# Red Tint on the screen, driver or hardware issue?



## swirishninja (May 7, 2009)

Hi everyone,

Yesterday I started getting a weird problem with my screen, the entire screen has a red colored overlay/tint and I have no idea what the issue might be. I use dual monitors and it will only happen on one monitor, switching the cables around doesn't help but if I switch the cables around it will change monitor (it only affects the monitor that is set as main).

Here's what it looks like: http://i.imgur.com/jb9pg.jpg

The OS is Windows 7 64-bit and the graphics card is Nvidia GeForce 9800 GX2

Also one thing to note, last night I switched the cables around for a while to test different things and it ended up without any problems for a few hours, but later on it returned.

Anyone know how I can troubleshoot this further or have seen this issue before?

Thanks a lot!


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## aciid (Jul 18, 2008)

Hi swirishninja and Welcome to TSF,

This issue is most likely hardware related. The main cause would be that either a PIN on the vga/dvi connector has been bent/broke, or one of the female-connectors on the graphic card is broke. 

Could you please confirm this and see if it's any of the two connections on your graphic card that this seems to be related to? It should only be from one of them, or from one of the monitors nomatter the switch, if you know what I mean.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Switch the monitor as well as the cable. Which type of port are you plugging the troubled monitor into, DVI or VGA? Make sure you are plugging the monitor cable into the video card and tightening it down. If there is a loose connection on the Computer end it would cause this problem.


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## swirishninja (May 7, 2009)

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. It's a DVI input and only affects the "Main Display" that I set in the Screen Resolutions options in Windows. When I said I switched it around I meant I plugged one monitor into the other DVI slot on the card (so top went bottom and bottom went top) and it was still happening.

I can easily switch the screen it's happening on by just changing the main display screen in Screen Resolutions. This one is with the left display as main screen (as you can see if you read closely on the right screen): http://i.imgur.com/F9jxp.jpg

This one is with the right display as main screen: http://i.imgur.com/xJtYX.jpg


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## aciid (Jul 18, 2008)

Does it only affect the main display, nomatter which of the ports you're using on the back of the machine, on the graphics card?

Because we need to know if it's just one of the ports on the card, or if it's always the main screen even if its plugged in to port 1 or 2.

(Hard to explain these things via text hehe)


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## swirishninja (May 7, 2009)

aciid said:


> Does it only affect the main display, nomatter which of the ports you're using on the back of the machine, on the graphics card?
> 
> Because we need to know if it's just one of the ports on the card, or if it's always the main screen even if its plugged in to port 1 or 2.
> 
> (Hard to explain these things via text hehe)


It only affects the screen set as main screen in Windows, doesn't matter what port I use.


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## aciid (Jul 18, 2008)

If that's the case, it has to be software related.
Have you tried the generall stuff, i.e uninstalling your graphic cards driver and reinstall the latest one form the webpage? Maybe restore to a previously known working restore point?

And did you try both cables/both ports, testing all possible ways?


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## swirishninja (May 7, 2009)

aciid said:


> If that's the case, it has to be software related.
> Have you tried the generall stuff, i.e uninstalling your graphic cards driver and reinstall the latest one form the webpage? Maybe restore to a previously known working restore point?
> 
> And did you try both cables/both ports, testing all possible ways?


Tried uninstalling the graphics card drivers and reinstalled the latest one. Also tested all possible ways with the cables and ports, but the same issue still occurs.


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## ragwing46 (Jul 13, 2012)

I am having the same problem (screen tinting red). It comes and goes, could the computer need cleaning? I tried to clean it, about 6 months ago, with the spray can air stuff but a lot of the dirt is kinda caked on. Could this be the problem? Can I go in with soap and water and a scrub brush? Or just set this stuff (computer and moniter)out by the curb and go get a new one?


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