Reinstalled XP - Aspect Ratio off a bit

After reinstalling WindowsXP into my virus ravaged 930S and getting
almost everything I need running fine again I noticed that the aspect
ratio of the screen display is a little off and things look stretched
horizontally a bit.

I can live with it if I have to, but it wasn't that way before.

I haven't changed my monitor or its settings and haven't yet found a way
of readjusting the aspect ratio so round objects look round again and
not squashed down a little.

If I reset my monitor to "fill to aspect ratio" the aspect ratio is
correct, but the image only fills the center of my monitor horizontally.

I think what I had before filled the screen fully horizontally and
required scrolling vertically to see the entire page, but it looked fine
to me.

Help Please and Thanks,


Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

I forgot to say that it's a Dell 930S computer.

Jeff Wisnia wrote:
After reinstalling WindowsXP into my virus ravaged 930S and getting
almost everything I need running fine again I noticed that the aspect
ratio of the screen display is a little off and things look stretched
horizontally a bit.

I can live with it if I have to, but it wasn't that way before.

I haven't changed my monitor or its settings and haven't yet found a way
of readjusting the aspect ratio so round objects look round again and
not squashed down a little.

If I reset my monitor to "fill to aspect ratio" the aspect ratio is
correct, but the image only fills the center of my monitor horizontally.

I think what I had before filled the screen fully horizontally and
required scrolling vertically to see the entire page, but it looked fine
to me.

Help Please and Thanks,


Jeff


--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

On 12/30/2013 03:04 PM, Jeff Wisnia wrote:
I forgot to say that it's a Dell 930S computer.

\

Go to the Dell website and download and install the video driver for
that model machine

I did go to the Dell website and downloaded the driver (BTW, the machine
is a Dell 530S, not a 930S-my bad typo.) running WinXP, which is the OS
which came with it. When I went to install the downloaded driver I
received a warning that it was for Vista, not XP and I could be up the
creek without a paddle if I went on installing it.

So, I chickened out and called up Dell support. They had a record of my
computer and the service person walked me through downloading a driver
again from their website.

I got the same warnings when I tried to install the downloaded driver.

I dunno what to try next,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.



philo wrote:
On 12/30/2013 03:04 PM, Jeff Wisnia wrote:
I forgot to say that it's a Dell 930S computer.

\

Go to the Dell website and download and install the video driver for
that model machine

On 12/30/2013 05:52 PM, Jeff Wisnia wrote:


I did go to the Dell website and downloaded the driver (BTW, the machine
is a Dell 530S, not a 930S-my bad typo.) running WinXP, which is the OS
which came with it. When I went to install the downloaded driver I
received a warning that it was for Vista, not XP and I could be up the
creek without a paddle if I went on installing it.

So, I chickened out and called up Dell support. They had a record of my
computer and the service person walked me through downloading a driver
again from their website.

I got the same warnings when I tried to install the downloaded driver.

I dunno what to try next,

Jeff




The driver page for that machine defaults to Vista...however if you look
carefully you will see a tab that says operating system (on the left
about half way down) then just set it to XP


Once you do that , the proper video drivers will be available. The only
confusing thing is that for the very same model number there were
several different video chips.

To get the right one you will need to run HWinfo 32 to see exactly what
chip you have..otherwise you will have to do a bit of trial and error.

philo wrote:
On 12/30/2013 05:52 PM, Jeff Wisnia wrote:


I did go to the Dell website and downloaded the driver (BTW, the machine
is a Dell 530S, not a 930S-my bad typo.) running WinXP, which is the OS
which came with it. When I went to install the downloaded driver I
received a warning that it was for Vista, not XP and I could be up the
creek without a paddle if I went on installing it.

So, I chickened out and called up Dell support. They had a record of my
computer and the service person walked me through downloading a driver
again from their website.

I got the same warnings when I tried to install the downloaded driver.

I dunno what to try next,

Jeff




The driver page for that machine defaults to Vista...however if you look
carefully you will see a tab that says operating system (on the left
about half way down) then just set it to XP


But I DID set it to XP...


Once you do that , the proper video drivers will be available. The only
confusing thing is that for the very same model number there were
several different video chips.

To get the right one you will need to run HWinfo 32 to see exactly what
chip you have..otherwise you will have to do a bit of trial and error.


Where do I get HWinfo 32?

I searched my computer for "HW" and nothing showed up.

Thanks for sticking with me philo,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Jeff Wisnia on 30/12/2013 wrote:

After reinstalling WindowsXP into my virus ravaged 930S and getting
almost everything I need running fine again I noticed that the aspect
ratio of the screen display is a little off and things look stretched
horizontally a bit.

