Monitor Issues

Ever since I booted up my PC, everything has been stuck in 16-color mode. There’s absolutely no way for me to switch it back.

Here are my display properties:

http://www.imagecabin.com/?view=2452...5400d92f20ff7b

And here’s Device Manager:

http://www.imagecabin.com/?view=2452...9ba8b52f31edf3

I figured it might be a driver issue, so I went hunting for a driver for my ancient monitor (an old Dell MicroScan 5P+).

I tracked down this driver: http://driverscollection.com/?H=Micr...205P%2B&By=ADI

When I download the zip—which is barely 2 KB—all I get is an .ini file. When I try to run it, it just opens in Notepad.

My graphics card is running the latest drivers.

I can't find the original driver CD (if one even existed).

I've tried restarting the computer several times already.

I have a few questions:

1. Is this a hardware failure with the monitor, or is it something else?
2. Is the driver I found actually legitimate?
3. Would buying a new monitor even solve this?

THANKS FOR ANY HELP!!!

There’s no hardware failure in a monitor that would force it into 16-bit mode. This is software. It’s either the drivers—either from the monitor itself or the GPU—or some kind of system conflict.
Try a clean sweep. Uninstall the drivers for the motherboard, the graphics card, and the monitor. Then reinstall them in the right order: motherboard first, then the GPU, then the monitor.

Regarding those drivers, that .ini file you found usually just accompanies them; it's essentially just a description file. Have you checked the manufacturer's official website yet? Assuming they still offer support for that specific model.

I formatted the drive, but nothing changed. The monitor shows better colors in blue and yellow. I also went ahead and installed all the drivers—audio, network, and graphics. And just to set the record straight, it wasn't an .ini file, it was an .inf file. I ran it by right-clicking and selecting Install, but that didn't fix anything either.

That proves the issue is definitely with the monitor!!!

I finally nailed down the actual issue. It’s a hardware failure—specifically a faulty connector on the GPU. The shop where I picked up the rig gave me a DVI adapter to patch it together, and it's running fine for now.

I’m planning to get this graphics card repaired while it's still under warranty.