The display is distorted or erratic on an external display device

Problem

When connecting the computer to an external display device (monitor, appliance, or TV), the display is distorted or erratic, as shown in the image below.

Cause

The screen resolution supported by the external display device differs from that supported by the computer. As a result, the display is abnormal.

Solution

Keep the resolutions of the computer and the peripheral screen the same by performing the following steps:

1. Check the resolution by referring to the product manual of the external display device. You can also check the resolution by going to Advanced display settings and find the information for Display 2, as shown in the image below.

   

2. Right-click on the desktop, and select Display settings from the shortcut menu. In the Display resolution area, set the resolution to the resolution value of the peripheral screen, as shown in the image below.

   

3. If the display resolution can't be set to be the same as that of the peripheral screen, customize the display resolution on the graphics card control panel.
   1. If an Intel graphics card is used, press Ctrl+Alt+F12, select Intel^® Graphics Settings, go to Display > Custom Resolutions, and then enter the peripheral screen resolution. After this setting is complete, restart the system, and set the resolution in the Display resolution area, as shown in the image below.

      

      

   2. If an AMD graphics card is used, press Win, select AMD Radeon Software, go to Display > Custom Resolutions, and then enter the peripheral screen resolution. After this setting is complete, restart the system, and set the resolution in the Display resolution area, as shown in the image below.