Fixing that Flickering External Monitor

Here’s another quick fix note. If your external monitor/TV persistently flickers when connected to your laptop via a VGA cable – and you’re sure the monitor and cable are both fine (after, say, plugging it into another computer), try putting in your laptop battery and then disconnecting your power cable.

If your power cable has a 3-pin plug, and if the flickering promptly stops when external power is switched off, you may have the same maddening problem I had. The fix that worked for me is… to grab a 3-pin to 2-pin adapter from a nearby store. Yes, I plugged my power cable through such an adapter and my laptop charges normally – while the flickering vanishes without a trace.

Unfortunately being weak in hardware/electronics and stuff, I can’t tell you why it works. Only that it worked for me. And that far as I’m concerned, it’s a small investment well worth it. I can’t believe I put up with that annoyance for so long.