Windows 7 Display Auto-Detect?

Heaven or Hell

New Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2010
I'm getting a new LCD display for my Windows XP machine.

I right-click the desktop and go to settings to see the available resolutions, but does the list I see depend on what monitor the computer is hooked to, or is the list of the computer's specifically? Like if I hooked up to a different monitor, will the choices be different, or would I still have the same resolutions to choose from?

Also if the right resolution isn't there to choose, does a monitor just automatically set the resolution straight? The new monitor is a 16:9 Dell LCD monitor on a Dell desktop computer with Windows XP, and this computer originally came with a 4:3 LCD monitor.
 
but does the list I see depend on what monitor the computer is hooked to,
Simple answer is yes

Also if the right resolution isn't there to choose, does a monitor just automatically set the resolution straight?
No

If you have your new monitor and the resolutions for it are wrong, uninstall you video adapter reboot and then reintall wit the latest drivers.


HTH
 
I went to see the drivers for the service tag of the computer I'm hooking the monitor to on Dell's site, but none of the video drivers dealt with resolutions...there was just one and it was a patch fix for bug issues regarding a program.
 
The video drivers do deal with the resolutions. If you uninstall your current video drivers download the latest from Dell, then install them. Rebooting at the end.

The monitor tells the vid card using edid what resolutions it can handle and then the video card sends the monitor the correct format for the resolution.
 
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Understand that monitors do NOT use or need special drivers. This is because the operating system does not communicate with the monitor, it communicates with the graphics solution (card or integrated). All computer monitors are Plug and Play. It is up to the card to handshake and setup the communications.

Monitor drivers are not real drivers in the true sense at all. All a monitor driver does is put the model name in Device Manager and the Display Control Panel applet, and it REMOVES unsupported resolutions from the list of supported resolutions. If you look under advanced settings, you will see a check box to display or hide modes that monitor does not support.
 
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Hey "Heaven or Hell", when are you going to make the jump to Windows 7 OS? Support for XP is comming to an end soon.
 
Hi bassfisher. This is a computer I use "just in case" my normal one (one I care more about and has Windows 7) isn't working for some reason, and this (XP computer) I also use for school as opposed to my other computer which is mainly for entertainment.

Two other things, I doubt this computer could handle Windows 7 on it (especially since it's a 64 bit OS disc) and some programs won't run on 7 but will run on XP, like Musicmatch Jukebox (love that music player).
 
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