>>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

Thanks, since this post have received messages from ATI and also Daytek
(monitor mfr.) Since then I have also swapped the monitor with an older
one, and problem does not recur. ATI says "Definitely monitor problem" in
light of this, which I guess makes sense. (I dunno, is this an absolute
certainty?) Powering monitor itself on and off does not fix problem,
machine must be cold booted in order to return to normal. Monitor manual
and web site not remotely helpful, will be calling their head officer on
Monday, long distance of course, as suggested by sales rep. Hope their tech
support is better than their manual. The web site offered "tech support"
but I got only a sales rep to respond...sigh. Misspellings in any manual
always make me uncomfortable! Sounding like it's a case of the monitor
needing to be replaced. I am not familiar with the term "J curve" (sorry,
new to hardware arena, but trying) but if roughly speaking, it means: "if
it's gonna break, it'll do it either right away or right after the warranty
expires"...then I agree. : )

Thanks very much.
Susan