would
have to assume someone peeled them off. Older non-PnP monitors are not
going to answer to a query for their brand and model. It's possible
there is some label inside the monitor to indicate who made it but then
you have to remove the shell to get inside. If you ever figure out what
brand and model you have, you should go to that brand's web site to see
if they provide a driver and use that. Some do not provide INF files
because their model is already included in Windows so you just select
them while updating the "driver" for the monitor. If you cannot find
the driver at their web site (or they don't have one) and you cannot
find it listed when updating the driver in Windows (pick to select to
see all drivers for this device type), you might find the drivers at
http://www.monitor-drivers.com/ or http://www.driverguide.com**.

** Beware of DriverGuide.com as they *pretend* to require registration
just to harvest your e-mail address. Just use username "drivers" and
password "all". This is the same username and password they give
EVERYONE!