Q: The colours on my computer screen were fine until two weeks ago when they suddenly went crazy.

For example, red is now brown, purple is shades of blue and half of the screen is greyish. It is almost like the colours on my screen hung and the original colours have disappeared.

That affects everything, not just photos but even the colour of my fonts - they should be purple but are now blue.

What should I do?

Wendy Sim Boyd

A: In your question, there is no mention of the type of computer screen you are using. So, I will try to cover the various screen types available.

In the case of a notebook LCD display, if there is a problem with colour reproduction, the problem is most likely physical. It is best to have a service centre check it out.

For a LCD monitor hooked up to a desktop computer, the problem may also be physical where the cable had come loose or was damaged internally.

This could result in a broken or loose connection.

Try to wiggle or move the cable around while still viewing a video clip. If the screen colours change, you know the problem is the cable.

If the LCD monitor is more than four years old, it will lose some of the backlight brightness. The backlight lamps are not easily replaced or repaired and it is better to discard the old LCD and buy a new and bigger model.

Most LCD monitors have a RESET to Factory option in the On Screen Display menu. Look for this option to reset any colour changes that may have been inadvertently applied.

If the monitor is an old-school CRT (cathode ray tube), you can run through the same steps outlined above for the LCD monitor.

Answer by Chester Chen, a recognised Microsoft Most Valuable Professional specialising in Windows desktop experience

This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life.

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