Problem - 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.

David Dorn