A few users have written to me asking why their monitors have screens that are randomly turning yellow or green. This is a common problem with computers as they go through their life cycle.

The problem is usually caused by a loose video cable. The first thing you should do is make sure that both ends of your video cable are snug and secure. Tighten the screws on both the monitor and the computer end of the cable.

If that doesn’t work you might need a new video cable. Thankfully these do not cost much and can be bought from your local computer or electronics store. Simply replace the old cable with the new one.

If your problem is still not solved then please write to me in the comments below and we’ll see if I can help.

This has most likely annoyed many of you at some point. You turn on your monitor one day and see a jeering message telling you something about an “OSD Lockout”. It doesn’t allow you to change any of your monitors settings, including the setting intended to turn off this message. While I’ve only seen this error on HP monitors I know that others have encountered it on other brands as well. The fixes I provide should work on those monitors too. (Note: OSD stands for On Screen Display.)

Fix One:

Plug in the monitor and power it up. Hold down the Power button until you get a message saying “OSD Unlocked”. If the problem persists after OSD is unlocked then unplug the monitor from the wall, wait 20 seconds and try again.

Fix Two:

Turn on the monitor and hold down the Menu button for 10-20 seconds. This should unlock the OSD.

Fix Three:

Turn off the monitor, press down the Menu button and then turn on the monitor. Wait 10-20 seconds. This should unlock the OSD.

Fix Four:

The Menu button may be stuck in a pressed in position. To get it “unstuck” you’ll usually need to open up the monitor. This could be tricky unless you know what you’re doing. Unfortunately there are too many models of monitor for me to provide detailed instructions. If you have warranty this is where you want to contact the manufacturer.

If you know of any other fixes feel free to contact me. Good luck!

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