Reference number: CH000315

Black borders on side of screen.

Issue:

Black borders on side of screen.

Cause:

This issue can be caused by any of the below possibilities on CRT monitors (standard computer display):

1. Video driver issue or no video driver installed
2. Resolution was changed and monitor could not adjust.
3. Monitor needs to be manually adjusted.
4. Older computer monitor

This issue can be caused by any of the below possibilities on LCD displays (flat panel / laptop):

1. Widescreen display
2. LCD limitation

CRT Monitor Solution:

Video driver issue or no video driver installed

Verify you have the latest video driver installed on your computer. A listing of links to video drivers can be found on our video driver page.

Resolution was changed and monitor could not adjust

If the resolution was recently changed it is possible for the monitor to not auto adjust or shift to the correct size. If this occurs, the resolution can be changed back to the original setting or you can manually adjust the monitor as instructed below.

Monitor needs to be manually adjusted

If a black border exists on the monitor it can generally be resolved by manually adjusting the horizontal or vertical width. Because each monitor is different, the method of adjusting this setting will vary; consult your monitor documentation. Additional information about these controls as well as example pictures of the settings can be found on our monitor page. Older monitors may not have the feature to adjust the horizontal setting; if this is the case, refer to the below notes:

Older computer monitor

It is possible for older monitors (generally 15" monitors). When this is not available it is generally due to the monitor design and it should be expected to see some black on the left and right of the monitor. If you believe this black area is to big, we recommend you contact your monitor manufacturer for additional information.

LCD Display Solution:

Video driver issue or no video driver installed

Verify you have the latest video driver installed on your computer. A listing of links to video drivers can be found on our video driver page.

Widescreen display

If you're using a widescreen LCD display and you're running a non-widescreen resolution or the program, game, or movie you watching does not support widescreen it is normal for the display to have large black borders on the left and right-hand sides of the image.

Microsoft Windows:
Make sure to change your resolution settings in Microsoft Windows to a resolution that supports widescreen. Additional information about changing your resolution in Windows 95 and above can be found on document CH000190.

DVDs:
Many DVDs support both widescreen and full screen mode. If you're using a widescreen LCD display make sure to display the movie in widescreen format. Additionally you can change the aspect ratio in many DVD programs to fit your display.

LCD limitation

LCD displays are designed and work differently from the standard CRT monitor found on most computers. Because of this difference, LCD displays will have a set resolution. An example would be a set resolution of 800 x 600. When the resolution is changed to a larger resolution, because the pixel size is different, the size of the display will decrease, causing a black border. To rectify this issue, most LCD displays or laptop manufacturers will have a stretch utility to stretch the pixel size allowing the display to be full screen. This will, however, decrease the quality of the image slightly (this is generally noticeable in the text).

Because the stretch utility, key combination, or method of enabling this feature varies, it is recommended that you contact your laptop or LCD manufacturer for additional information on if this feature is possible and how to enable it.