I changed my monitor's color settings and can't see anything now. What should I do?

Answer: So you decided to change your display settings and now you can't see anything on the screen anymore. Don't worry, it happens to lots of people.

If you are using Windows, you can get your screen back by booting up in Safe Mode. Just hold down the F8 key while the computer is booting up and select "Safe Mode" from the list of boot options. The number of colors will be limited in safe mode, allowing you to see the display correctly. After successfully booting into Safe Mode, you should be able to restart your machine like usual.

If you are using Mac OS 9, hold down the Shift key while starting up and all Extensions will be turned off. This should help you avoid any display problems.

Mac OS X users fortunately do not have to worry about this problem, since the Displays System Preference only allows you to choose supported resolutions and color settings.

Published: May 2, 2005 — by Per Christensson