I installed Mandrake 9 earlier today and I am having problems with the display.
I think it is trying to use a refresh rate too high for my monitor. I have an LCD and it can only take up to 85, but I'm not sure how to change it.
I haven't used linux much before, but I know how to get to a command prompt and have tried to edit XF86config-4 but to be honest, I'm not sure what to change in it, or if this is even the right file to change.

The screen displays fine until it gets to the login, where my monitor says the signal is out of range.

Any ideas?

Thanks
Si

Hey simonwall,

Go to start, configuration, configure my computer.

Log in as root

Go to hardware.

You should see options to configure your monitor

Yes, the common refresh rate problem.

Can you go to console and run XFConfig? If you run XFConfig, it gives you a cheesy graphical user interface to set up your monitor and what not. The thing is, you have to enter the CORRECT vertical and horizontal refresh rate, and I mean down to the tenth's place! You can't just put 85 Hz or 100 Hz. For my monitor, I had to put 84.9 and my vertical as 68.9 Hz and then I was able to get my 85 Mhz refresh rate. Make sure you know your monitors exact vertical and horizontal settings so you don't overblow your monitor (really rare, though).

I hope this helps as this was the case for me and it solved my monitor refresh rate problem.

Just thought I should mention this for future reference and for folks that haven't had this problem yet. When you install mandrake, one of the last screens it gives you is a list of things to review and make last minute changes to. This includes the display settings (or video card, can't remember which at the moment). If you go in to configure those settings, you can reasign the driver, change resolution, change refresh rate, and test those settings. Just like in windows is tries those settings and asks you if you like tham or not. If you don't click on anything for 10(?) seconds it assumes you don't and throws you back to the configure setting.

I have to ask about the bit about things having to be exact. I've used a few flavors of linux and was able to get away with setting ranges. Is this a picularity of LCD displays that I don't have to deal with using old CRTs? The only problem I've ever had is an ancient monitor freaking out over frame buffers. If so, I guess that's just one more reason for me to not get one o' dem spiffy thin things. One of the top reasons, of course, is that lugging around a 17" CRT helps me stay in shape.

I have a 19" CRT monitor and if I try to put a wide rang (60 - 100 Hz), Mandrake 9.1 just gave me back the default 75 Hz. So, I had to put the EXACT Hz for vertical and horizontal and it I could get it to 85 Hz, the way I wanted it. Kind of weird. Maybe I'm just an isolated issue.