Question:

What should I do if my Windows 7 PC with an Nvidia video card shows black bars on the screen when using certain resolutions like 1280x1024, 1024x768, and 800x600?

Answer:

If you're experiencing black bars on your Windows 7 computer with an Nvidia graphics card when using resolutions like 1280x1024, 1024x768, and 800x600, it means that your Nvidia card doesn't properly support those resolutions on Windows 7. This isn't an issue with your monitor or TV, so there's no need to request service for it. Instead, reach out to both NVIDIA and Microsoft for further help.

Customers with Windows 7 PC's with Nvidia Video Cards may experience black bars on the screen running at the following resolutions:

1280 X 1024, 1024 x 768 and 800 x 600

The Nvidia cards do not support those resolutions under Windows 7 correctly.

Examples:

• Black Vertical Bars

•  Bottom of the screen: 

 

This is not a Monitor or a TV issue. Do not set up service for this issue.

Please direct the customer to NVIDIA and Microsoft for assistance.

Technical Terms:

Windows 7 (a type of operating system) - It's the software that manages your computer's basic functions.

Nvidia Video Card (a piece of hardware inside your computer) - It helps display images on your screen.

Black Bars (parts of the screen that appear black) - These show up when something goes wrong with how the image is displayed.

Resolutions (how many pixels fit onto your screen) - Imagine each pixel as a tiny dot; different resolutions have different numbers of dots showing your images.

Monitor (the device that displays what's on your computer) - It's like a TV, but smaller and just for your computer.