Yes. As I said, the gap is still there after maximising the screen,BUT disappears in full screen mode, which is not the same. Task,navigation etc bars also dissappear and are not accesible unless I close full screen mode. The problem persistes with ANY open window,wether I'm on line or not. So it's either a problem with the monitor or the OS. I will run Ubuntu from a live CD and see what happens ADDENDUM:Ran Ubuntu; no gap. I CAN work around it by staying in ful lscreen mode,but it's a pain. Googling shows this is a common problem. I suspect there may be a simple solution. I have not found it yet but wilp persevere Is it a Dell? Try uninstalling datasafe (if you don't use it) and restarting To be safe, with any OEM PC I would reinstall the OS as soon as I get it. It will often remove (at least some of) the crapware. Ideally reinstall from clean Windows 7 medium (although there is a nice trick in the Lenovo machines to get it to install clean Windows 7 from the recovery media - you just refuse the request for the applications & drivers disc) Faith is not a virtue... it is a servile weakness, it is a refuge in cowardice, and it is a willingness to follow with credulity people who are, in the highest degree, unscrupulous. - Christopher Hitchens It's a Dell issue so no need to scan the drivers or registry for errors. __________________