Article Number: 000124358
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Quick LinksGetting Started with your Dell Monitor Dell P2421D Setup, Specifications and Service Manual Dell Drivers & Downloads Warranty & Support Services Frequently asked questions |
For help with video or display issues such as: no video or no display, blank or black screen, flickering, resolution or color issues, horizontal or vertical lines, etc. refer to an expanding section below.
The key features of Dell P2421D monitor are:
This section provides some specifications of the Dell P2421D monitor. To learn more about the specifications of Dell P2421D monitor, refer to the User's Guide at the Dell Manuals website.
Panel technology |
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Maximum resolution |
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Viewing angle |
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Contrast ratio |
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Response time |
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Color gamut |
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Color depth |
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Ports and connectors |
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Ensuring that your Dell monitor is set up properly - assembling the monitor stand and setting up the monitor ergonomically, connecting the cables and organizing them, will only help make the viewing experience the best it possibly can be.
The standard monitor stand is detached when the monitor is shipped from the factory. To learn more about attaching the standard monitor stand, refer to the Setting Up the Monitor section in the User's Guide of your Dell P2421D monitor.
To learn how to set up any other stand with a monitor, refer to the respective stand setup guide for setup instructions.
Where you put your monitor is almost as important as what model you buy. The monitor should be directly in front of you, at an arm’s length away (between 20-40 inches from your eyes), with the top edge of the screen at eye level when you are sitting comfortably. You may need to adjust your chair height or the height of the monitor to achieve this.
To connect your Dell P2421D monitor to your PC:
To learn more about connecting your monitor to the PC, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article How do I connect a monitor to a PC?
When setting up your Dell P2421D monitor, ensure that the monitor front panel buttons is on the bottom right.
With the stand that is attached to the monitor, you can tilt and swivel the monitor for the most comfortable viewing angle.
When mounted on the wall or on a monitor arm, the set-up must comply to the recommended panel orientation and working angle.
Figure 2: Orientation of Dell P2421D monitor
Figure 3: Illustration of Dell dual monitor setup
When mounted on the wall or on a monitor arm, the set-up must comply to the recommended panel orientation and working angle.
Use the buttons at the bottom of the monitor to access the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu of the monitor. To access the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu, press Button 5 (Figure 4) at the bottom of the monitor.
To learn more about how to use the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu, refer to the Operating Your Monitor section in the User's Guide of Dell P2421D monitor.
Button | Function | Description |
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Button 1 | Shortcut key/Preset Modes | Use this button to choose from a list of preset color modes. |
Button 2 | Shortcut key/Input Source | Use this button to select between the different video signals that may be connected to your monitor. |
Button 3 | Menu | Use the MENU button to launch the On-Screen Display (OSD). |
Button 4 | Exit | Use this button to exit the OSD main menu. |
Button 5 | Power On/Off button (with LED indicator) | Solid white light indicates that the monitor is On and fully functional. Blinking white light indicates the power save mode. |
Resetting a monitor to factory defaults can help resolve many video or display issues. To reset your Dell P2421D monitor to factory default settings, follow these instructions:
If your Dell monitor has a blank or black screen, fuzzy or blurry image, flickering, distorted or any other screen abnormalities, running a diagnostic test helps determine if the Dell monitor is functioning normally. To learn more about diagnostic options on a Dell monitor, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article How do I run diagnostics on a Dell monitor?
It is always essential to isolate the monitor while troubleshooting your computer for the following scenarios:
Your Dell P2421D Monitor provides a self-test feature check that allows you to check whether the monitor is functioning properly. If the monitor and computer are properly connected but the monitor screen remains dark, run the monitor self-test by performing the following steps:
Your Dell P2421D monitor has a built-in diagnostic tool that helps to determine if the screen abnormality you are experiencing is a problem with the monitor or with the video card on your computer.
When you notice screen abnormalities like distortion, clarity, horizontal or vertical lines, color fade , it is always a good practice to isolate the monitor by running the Built-In Diagnostics.
During the LCD Monitor manufacturing process, it is not uncommon for one or more pixels to become fixed in an unchanging state which are hard to see and do not affect the display quality or usability. For more information, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article Dell LCD Monitor Pixel Guidelines.
This section provides information about troubleshooting steps that can help resolve the most common issues with the Dell P2421D monitor. Alternatively, to learn more about troubleshooting common issues on Dell monitors, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article Troubleshooting Display or Video Issues on a Dell Monitor.
Common Problem | What User Experiences | Possible Solution |
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No Video - Power LED Off | No picture |
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No Video - Power LED On | No picture or no brightness. |
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Poor Focus | Picture is fuzzy, blurry, or ghosting. |
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Shaky orJittery Video | Wavy picture or fine movement. |
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Missing Pixels | LCD screen has spots. |
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Stuck-On or Off Pixels | LCD screen has bright spot. |
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Brightness Problems | Picture too dim or too bright. |
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Geometric Distortion | Screen not centered correctly. |
NOTE: When using DisplayPort input, the positioning adjustments are not available.
