I was getting blue screen errors and decided to create new partitions and
reinstall XP from the OEM disk. Since I did, I cannot modify the display
settings. It is stuck at 640X480, 16-bit. When I click on the advanced
tab, and
monitor, it says 'default monitor' but "properties" is grayed out. I cannot
check or update the driver(which is what all the help screens ask you to do).
I have an 18" LCD monitor and before the reinstall we had much higher
resolution.
Any ideas why this would happen? I am about to pull my hair out and my
system is out of warranty by a few months.
Any help is appreciated.
Thank you.

Install the latest version of the display drivers for your video board. Then
set the display resolution recommended by the monitor manufacturer.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"John W" <JohnW@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:88779ACC-1B4D-4F7B-8627-BBAC83512A9C@microsoft.com...
>I was getting blue screen errors and decided to create new partitions and
> reinstall XP from the OEM disk. Since I did, I cannot modify the display
> settings. It is stuck at 640X480, 16-bit. When I click on the advanced
> tab, and
> monitor, it says 'default monitor' but "properties" is grayed out. I
> cannot
> check or update the driver(which is what all the help screens ask you to
> do).
> I have an 18" LCD monitor and before the reinstall we had much higher
> resolution.
> Any ideas why this would happen? I am about to pull my hair out and my
> system is out of warranty by a few months.
> Any help is appreciated.
> Thank you.
>

Hi,

It's not the monitor drivers you need to update but rather the video card
drivers need to be installed. Right now you are in standard VGA mode, which
is what you get on a clean installation until you install the card drivers.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"John W" <JohnW@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:88779ACC-1B4D-4F7B-8627-BBAC83512A9C@microsoft.com...
>I was getting blue screen errors and decided to create new partitions and
> reinstall XP from the OEM disk. Since I did, I cannot modify the display
> settings. It is stuck at 640X480, 16-bit. When I click on the advanced
> tab, and
> monitor, it says 'default monitor' but "properties" is grayed out. I
> cannot
> check or update the driver(which is what all the help screens ask you to
> do).
> I have an 18" LCD monitor and before the reinstall we had much higher
> resolution.
> Any ideas why this would happen? I am about to pull my hair out and my
> system is out of warranty by a few months.
> Any help is appreciated.
> Thank you.
>

Sorry if I sound stupid, but where do I find the video drivers? All I have
is one CD from Dell entitled "Resource CD". There are drivers on it, but
unless you know what you are looking for it is difficult to locate.
Thank you.



"Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" wrote:

> Hi,
>
> It's not the monitor drivers you need to update but rather the video card
> drivers need to be installed. Right now you are in standard VGA mode, which
> is what you get on a clean installation until you install the card drivers.
>
> --
> Best of Luck,
>
> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>
> "John W" <JohnW@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:88779ACC-1B4D-4F7B-8627-BBAC83512A9C@microsoft.com...
> >I was getting blue screen errors and decided to create new partitions and
> > reinstall XP from the OEM disk. Since I did, I cannot modify the display
> > settings. It is stuck at 640X480, 16-bit. When I click on the advanced
> > tab, and
> > monitor, it says 'default monitor' but "properties" is grayed out. I
> > cannot
> > check or update the driver(which is what all the help screens ask you to
> > do).
> > I have an 18" LCD monitor and before the reinstall we had much higher
> > resolution.
> > Any ideas why this would happen? I am about to pull my hair out and my
> > system is out of warranty by a few months.
> > Any help is appreciated.
> > Thank you.
> >
>
>
>

