Cannot Resize Desktop

[danp123]

hi,
i recently got an add new hardware screen appear on my computer dont know why i never added anything! So i went through it next next next and it called it an unknown device, but i thought nothing of it till just now i tried to resize my desktop resolution and it wont i get the message
the display control panel is unable to change the display settings. Please check your display hardware in device manager.
Well i checked and all i think is that this unkown device is whats caused to problem so i went on windows update (or whatever the online driver thingy is) and it didnt find any drivers for it

 

[fenix]

go to Device Manager under System Properties, (MS key + Pause/break key),and see if there are any red x's or yellow exclamation marks next to display adapter. go to the driver tab under properties and try update driver, maybe your display adapter drivers became corrupted somehow.

Something strange like this may also be a virus. Try a virus scan of your system.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=free+virus+scan+software

 

[danp123]

hi i ran norton antivirus no infection found. i also tried updating the driver files but it didnt know what the device wasd.
I have a maxtor mllenium G200 AGP (absolute crud!)

 

[itdsk]

Is there anything new listed under "Add/Remove" programs in the Control Panel? When you look under "System" in the Control Panel, click on device manager, anything new there?

 

[fenix]

so I gather that there are no marks next to your display adapter in Dev Manager (?) If I interpret what you said correctly, if the add program doesn't know what the video card is that is installed, then it's probably a bad card.

So is your MaxtorG200 listed under Display Adapters in Dev. M.? And is it clean of caution marks ?

Is this an aftermarket add-in, or did it come with your computer ? (Maybe you still have the driver disk that came with it) ? In Device Manager, remove the device, reboot into safe mode and the 'found new hardware' box should appear. If so, while in the install process, choose 'have disk' to load the drivers. Do it from 'safe mode' (F5 on boot up, or F8 to get to the dos menu where you can access safe mode also)

Is the resolution is stuck on 600 X 480 ? ... then the default drivers in your Operating System are the ones probably being used since you card is not being recognized.

My hunch is that the video card is bad.....can you swap another one in to verify ? Used/surplus computer stores usually sell old PCI/AGP cards for $5-$10....good for troubleshooting.

One thing to try before all the above, is to take out the video card and reinstall it. Sometimes surface corrosion on contacts does wierd things to data/electron flow. Especially in the humid summer climate. (Ever notice how you see more than the usual number of car batteries dying this time of year?) Also, reseat the RAM too. Bad RAM can have bad video RAMifications !! (couldn't resist !