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Paul Nathan
Asked: 2011-10-06 09:32:37 +0800 CST

One monitor getting spilled over into other monitor: how to do a 100% reset of gnome graphics configuration

  • 772

I had to kill a VMWare process and afterwards, my monitor's configuration is buggy.

I have 2 monitors in a side-by-side configuration. My right-hand monitor is the secondary monitor.

Upon its right-hand side there are about 50 pixels showing from the left side of the lefthand monitor (ie, as if it was wrapped around). Further, my mouse clicks are registering as about 50 pixels sideways from where they should be.

It's as if those 50 pixels between monitors got gobbled.

What have I done?

  • I've reset the screen configuration in multiple ways, using xrandr, multiple monitors app, etc. This persists in different side-by-side configurations, and also persists with another user.

  • It does not occur with XFCE.

  • Resetting the Window manager with the Compiz reset WM app does not fix this.

I've concluded the burn-to-the-ground approach is likely the best, and would like to do a 100% reset of my graphics settings. It's an Intel integrated chipset.

  • Removing ~/.config/monitors.xml did not work. Also, interestingly, the mouse can mouse-over the 50 errant pixels on the rhs of the right-hand monitor. I hypothesize that it's a compositing problem occurring at the layer where the background, selection, and clicks are caught. Also, inverting the right-hand monitor removes the issue, but renders the screen unusable.

Even more datapoints:

  • This happens in KDE as well

  • Sometimes logging into Gnome and running xrandr --output DVI1 --auto resets it, but the issue immediately reappears when I press alt-tab.

  • With Compiz Application Switch turned on, the workspace is 'pushed back' a bit, and the slice on the RHS follows it as well. I'm wondering if it's a flaw in the compiz workspace compositing configuration.

I suspect the error was in the compositing configuration.

I installed 11.10.

10.10

5 Answers

  1. lkjoel has written this blog post:

    Press CTRL+ALT+F3

    Log in

    Type:

    sudo rm -f /etc/X11/xorg.conf
sudo rm -f xorg.conf*
sudo service lightdm stop
sudo service gdm stop
sudo service kdm stop
sudo service lxdm stop
sudo service xdm stop
sudo service wdm stop
sudo Xorg -configure
[ -f xorg.conf* ] && sudo mv xorg.conf* /etc/X11/xorg.conf
sudo dpkg-reconfigure $(dpkg -l | awk '{print $2}' | grep "^xserver" | tr '\n' ' ')
sudo update-initramfs -u

    Reboot

    may be it help

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  2. I feel sorry to say that you may have to re-install OS. You may think that it will take a lot of time to mature the system again but that is only way to 100% reset your graphics settings. You will try fixes only to realize that you are exacerbating the situation and waste more time.

    Also take my advice and don't use restricted (fglrx) or vendor drivers at least for now, that way you will not have the problems you faced now.

    • 0
    • -1

  4. Update or reinstall your graphics card driver, and if that doesn't work, go to your monitor settings and change it to defaults.

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  5. According to this site, http://linuxfud.wordpress.com/2007/02/14/how-to-reset-ubuntugnome-settings-to-defaults-without-re-installing/, if you issue the command in tty1 (Ctrl+Alt+F1) 

    rm -rf .gnome .gnome2 .gconf .gconfd .metacity

    Then it states to get back to the GUI (Ctrl+Alt+F7) and it's like "logging into Gnome" for the first time after install.

    For the record, I'm weary of any command involving rm -rf so if you want to try it, do so at our own risk. According to the site though, this only resets gnome specific settings, not video card or display or xserver.

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