Computer

Okay I think that makes it clear. One thing to try first, right-click an empty part of your desktop > click Properties > click the Settings tab on the top > under the Screen Area section, move the slider around then set it back to the lowest setting (640x480) > click OK. Next, go back to the same window and set it for 800x600.

Change those settings a few times, & if need be restart the computer as requested.

If that doesn't work, the first thing you should try is installing the update to your video card driver that I linked to above.


Yeah, go ahead (by the way, it will continue working after the evaluation period). Alternatively, you could use a freeware equivalent such as EnZip.


Please make sure to follow the instructions below to the letter. If you need help with it let me know.

computer cont Gee
Monger ,I did as you said with the pixels and i get a tiny window with tiny print I can hardly see.I am writing this while it is at 800...Gee

Also can I download the WinZip to computer ?? if not where ?? I havent done much downloading at all......Gee

Gee, is there unused screen space? (that's what Timber & I meant by "a big black border".) If there is only unused screen space when you switch to 800x600 pixels, upgrading your video adaptor driver might fix this. If there is never any unused screen space, it sounds like things are working as they should. There is no common PC screen resolution in between 640x480 & 800x600.


yes, download it to your computer, and download the updated video driver to your computer as well. Then run the Winzip setup program you just downloaded, and once it's installed use the program to unzip the video driver file. Once that is unziped, run the driver setup program.

I have three new Icons on my Desktop now. I followed through all intructions twice ?? Is the new Graphics installed ? how can I check ?
Then can I delete the icons ?

OK gotcha now...When I change it to 800 YES the is LOTS of unused screen space...but at 460 there doesnt seem to be enough. I followed the directions for the downloading of the Winzip then it repeated the same thing again.was that the set up ?? and how can I check that S3 was downloaded, it was VERY quick ?? Gee

cont; the downloading to desk top was 15 minutes, that is why I am questioning the speed of the WinZip , it was SO fast ??

Hi again Gee

Sorry this is such a hassle, but, as you've discovered, such is life with computers sometimes.

Okay, glad the issue of unused screen space is cleared up.

First I should mention that it's possible that correctly upgrading your video driver will not solve the problem. However, it's important for us to know if we can scratch that option off the list before considering other fixes.

Right now I'm not entirely sure you've installed the updated video driver.

Please detail the exact steps you took to do the following:

- download Winzip
- install Winzip
- download the S3 ProSavageDDR driver for Windows ME
- use Winzip to "unzip" the driver file into a new folder
- run the driver setup program found within that folder

Thanks!

Mentioning things like "I have three new Icons on my Desktop now" is not helpful. What are the icons' filenames? What happens when you run them? That's the kind of detailed info we need, since we're not able to look at your computer for ourselves, & since it seems this problem you're having is not an easy one to solve.

Another option to consider might be bringing it back to whoever made the changes that caused this. If it was working before, they should get it working for you again.

Ihave tried to absorb a lot of new stuff in the last 2 days...sorry. I dont remember actually running the setup.but when I tried to install S3 again its in there already so I guess its OK ? or shall I uninstall and start from scratch ? We have 1 shop here they will keep it a week, they messed up once so Im not keen on going back,thats why Im trying to find help,but I CAN manage the puter the way it is,rather than be without it,I live alone,its my company. Thanks for your patience,,Gee

One thing we're trying to figure out, Gee, is if all your display drivers are installed correctly and are up-to-date. "Drivers" are the instructions your 'puter uses to communicate with and control things in and attached to your computer. If they're not right, then the rest of the excersize is futile. Please don't get frustrated if we seem to be walking you in circles here ... we're just trying to figure things out, without being able to see your computer ,,, sorta like trying to fix a car's engine by exchanging postcards.

Try this:
Right click "My Computer", then select "Properties", then click the "Device Manager" tab. Make sure the "View devices by type" button is clicked. Now, find the listing for "Display Adapters", and click the + sign in the box to open that up. Put your cursor on the first (perhaps only) item in the list that drops down. Now, down at the bottom of the main box, there are 4 buttons: Properties", Refresh, Remove, and Print. With the first or only display adapter highlited, click "Properties". A new box will open, with 3 tabs available. The first thing you'll see should be the "General" page. It will help us a lot to know exactly what you see there. Also, there should be a check box named "Exists in all hardware profiles" at the bottom of that page, in a panel which is labled "Device Usage". Is that box there, is it checked, and is the background of that box grayed out or is it white?

Next, click the "Driver" tab. Tell us exactly what you see there. There should be a name, a driver provider, a driver date, and a Digital Signer. Dn't worry about the Digital Signer, but tell us the Name, the Provider, and the date.

