>Date:    Thu, 7 May 1998 09:56:58 -0400
>From:    Susan Sutherland <[log in to unmask]>
>Customer's system is one month old and experiencing this problem since
>purchase:
>- her video display suddenly increases contrast severely, making viewing
>very difficult; sometimes she can play with the contrast control and
>manage, but this is not an ideal solution and the display still does not
>look normal

Sound like a video hardware problem to me:
* harware-controlled feature on display (gain in video channel)
* not software specific
* cured by restart - could be voltage or thermal stress induced
 (you don't say whether cold or warm boot - have you tried just
  powerdown-powerup on the monitor?)
* within the J-curve for early hardware failure
* tried the monitor manufacturer's suggested diagnostics
  (don't expect them to say 'you've got a lemon, send it back')
* you haven't listed 'substituting the monitor' or
  'substituting the video card' (2nd bet) as a diagnostic
  - call us back when you have tried that.

Len Warner <[log in to unmask]> WWW Pager http://wwp.mirabilis.com/10120933