Green speckles showing up in dark areas

[Gustavus]

Title says it all. My system has started showing green speckles in dark areas. They don't twinkle in and out, but stay in place.

http://i48.tinypic.com/2m82ic0.jpg

Is this likely the graphics card or the monitor? The monitor is a SyncMaster 205BW and the graphics card is an older ATI 9550

 

[Fardringle]

Does it happen when the monitor is on but the computer is off (or disconnected)?

 

[Puppies04]

What is that picture? Did you upload something else by accident?

 

[Gustavus]

Fardringle
It seems to only happen when I am on net. Monitor test does not show the green sparkles on a black screen

Puppies04
What I uploaded is exactly what I see on screen -- from a CNN news feed. See similar sparkles on other news links -- not just CNN

 

[Fardringle]

There aren't any speckles or graphics glitches at all in the image you posted. I think that's why Puppies04 asked if you uploaded the wrong picture by mistake.

 

[Gustavus]

Fardringle

Now that is as weird as the problem itself. If I click on the link, the image I get is exactly what I saw on the screen -- lots of green speckles in the black areas. I have other computers and am turning one on to see if the image I see on it has speckles or not.

If not, Puppies04's comment may be a real lead.

They do not show on the other computer, so SnagIt did not capture them. I think that points the finger at the graphics card.

 

[Steltek]

Before you presume it is the video card, check the simplest possibility: swap out your video cable. A cheap or damaged video cable can cause exactly this type of problem.

Also, we have a bunch of Samsung 205bw monitors at work and we have a lot of problems with the DVI ports failing. You can try swapping over to the VGA input to see if the problem goes away (we use a DVI to VGA cable adapter at work to do this).

 

[paul878]

I see that too on some web pictures sometime, I don't think it is hardware related.

 

[Gustavus]

Steltek

Thanks for the reply. I swapped in a Hanns-G monitor and cable from one of the other computers. For the moment, no green speckles -- but the problem had just appeared and may be intermittent. This is my main machine on which I am preparing a paper for publication -- so will watch and see what happens for the next day or so. Not all black areas had the green speckles -- they seemed to occur when I was on net or the LAN.

I have pulled from the spare stuff in the lab a Sapphire X1600Pro with 512MB in case I have to pull the graphics card.

Photoshop almost refuses to work with the Samsung monitor saying the calibration profile is not recognized. In order to use Photoshop with it I have to tell Photoshop to ignore the profile. I have tried calibrating it with no success. Since I don't do graphics that is not a big problem.

 

[Steltek]

Steltek

Thanks for the reply. I swapped in a Hanns-G monitor and cable from one of the other computers. For the moment, no green speckles -- but the problem had just appeared and may be intermittent. This is my main machine on which I am preparing a paper for publication -- so will watch and see what happens for the next day or so. Not all black areas had the green speckles -- they seemed to occur when I was on net or the LAN.

I have pulled from the spare stuff in the lab a Sapphire X1600Pro with 512MB in case I have to pull the graphics card.

Photoshop almost refuses to work with the Samsung monitor saying the calibration profile is not recognized. In order to use Photoshop with it I have to tell Photoshop to ignore the profile. I have tried calibrating it with no success. Since I don't do graphics that is not a big problem.

Honestly, from what I've seen of the 205bw monitors we have at work, color calibrating them would be pretty much a waste of time. They are OK as a second monitor for routine daily use, but I certainly wouldn't try to do any type of serious graphics or photo editing on them.

 

[Gustavus]

Steltek

Just for the heck of it I started up Photoshop after connecting the Hanns-G monitor and it opened with no complaint at all. I've been thinking about getting a new monitor and if the green speckles stay gone, will finally do that. This is an old machine, but I am used to doing my writing and editing on it; Word Perfect, Mathematica, Photoshop, MathType etc. Sort of like an old jacket that just feels right -- even if it is old and out of style.

Thanks to everyone who responded. You can depend on Anand-folk for help.

Note added:
It has been nearly 24 hours and no more green speckles. Guess I will go shopping for a new monitor.