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Diagonal waves running across the computer moniter

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by rita_kaplann

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I have a new recently purchased PC(running on XP) and a new screen, which has a problem of diagonal waves running across it. They show mostly while viewing different shades of grey, but the phenomena is not consistent - sometimes it goes away and then returns. It doesn't seem to be a monitor hardware problem - it's been taken to the lab and plugged to other computers in other rooms and it worked fine - no waves. Only when it's placed in my office the problem occurs. I also tried plugging another monitor to my computer and got the waves...
The reason must some electro-magnetic interference at my work station. Has anyone ever ran across a same problem? All suggestions or comments are more then welcome, i'm a bit lost here...

4 replies

by charliespencer

I see this all the time, although I get most of the help desk calls in early spring. That's when users start bringing their fans in. They put the fans too close to the monitor, and the unshielded motor is the source of the interference. If you've got a fan, try moving it.

The other source I see occasionally is a florescent light with an old ballast. This is most common in cubicles with lights built in over the desk. If you have such a light, try turning it off. If that fixes the problem, talk to your Maintenance or Facilities department.

Either of these would explain why the monitor works in another area, and why a replacement monitor doesn't solve the problem. If it isn't either one, start looking in adjoining offices and cubicles. Sometimes it can be caused by an electric pencil sharpener (the second most useless tool in the civilized world).

by mjd420nova

Try changing the position or viewing angle of the monitor to see if that affects the interference. If not a fan or other object on the desk, possibly something in and adjacent cube. I even seen large transformers on the other side of a wall causing the effects you're seeing.

by deepsand

Try the "Questions" forum; the "Discussion" forum is for matters of general discussion, not specific problems in search of a solution.

Post problems such as this to the "Question" forum, rather than the "Discussion" forum. There are those who specifically seek out problems in need of a solution, and that's where they go to look for such.

Additionally there are the benefits that:

1) The "Questions" forum provides for your feedback, by way of your being able to mark "helpful" responses as such. This does not necessarily mean that a given response contained the complete solution to your problem, but only that it served to guide you toward it. This is intended to serve as an aid to those who may in the future have a problem similar to yours, so that they might have a ready source of reference available, thereby perhaps obviating the need for them to repeat questions previously asked and answered.

2) The revised TR makes it quite difficult to find both "Discussions" and "Questions" that have not had a fairly recent post, owing to some functions comingling them in the listings. By keeping each type in their respective forums, it is easier for all to find what they are looking for.

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