Hi John,

What model Dell is it? Instead of the resource disk, I would check Dell's
site for the latest version for your system.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"John W" <JohnW@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:B7BFCFA0-785C-45A7-AAB4-92F86C34790F@microsoft.com...
> Sorry if I sound stupid, but where do I find the video drivers? All I
> have
> is one CD from Dell entitled "Resource CD". There are drivers on it, but
> unless you know what you are looking for it is difficult to locate.
> Thank you.
>
>
>
> "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> It's not the monitor drivers you need to update but rather the video card
>> drivers need to be installed. Right now you are in standard VGA mode,
>> which
>> is what you get on a clean installation until you install the card
>> drivers.
>>
>> --
>> Best of Luck,
>>
>> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
>> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>>
>> "John W" <JohnW@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:88779ACC-1B4D-4F7B-8627-BBAC83512A9C@microsoft.com...
>> >I was getting blue screen errors and decided to create new partitions
>> >and
>> > reinstall XP from the OEM disk. Since I did, I cannot modify the
>> > display
>> > settings. It is stuck at 640X480, 16-bit. When I click on the
>> > advanced
>> > tab, and
>> > monitor, it says 'default monitor' but "properties" is grayed out. I
>> > cannot
>> > check or update the driver(which is what all the help screens ask you
>> > to
>> > do).
>> > I have an 18" LCD monitor and before the reinstall we had much higher
>> > resolution.
>> > Any ideas why this would happen? I am about to pull my hair out and my
>> > system is out of warranty by a few months.
>> > Any help is appreciated.
>> > Thank you.
>> >
>>
>>
>>

Rick "Nutcase" Rogers wrote:

> Hi John,
>
> What model Dell is it? Instead of the resource disk, I would check
> Dell's site for the latest version for your system.
>
The problem with doing that is that Dell's site will offer more than one
choice of drivers and if the OP doesn't know which video card he has,
he won't know which to use.

He should at least start out with the Dell Resource CD which makes
things easier.

John - Put the Dell Resource CD in the drive and you'll be prompted to
install it. Do that and follow the prompts. The program will start and
go through your system - be patient - and then produce a list of
hardware that is installed. The items with checkmarks to the left of
them are the hardware you have. Install drivers in this order:

1. Chipset (Intel motherboard drivers)
2. Video
3. Audio
4. Network

There will be installation instructions for each item. Read them
carefully and follow directions. Reboot after each installation as
prompted. After the first driver installation is done, leave the
Resource CD in the drive and find the Dell Resource CD entry in your
All Programs menu. Click on it to start the program and install the
next driver.

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"

"John W" wrote:

> I was getting blue screen errors and decided to create new partitions and
> reinstall XP from the OEM disk. Since I did, I cannot modify the display
> settings. It is stuck at 640X480, 16-bit. When I click on the advanced
> tab, and
> monitor, it says 'default monitor' but "properties" is grayed out. I cannot
> check or update the driver(which is what all the help screens ask you to do).
> I have an 18" LCD monitor and before the reinstall we had much higher
> resolution.
> Any ideas why this would happen? I am about to pull my hair out and my
> system is out of warranty by a few months.
> Any help is appreciated.
> Thank you.
>

That's why I had asked for the model number, Malke, so that we can sort out
the correct driver from Dell's maze for John.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"Malke" <notreally@invalid.com> wrote in message
news:O%23NRw0hCGHA.3784@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> Rick "Nutcase" Rogers wrote:
>
>> Hi John,
>>
>> What model Dell is it? Instead of the resource disk, I would check
>> Dell's site for the latest version for your system.
>>
> The problem with doing that is that Dell's site will offer more than one
> choice of drivers and if the OP doesn't know which video card he has,
> he won't know which to use.
>
> He should at least start out with the Dell Resource CD which makes
> things easier.
>
> John - Put the Dell Resource CD in the drive and you'll be prompted to
> install it. Do that and follow the prompts. The program will start and
> go through your system - be patient - and then produce a list of
> hardware that is installed. The items with checkmarks to the left of
> them are the hardware you have. Install drivers in this order:
>
> 1. Chipset (Intel motherboard drivers)
> 2. Video
> 3. Audio
> 4. Network
>
> There will be installation instructions for each item. Read them
> carefully and follow directions. Reboot after each installation as
> prompted. After the first driver installation is done, leave the
> Resource CD in the drive and find the Dell Resource CD entry in your
> All Programs menu. Click on it to start the program and install the
> next driver.
>
> Malke
> --
> MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic"