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  • #1

    XP monitor resolution

    I have an old Windows XP machine which hasn't been plugged in in months. The monitor settings somehow don't match what my monitor is capable of; it shows the VPR Matrix logo screen, then a blank screen with a blinking cursor, then the Windows XP logo with progress bar just fine; then goes all unreadable when it gets to the login screen. How do I change the settings when I can't even see them? I can get logged in, with a lot of trial and error, and looked up how to get into Control Panel using the keyboard, but beyond that apparently I have to be able to see what I'm doing before I can fix it so that I can see what I'm doing. And I tried changing the setting in Safe Mode, but it didn't take.


    Sorry to be an idiot.
    Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.
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  • #2
    Once you are in safe mode un-install the video driver (which will put things back to straight VGA)start the machine and it should re-detect the video card reinstall the driver.
    There's no such thing as a stupid question... just stupid people.

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    • #3
      What 'It's me' said. Also, you might try changing your display settings from safe mode. What they are currently set to might not work well on your monitor. Especially pay attention to the refresh rate. I think 60 Hz is a fairly standard setting for most monitors, but you may need to check yours. Set resolution to 800x600 or whatever is lowest available for starters.

      After doing that in safe mode, boot as normal to see if that worked.
      The Rich keep getting richer because they keep doing what it was that made them rich. Ditto the Poor.
      "Hy kan tell dey is schmot qvestions, dey is makink my head hurt."
      Hoc spatio locantur.

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      • #4
        Better idea: change the *monitor* driver in Safe Mode. Usually it should be "Plug & Play Monitor" which, in theory, should pick up what yours is capable of and limit the resolution accordingly. Sometimes this doesn't work, in which case scour the Web for a "driver" that matches the monitor. For example, Viewsonic have a download which covers a wide range of models all at once.

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        • #5
          Interesting idea; I don't think I've ever even *heard* of a driver for a monitor before. If it's using one, it about has to be the generic one: it's a 15-year-old Apple monitor that was never intended to be used with Windows, and indeed won't even connect to VGA without an adapter. But it's always worked with no problems.

          (And I apologize for not keeping up with this; I took down the computer because it was set up in the only place I can connect it to the network: on top of the washing machine, and it was time to do laundry. I'll see about testing it again in the morning.)
          Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.

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          • #6
            Windows includes a set of drivers for old generic monitors. Pick one of those whch has the right kind of specs. The place to change it should be under "Advanced" in the Settings tab of Display Properties.

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            • #7
              Just to finish this out: I never did get it to work with that monitor, but fixed the problem by switching to a slightly newer, 2002 Dell monitor. Hey, so long as it works. The housing on the Apple monitor is so brittle now I'm half afraid to pick it up anymore anyway, so if it's dead it's no big loss.
              Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.

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