Monitor Resolution "Out of Range" for BIOS?

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rtm223

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While my PC is booting up and during the BIOS phase, my monitor shows Out of Range until Microsoft Windows starts loading. Everything is working properly after that with the monitor. That error message appears to be some sort of monitor-specific generated error message too.

I know my monitor doesn't support high resolutions, but this should not be the problem.

I'm not 100% sure when this started happening, but I know I booted into Linux and got all of the boot messages on my screen. But now nothing until I get into windows.

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    Wow, that's weird man! Never seen that before. Especially strange as you'd expect the BIOS to be low resolution rather than high! Only things that spring to mind are obvious: Video card problem or maybe try and flash the BIOS? I'd try the monitor on another PC to rule that out (maybe it's on its way out) Try and reset the monitor if it has user settings that can be saved. If you boot into DOS does that work? Not sure exactly what that would tell you though, but if you can't then you might have problems flashing the BIOS if you felt that would help. Scratching my head otherwise though! S — DuckIT
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    You're telling me! I can't see how the graphics card is the problem, as I said the gfx works fine once it is loaded. I don't see why it would not display in 640x480px 😕 um, could I reset the mobo back to factory defaults using the jumpers? I'm not too hot on hardware, to be honest. Regarding the monitoring being on its way out, that sounds about right - if I remember correctly the warranty ran out at the end of April 🙄 — rtm223
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    Yeah, they normally have a CMOS reset on them where you change a jumper position, reboot and wait for it to bleep or something then shut it down and put the jumper back how it was. Try looking in the manual or the website for the board or post details here and I'll see if I can see it. Regarding the warranty, I swear they build timers in these days so they break when it's a month out of warranty! It's a conspiracy! 😱 S — DuckIT
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    Got the same problem over here. Dis anyone find a solution? — lab
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HiDensity

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While I was trying to solve this same problem I came across this thread so I figured I'd chime in with what problems I had.

My problem is identical to yours and has the out of range error while the computer POSTs, but works fine once Windows display driver is loaded. The problem is not my LCD and I assume you have an LCD as well because you will find that you won't have this issue with a CRT.

What has happened is that video cards have a normal default resolution for BIOS, which is usually very low. The problem I was having is that the vertical and horizontal frequency outputted by my video card in bios was all cracked out. For some reason, it was set to a non-standard frequency. You can find if yours is doing that by using a CRT or another monitor that works and booting into BIOS. Looking around in your OSD (on-screen display) and somewhere it should tell you either the resolution or the 2 frequencies.

The issue is LCDs will only operate within certain resolutions and frequencies, whereas CRTs can be forced into almost any. So the problem is not your LCD (which is what I thought was my problem too) it is in fact some setting for your video card, be it in the BIOS or in the firmware of the card. This is why once the Windows display driver is loaded, everything works fine because now the card is outputting a standard resolution that is supported.

Likely to solve the problem you will need an updated version of your BIOS that use correct resolutions/frequencies.

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    Regarding CRT vs LCD, I think you might actually be wrong because I have a CRT and it was at 1280x51024 one day and it said the same thing. I've read up and it says it's most likely a problem with the refresh rate. Try setting a more compatible refresh rate. — twmspro
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    Yeah, you could potentially get in by pressing F8 during Boot (right after POSTing), go into (safe mode with VGA enabled) I think it's the 5th one down on the safe boot menu. Then that will allow you to go to the desktop and reset the refresh rate in the (click on Monitor tab ) then after you apply it there, go over to your video card maker, open that up and set it there, and hit save. Then reboot. — MOC
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    I know, I got it fixed. Now I'm afraid it will happen again. All I had to do is reboot and it was fixed it happened while I was in Adobe Photoshop CS. — twmspro
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    Yes, I'm having the same problem, only the BIOS boot screen gives the error message. Once it loads into windows it's fine. Radeon 9200SE with a Daewoo LM1530A TFT. Not sure how to set the video card behavior for dos-mode/bios bootup, because it works just fine in windows. Suggestions? — templeofboom
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    Funny how old threads pop back up, also I forgot to say way back when, that if you have an AGP card versus a PCI card you should go into your BIOS anyway, and select first ( Integrated Peripherals ) then in that menu select (Initial Display First) PCI is chosen by default, but you what to change it to ( onboard/AGP ) will also give a little quicker boot up also, since thats what you have ( AGP Radeon 9200SE ). — MOC
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DA

Darkan9el

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I have just had a similar problem, so thought I would share my solution.

I was attempting to install Windows ME (don't ask why!). Anyway, after a BIOS jumper reset I got the infamous OUT OF RANGE issue. All I did to fix the issue was pull the power out of the monitor for a few seconds and plugged it back in, and as if by magic I got my screen back.

This was a TFT monitor by the way.

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BW

Brian Wozeniak

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As some of the other answers have shown, there are sometimes special circumstances around this error and you may have to do further work or investigation to figure out the cause.

However, in general, if you are experiencing the Out of Range error when trying to access the BIOS or boot up your computer, it is likely that the monitor's refresh rate or resolution is set higher than what the display supports. To fix this issue, you will need to change the display settings in the BIOS.

Here's how to do it:

  1. Restart your computer and watch for the manufacturer's logo to appear on the screen. This is usually displayed briefly at the start of the boot process.
  2. Press the appropriate key to enter the BIOS setup. The key to enter the BIOS setup is usually displayed on the screen at this point and is often one of the function keys (e.g. F1, F2, F3, etc.), the delete key, or the escape key.
  3. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the "Video" or "Display" settings and look for options such as "Refresh Rate" or "Resolution."
  4. Change the refresh rate or resolution to a lower setting and save your changes. You may need to experiment with different settings to find a resolution that works.
  5. Save your changes, exit the BIOS and restart your computer. The "Out of Range" error should now be resolved.

Keep in mind that you there are always risks when you make changes to your BIOS. You should be comfortable making changes here, otherwise you might want to seek an expert who can assist you better.

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