Monitor fail.

[LucyDuke]

I never did end up buying a new monitor, I got a new notebook instead.

So the desktop mothballed on the desk until the notebooks broke. I fixed 'em, but now I'm back to this stupid monitor. I'm trying to do some command-line linux stuff, but I can't freaking see the bottom of the screen and I haven't done this enough to know where to expect things.

I know the right answer is "suck it up and buy a new monitor", but I'm poor and the most I am willing to spend on this project is time.

Here's a little diagram of my monitor fail.

Red is the dead zones. The pointer goes into them, the monitor is just dead there.

I've had to move the windows taskbar because it was completely hidden behind this dead zone. I can't play full-screen games, I have to use them in window mode so I can fit 'em into the spaces that aren't trouble. And more importantly I can't see the bottom of the damn command line stuff.

What I'm looking for, and I'm pretty sure it's an impossible dream, is some way to restrict the output of the monitor to the blue blue box. Anybody know of a way to do it?

 

[Genocidicbunny]

I remember my old CRT used to have an option to set H-size and V-size, as well as H-Position and V-Position. Neither of my LCD's have this option, but that is your best bet. If there is no such option, then you're pretty much SOL.

I know you dont want to hear this, but a new monitor is probably your best bet. You can get a decent one for around 150$ on Newegg or Amazon.

 

[Mise]

You can try flipping your screen... Go to display options on your graphics card and there should be an option to flip the screen display so that it's upside down (then turn the monitor upside down - I'm assuming you have something to balance it on). That won't make the screen fit in that blue box but you might have a better time with command lines. And who knows, maybe there's an option on your gfx card for what you want as well...

You can get a 2nd hand monitor for around £15 here, from computer fairs for example. Dunno if you have computer fairs in the US. Also, if one of your friends works at a big-ish company, ask him to check if their IT department has any spares they're trying to sell.

EDIT: I got another idea - if you have linux, you can run Wine in a window that fits the blue box. Then you can run a Linux emulator in Wine. (Or vice versa - run linux emulator in windows, then run Wine in linux emulator.)

 

[Till]

You could use virtualization software like Virtualbox to get a monitor window of the right size and in the right position, but the performance cost is probably prohibitive if you want to play games.

CRT monitors are really cheap now, though. If you look for sales in the area or on ebay, you should be able to get at least an 15' monitor for less than 20$. That would do as a stopgap measure.

 

[Cutlass]

Craigslist, Providence..

http://providence.craigslist.org/sys/1603575773.html

http://providence.craigslist.org/sys/1604754091.html

http://providence.craigslist.org/sys/1604849971.html

http://providence.craigslist.org/sys/1608662419.html

 

[Zelig]

I remember my old CRT used to have an option to set H-size and V-size, as well as H-Position and V-Position. Neither of my LCD's have this option, but that is your best bet.

IIRC, Some LCD monitors have these options only when connected via VGA. (With a non-broken monitor, those options are unnecessary with a digital connection.)

 

[LucyDuke]

Probably should have specified that this is just short-term - that's why I'm not looking to replace it just yet. It does have the horizontal/vertical adjustment thing, but it doesn't move nearly enough. Mise, emulating emulators is almost perfect, stop being right.

I was offered a free CRT today but unfortunately space is a serious issue. I've stop-gapped by grabbing my currently-hospitalized mama's monitor which would've otherwise sat unused for who knows how long but at least a week... I think I'll be finished within a week. Only problem is that it's gigantic and gorgeous and I'm gonna be really reluctant to go back to old gimpy.

I didn't expect any easy way to do this, so no big letdown, but as always thanks for the advice CT posters.