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Horizontal or Vertical Lines | Screen has one or more lines. |
NOTE: When using DisplayPort input, the positioning adjustments are not available.
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Synchronization Problems | Screen is scrambled or appears torn. |
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Safety-Related Issues | Visible signs of smoke or sparks. |
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Intermittent Problems | Monitor malfunctions on and off. |
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Missing Color | Picture does not have color. |
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Wrong Color | Picture color is not good. |
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Image Retention from a Static Image Left on the Monitor for a Long Period | Faint shadow from the static image appears on the screen. |
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Screen image is too small. | Image is centered on screen, but does not fill entire viewing area. |
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Image Ghosting | Fast moving images leave a trail of shadow images. | On certain video and applications with fast moving images, imaging ghosting, which appears as a trailing shadow, may occur. Change the Response Time to Fast in the Display menu. |
No Input Signal when user controls are pressed. | No picture, the power LED light is white. |
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The picture does not fill the entire screen. | The picture cannot fill the height or width of the screen. |
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When changing the monitor’s resolution from Windows Display Settings, the image quality may not be good. | Windows Display Settings and the resolution settings on the laptop's video or graphics utility may not be compatible. | Change the resolution using the video or graphics card (GPU) utility like Intel HD Graphics Control Panel. |
No video when the monitor is connected to a Dell docking station. | The monitor may not receive video signals from the PC when connected to a Dell docking station. | To learn more about how to set-up and configure the Dell P2421D monitor with a Dell docking station, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article Dell P2421D - System Requirements and Supported Configuration. |
Light leak from the monitor | The monitor appears to have light leak from the edges in a dark room | This is normal behavior of the monitor. Dell consumer monitors are inspected at 150-lux ambient lighting (similar to typical office lighting). |
Monitor will not display Blu-Ray video after the monitor is powered-off and powered on. | If the monitor is powered-off and powered-on when displaying the Blu-Ray video, the Blu-ray player may lose the data signal from the system to the monitor. |
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Troubleshooting USB Issues | ||
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Specific Symptoms | What User Experiences | Possible Solution |
USB interface is not working. | USB peripherals are not working. |
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High-Speed USB 3.0 interface is slow. | High-Speed USB 3.0 peripherals working slowly or not working at all |
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Wireless USB peripherals stop working when a USB 3.0 device is plugged in. | Wireless USB peripherals responding slowly or only working as the distance between itself and its receiver decreases. |
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Monitor does not wake up via the USB keyboard or mouse that is connected to the monitor. | In sleep mode, the monitor does not receive power to the USB 3.0 ports. | Wake up the laptop PC using the built-in keyboard or touchpad |
To learn more about how to view or download the User Guides and Manuals for your Dell product, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article Manuals and Documentation for your Dell Product.
Using Windows Display Settings
In Windows 10, Windows 8 or 8.1 and Windows 7:
Using NVIDIA Control Panel
To change the resolution using the NVIDIA Control Panel:
Using AMD Catalyst Control Center
To change the resolution using the AMD Catalyst Control Center:
To reset the Dell P2421D Monitor to factory defaults, refer to the Reset to Factory Settings section of this article.
The Dell P2421D monitor has two built-in diagnostics that are available:
To learn how to run a diagnostic test, refer to the Running Diagnostics on Dell P2421D Monitor section of this Dell knowledge-base article.
The Troubleshooting section of this Dell knowledge-base article provides information about troubleshooting common issues with the Dell P2421D monitor. The section has troubleshooting steps on how to resolve power issues, video issues, color or clarity issues, distortion issues, horizontal or vertical lines, brightness issues or pixel issues and so forth.
To navigate the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu, use the buttons on the monitor. The monitor control buttons are usually on the right side, either on the side, front, or bottom of the monitor. To access the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu, press Button 3 on the monitor.
For more information about using the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu and different menu options, refer to the Operating Your Monitor section in the User's Guide of your Dell P2421D monitor.
Additional monitor information like the model number, firmware version and Service Tag can be accessed from the monitor's OSD (On-Screen Display).
Dell P2421D monitor orientation must be in landscape mode always. This includes any wall-mounted monitors and monitors on a stand. In a multiple monitor setup, Dell P2421D should not be rotated either to 180° (landscape) or 90° (portrait).
When setting up your Dell P2421D monitor, ensure that the monitor front panel buttons is on the bottom right.
With the stand that is attached to the monitor, you can tilt and swivel the monitor for the most comfortable viewing angle.
When mounted on the wall or on a monitor arm, the set-up must comply to the recommended panel orientation and working angle.
Figure 2: Orientation of Dell P2421D
When you experience a situation where the speakers on your notebook stop working after connecting the monitor to your notebook, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article "Common Troubleshooting Guide for Internal (built-in) Speakers on Dell Laptop PC."
Dell P2421D
03 Aug 2021
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