Blacking out a section of the screen

[davenz]

Hey guys,

I run Windows 7 64 bit, and currently am running dual monitors (1920: 1200 on the left, and 1920: 1080 on the right). The reason I have 2 is because my monitor of 4 or so years ( the left one), developed a very thick black line running down the screen about 4 cm in from the left side of the screen. This is a very very annoying position and blocks important things on almost every program. Combined with it fading slightly, I went and got a new screen to replace it, but then decided to keep the old one as a second monitor (very useful for gaming, programming etc.)

However, the black line is still there on the second monitor and, while I don't use it as much as the first monitor, it is still very noticeable and annoying. I've started only using the part of the screen right of the black line, so the black line does not interfere. However, this makes the dragging windows functions on Windows 7 (drag top to maximize, drag to side to split window) useless, as it always fills the whole screen, making the black line block out stuff again. Furthermore, it is always annoying having to resize windows to get around the line.

My question is whether it is possible to black out the left 4 cm of my screen, and only have the active screen right of the line. This would allow me to maximize windows and not have to be always resizing to avoid the line.

I have attached an image to better explain my problem.

Thanks

p.s. The line is definitely a hardware glitch, not software

[MANEMAN]

Sitting here thinking about it in the early hours of the morning, I have come to the conclusion (as have you) that the monitor is scrap.

The only thing that I can think of is to physically blank out the area to the left of the line, (Duct tape/ Mask & spray paint, tastefully done of course) work out the aspect ratio of the viewable part of the screen and find a way of getting the nearest scaling to that ratio. If you are using two monitors from one video card that could prove tricky maybe.

Most video outputs on computers are set in stone as variables of 4:3 and 16:9. (Anamorphic)

Perhaps you could mask off the viewable area as 4:3 and set the video output for just one monitor accordingly to that ratio ? Old T.V's had horizontal width control and vertical height control, making non-standard aspect ratios continuosly variable. That doesn't happen these days for computers and monitors.

Some video cards allow "Forced Scaling", but I don't know enough about the subject to be able to advise you.

Gamers forums know more about it than I do. I did find an interesting article within patents and inventions.

Patent application title: VARIABLE SCALING OF IMAGE DATA FOR ASPECT RATIO CONVERSION ( I Enjoyed reading that.)

I tend these days to throw things out that dont work properly. In the past I would have attached a bicycle pedal to the monitor if it got it working. :)

The "Throw-Away Brigade" have finally won me over to their side, and the make-do-and-mend days, are for me over.

Hopefully I've given you a few ideas. - Now throw it out ! :lol:

John.

[MANEMAN]

Bump.