Next, click the "Driver File Details" button. On the page that opens up, there will be a box that will show something like C:\Windows\System\(whatever else it says). Tell us exactly what that says. If there's a + sign next to that, click it to open it up, and tell us exactly what is there, line-by-line. Then, under that inset, there should be a listing of Provider, File Version, and Copyright. Don't worry about Copyright, but tell us what's shown for Provider and File Version. Now, click "OK", which brings you back to the "Driver" page. If there are other drivers listed, tell us the same about them. When that's done, click "Cancel". You should be back to Device Manager. Further down the list will be "Monitors". Click the + sign to open it up, and go through the same proceedure as above. Tell us exactly what is there, just as you did before, when you detailed Display Adapters for us, page-by-page, line-by-line, and, if more than one monitor is listed, give us all the same info on each one. When that's done, close all the way out of Device Manager, then go to

Start>Settings>Control Panel>DisplaY, then click the "Settings" tab. Tell us exactly what is there, and whether anything is grayed out. Click the button in the "Colors" panel, if its not grayed out, and tell us exactly which options are available. Next, try to move the slider in the Screen Area, panel, if that's not grayed out, and tell us what options are available there.

For the last step in this go-round, click the "Advanced" button, if you can. Tell us exactly what is on the first page, and tell us what tabs are available at the top of that page.

Now, close everything out, and let us try to figure out what we have available to work with. Remember ... we need to know exactly what you see ... names, letters, punctuation, numbers ... just as it appears.

computer cont Gee
WOW feel like I am back from the jungle..!!!
Display Adaptors.General=Microsoft Windows ME 4.90.3000 registered to user ****************** Computer GenuineIntel
intel(R)Celeron(R) CPU 96. OMB RAM
Device Usage Ticked and White S3 Graphics 11.8.2002 (Only this )
Driver File Details. C.Windows \System\3_8M.DRV
.. \vmm 32 VXD(vdd.vxd)
.. \ .. (flatd.vxd)
Provider S Graphics File version 4.13.01.3067 inc 2001
No Plus sign No other drivers Just resources
to continue .........

Computer cont Gee
Monitor 6333 E 51 Properties Blank Window

Display Adaptors S3 Graphics Pro Savage DDR
Display settings IBM 6333 E 51 on S3 Graphics Pro Savage DDR
Extend My Windows onto this Monitor is Ticked but greyed out
The slider moves OK its on 640 x 480
High Colour (16Bit)

Advanced=S3 Display S3 Info Plus. S3 Gamma Plus. S3 Overlay
General Adaptor Monitor Performance Colour Management
Small Fonts Greyed out Normal size (96dpi)
Show settings in task bar not ticked
Restart after new colour ..
Apply New colour without restart ..
Ask me before applying Ticked

PHEW !!!

OK ... BTW, I edited out the User Registration ID for your Winows ME up there in your previous post ... that's info that's best kept just for your eyes.

From what I see, it appears your specific monitor drivers are not installed, and I think your display adapter driver has not been updated. That's my impression, anyway. To me it seems your computer doesn't know that your monitor is capable of higher resolutions and greater color depth. I'm gonna wait a bit and see if Monger agrees.

Thanks , I thought about that but no one knows where this little Island is and Im not here lol.....we have to use the US or Canada.... I do appreciate your help but at least I CAN use the computer as I said .so if it cant be done, maybe one day I will afford a better one,I really only do E mails and games and chat etc.....Gee

Also I had another thought !! My Daughter only took the Tower to the shop they never had my Monitor ???
They didnt even ask about it , maybe they thought I had a new BIG Screen . Do things have to be done to IT as well ??

Shouldn't have to do anything to the monitor, but I'm puzzled by your report that the monitor driver section lists only what appears to be a generic monitor ... nothing specific for your IBM E51. There should be specific drivers installed for it.

Oh, and you say the slider gives you only 2 options for resolution? And in Color settings, what settings are available? You say its set to High Color (16 Bit) ... are there other options in the dropdown?

High Colour YES Drop Down says 256 colours then 16 bit then true colour 32 bit

Slider sorry it has three positions the third is
1024 x 768 didnt try this one ??

OK cool. I'd like you to select True Color and set the slider for 1024X768. Reboot. When the machine comes back up, the display will probably be much more vibrant and detailed than it has been, but text and icons will appear smaller. We can fix that, too.

Start>Settings>Control Panel>Display>Settings>Advanced ... now see if you can access a dropdown in the box where it currently says Normal Size. If you can, select Large. If you can, cool ... do it, and click "Apply". Next, select the "Appearance" tab. Where it says "Scheme", open the dropdown and scroll to the bottom and select "Windows Standard - Large". There are some other settings there we might deal with later, but for now, click "Apply". Now click the "Effects" tab, and put checkmarks in the "Show Icons in all possible colors" and in the "Use large Icons" boxes, click apply. Don't worry about what else might be or not be checked right now. Click "OK". You might be told your settings won't take effect untill you reboot. Accept that, but don't reboot yet. Now open a browser (start Internet Explorer). Its not necessary at this point to go online, so if you're prompted to connect to the internet, just selct select "work off line" if you can. You'll probably get a "Page cannot be accessed while offline" notice ... don't worry about it. Up on the browser's toolbar, select View>Text Size> (your call here ... I'd say set it to largest, if you're a glasses wearer). Then select Toolbars>Customize and where there's a dropdown for Text options, select "Show Text Labels", and below that, where it dsays "Icon Options", Select "Large Icons". Now select "Close", and reboot your machine. We'll probably need to use those tiny black buttons on the monitor itself, but we'll deal with that later. Try all the above, and give us a progress report, if you would, please.