Just turned on my desktop PC to find the screen is just a strip down the middle of the monitor with black edges. I'm a bit confused about this as i haven't changed anything since i last used it. The bit that's working is approx. 2/3 of the screen in the middle. Tried refreshing it. tried hitting it.

is it ****?

I can't tell, turn it around so I can see it…

Escuse me?

is it a wide screen monitor set up in display setting as a standard resolution? worth checking. It sounds a bit 'tidy' to be a **** screen. You could try recovering your system to a few days ago when you know it was OK. Sounds like settings to me. Sometimes you can change stuff without realising (certain key combination etc).

no its just a normal monitor. not a flatscreen one – big type. tried system restore and nothing changing 🙁

also tried settings on the monitor itself and no joy 🙁

Either someone's been playing with the horizontal size option (see your settings for that monitor), or, it's FUBAR…

CRTtubes use an electron gun that is 'aimed' at the screen. Obviously this has a vertical and horizontal component. If the horizontal component is on the way out it'll possibly shrink the horizontal picture.
It's the same (but the vertical) issue with rolling screens etc.
A big hit might help it, but might not.
Anyway, more typically, you'll see the picture compress into a single pixel width in a complete failure.
Remember how old tv's used to 'blink' off – scrunching up to a dot in the middle – this was the horizontal and vertical control being turned off whilst electrons still being fired. Wiki explains all..

Thanks expat i was thinking along the lines of hitting it myself but it didn't work 😆