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Problems (1) - Monitor Settings
Sometimes we get asked questions that need an
answer that everyone can read, either because it’s so frequently
asked, or because it’s a problem that can strike anyone at any
time. Today’s is one such…
Q:
Can you possibly help with a very knotty problem that has befallen
me?? Someone has been
tampering with my computer. Unfortunately
its the one the kids have to use for e-mailing, etc, and I suspect
one of them has done something they shouldn't have.
The result is fairly significant.
I can't change the monitor display from 16 colours and
640x480 pixels. Each
time I go into the settings and adjust to 265 colours and a larger
resolution it defaults back to 16 + 640x480.
I've consulted the manuals, gone into Windows help,
reinstalled Windows, and nothing seems to make any difference.
Does anything come to your mind that could get me out of my
predicament??
Thanking you in anticipation!
A:
I wonder how many times this has happened to users since Windows 95
was launched? Its cause is simple – Windows is using the default
VGA driver, which cannot be budged from 16 colours, 640x480 pixels
screen resolution, the reason being that it’s lost its pointers to
the correct driver. This can (and does) sometimes happen if you’ve
booted into Safe Mode for any reason, and occasionally, an errant
program can lose the pointers for you.
The solution is, thankfully, quite simple – you
need to re-install your graphics card drivers. The methodology for
doing this varies from card to card. Some have an install program
associated with their driver CDs or downloads, while others require
you to use the <My Computer> <Properties> <Device
Manager> approach to upgrading the drivers.
Once you’ve got the right drivers for your
graphics adapter installed, then you will have full control over
your resolution and colour depth once again.
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David Dorn
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