California State University, Los Angeles
ITS Help Desk Advisor
Stop the Flickering
Eyes tired from being at the computer? Is your screen a little fuzzy or flickering? Your monitor’s refresh frequency (or vertical scan frequency) is probably set too low. Refresh frequency, measured in Hertz (Hz), is the number of times the whole screen is redrawn per second. The default setting for Windows PC is 60Hz. To help prevent eyestrain, 70Hz or higher is recommended.
Follow these instructions (for XP users) to make sure your computer monitor is set properly. [Note: Faculty members may change their own settings, but staff must contact their ITC for assistance.]
- Click Start ► Control Panel.
- If in Category view, click Appearance and Themes ► Change the screen resolution task. (If in Classic view, double click Display.)
- Click the Settings tab; then click the Advanced button.
- Click the Screen refresh rate down-arrow and choose the highest setting on the list above 70Hz.
- Click Apply. The screen will flash and test the new refresh rate.
- The Monitor Settings dialog box appears. If you like the new screen setting, click Yes. If not, click No to restore the previous setting. Repeat steps 5 through 7 until the screen looks better to you.
- If necessary, use the monitor’s control buttons to re-size or re-position the screen’s display area.
Minimize Everything
You don’t need Harry Potter’s wand to minimize all your open windows simultaneously! But you do need a Windows keyboard. Just press Ctrl+M.