pc monitor screen has "shrunk"

wes56 · Post by **wes56** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 1:59 pm

My W10 pc browser screen now has a thick black bar taking up the bottom quarter of the page.
I suspect that I caused this with my messing about with the PC.
I've tried to follow various google advisers but the black bar remains - its as tho the bottom task bar has been expanded
& refuses to shrink back to its original size?

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 2:12 pm

If you hover the cursor on the bottom edge of the visible screen a little arrow will appear and you can drag the screen down.

DWD

Dave54 · Post by **Dave54** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 3:45 pm

Or at the the top of the task bar, and it should come up with a two way arrow cursor to drag it up or down.
Or you might just have set the wrong resolution for the screen.
If you get the driver file for the monitor, it'll sort it out.

wes56 · Post by **wes56** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:19 pm

Thanks for replying:
1. I hovered but nothing happened.

2. The monitor is an Acer XZ 271 (bought sept 2018).
ET 241Y bi - is also on the label on the back of the monitor.

driver easy claims the monitor has need of 5 devices or drivers to be updated. I've done nothing not knowing if driver easy is OK to use?

wine~o · Post by **wine~o** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:42 pm

Try RIGHT Clicking on the task bar. a menu willpop up, one will be "lock the taskbar" Uncheck it. Then the little double ended arrowy thing will appear when you follow the above advice.

Once happy that the taskbar is back to normal right click again and re lock the taskbar.

Dave54 · Post by **Dave54** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:55 pm

The available drivers and docs are here
https://www.acer.com/ac/en/EE/content/s ... t/6715?b=1
If you right click on the desktop in Win 10, then click on "Display settings" it'll tell you the settings available, and may well show the recommended one in brackets.
Looking at the manual for the monitor it shows the resolutions the monitor can use. For instance 1920 X 1080 60Hz.

If the resolution is set to something the monitor can't support then it might show black areas etc.

All the monitor driver does AFAIK is tell the system what resolutions and refresh rates the monitor can support.

It's up to you of course, but I wouldn't rely on third party software for updating drivers. Windows own update feature in "Device Manager" works OK usually,

wes56 · Post by **wes56** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:01 pm

wine o,
Thanks again but I'm no further.
I've unchecked on the pop-up & nothing happened.
I've now got a list of task bar ON_OFF options and they are all off.

Dave54, thanks for the further advice and heads-up - I'll now try your latest suggestion.

wes56 · Post by **wes56** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:08 pm

Tried the latest suggestion and found that the resolution is fine and set at the recommended 1920 x 1080.
Now what?

Dave54 · Post by **Dave54** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:22 pm

You got any idea which settings it was you changed Wes?
There are more settings for the taskbar if you right click on it and select "taskbar settings"

The other option is to restore the machine to an earlier "restore point" using "System Restore"

Bob225 · Post by **Bob225** » Wed Mar 31, 2021 9:56 am

Check the cable is plugged into the pc and monitor correctly, what connection type are you using ?

On the monitor you will have an OSD or Menu button in that menu there should be reset option

edit. Drop the resolution does it go full screen ? On board Graphics or a amd/nvidia card (stoopid question as it's a 144hz curved monitor)

Is it only the desktop ? do applications open full screen ? Default Background/wallpaper?

Bob225 · Post by **Bob225** » Wed Mar 31, 2021 10:34 am

Just a thought - Do A Ctrl+PrtScr - Open paint - Paste

If the black bar is present in the picture it's a desktop issue, if it doesn't show it's a display/resolution issue

wes56 · Post by **wes56** » Thu Apr 01, 2021 6:45 pm

Dave 54,
Sorry for the delay in replying. Still no joy when i do what you suggest - thats when i actually understand whats being asked of me.
Foolishly, I've no idea about what settings I changed - fwiw I clicked the turn everything back to its original state, reset button but it doesn't seem to have made any difference.

Here's a thing - I removed Avast(?) security from my pc and it seems that since then there have been problems.

Bob 225,
Its a constant, and now & again depending on what site I'm on there's a top thick blue bar dropping down and cramping the monitor picture between the bottom and top bars.
Prior to this there were difficulties with the curser arrow sticking but that seems to have resolved itself.
All connections are tight - what does "connection type" mean? Everything is on cables.
Occasionally I get a full screen - no bars or problems but no pattern as to why or when the PC/monitor is behaving.

Bob225 · Post by **Bob225** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 2:30 pm

Connection type - as in hdmi, Display port or DVI

i can take a look if you like (by remote desktop)

Dave54 · Post by **Dave54** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 4:31 pm

I'd take up Bob's generous offer of assistance if I were you Wes.
Failing that have a Google search for something like "fully removing Avast Security" whatever the product is, it may leave bits that need other actions.
Install the latest video driver as well.

I said do a system restore earlier, but that's not enabled by default on Win 10. My mistake.

wes56 · Post by **wes56** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 5:35 pm

Guys, thank you all so much but here's the latest:
I double clicked on the bottom thick black taskbar, and then carefully - tremble, tremble - went down the revealed details opening and closing them to see what happened.
Lo & behold the one that asks if you want the taskbar top, bottom or sidebars I set to top, and in one flash everything scrunched up at the top in a very narrow band - Praise the Lord and all your suggestions.
I've tested the new page arrangements on various other sites and forums, and the Levee still holds.

Thank you all for helping me.