I can live with it if I have to, but it wasn't that way before.

I haven't changed my monitor or its settings and haven't yet found a way
of readjusting the aspect ratio so round objects look round again and
not squashed down a little.

If I reset my monitor to "fill to aspect ratio" the aspect ratio is
correct, but the image only fills the center of my monitor horizontally.

I think what I had before filled the screen fully horizontally and
required scrolling vertically to see the entire page, but it looked fine
to me.

Help Please and Thanks,

Jeff

Well, what *type* of computer monitor are you using? CRT or LCD? Have
you tested playing with the monitor's sizing controls to see if perhaps
those got screwed up or aren't setup for the frequency or resolution
currently outputted by the video card?

VanguardLH wrote:
Jeff Wisnia on 30/12/2013 wrote:

After reinstalling WindowsXP into my virus ravaged 930S and getting
almost everything I need running fine again I noticed that the aspect
ratio of the screen display is a little off and things look stretched
horizontally a bit.

I can live with it if I have to, but it wasn't that way before.

I haven't changed my monitor or its settings and haven't yet found a way
of readjusting the aspect ratio so round objects look round again and
not squashed down a little.

If I reset my monitor to "fill to aspect ratio" the aspect ratio is
correct, but the image only fills the center of my monitor horizontally.

I think what I had before filled the screen fully horizontally and
required scrolling vertically to see the entire page, but it looked fine
to me.

Help Please and Thanks,

Jeff

Well, what *type* of computer monitor are you using? CRT or LCD? Have
you tested playing with the monitor's sizing controls to see if perhaps
those got screwed up or aren't setup for the frequency or resolution
currently outputted by the video card?



Yes, I tried the monitor controls, but none of the settings give me what
I had before the virus and reinstalation of Windows XP.

I think that the suggestion to reload the video driver makes sense. I'll
try that next.

Thanks,

Jeff


--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Jeff Wisnia on 30/12/2013 wrote:

I think that the suggestion to reload the video driver makes sense. I'll
try that next.

Dell didn't setup a hidden partition with a recovery image so you could
revert the computer back to its factory-time setup by an option
selection during the boot?

VanguardLH wrote:
Jeff Wisnia on 30/12/2013 wrote:

I think that the suggestion to reload the video driver makes sense. I'll
try that next.

Dell didn't setup a hidden partition with a recovery image so you could
revert the computer back to its factory-time setup by an option
selection during the boot?


Not that I could find.

Jeff


--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in
message
After reinstalling WindowsXP into my virus ravaged 930S
and getting almost everything I need running fine again I
noticed that the aspect ratio of the screen display is a
little off and things look stretched horizontally a bit.

I can live with it if I have to, but it wasn't that way
before.
I haven't changed my monitor or its settings and haven't
yet found a way of readjusting the aspect ratio so round
objects look round again and not squashed down a little.

Control panel
Display Properties
Settings tab
Screen resolution

Move the slider to whatever works for you.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

dadiOH wrote:
"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in
message
After reinstalling WindowsXP into my virus ravaged 930S
and getting almost everything I need running fine again I
noticed that the aspect ratio of the screen display is a
little off and things look stretched horizontally a bit.

I can live with it if I have to, but it wasn't that way
before.
I haven't changed my monitor or its settings and haven't
yet found a way of readjusting the aspect ratio so round
objects look round again and not squashed down a little.

Control panel
Display Properties
Settings tab
Screen resolution

Move the slider to whatever works for you.



That was the first thing I tried, and it doesn't do squat. The aspect
ratio stays the same at 1.33333/1 regardless of the resolution setting,
save for 1280/1024 which is 1.25/1 and that's even worse at making round
things look round.

My monitor screen is 17.5" wide by 9.25" high, so I think I must need an
aspect ratio of about 1.9/1.

I'm pretty sure I need to change the video driver, and want to make sure
I get the correct one and know how to install it properly.

My experience with trying to download the correct driver from the Dell
website hasn't been very good so far.

Jeff


--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Finally...

The video driver which was installed when I reinstalled Windows XP had
aspect ratios of 1.333/1 or 1.25/1 for the various resolutions. My
monitor screen is 17.5" wide by 10" high, a ratio of 1.75/1.

I found the correct driver through the Dell website and after installing
it the resolution I chose gave me an aspect ratio of 1.666/1, close
enough for gummint work.

Things now look the same as they did before that f_____g virus got into
my computer and caused me to have to reinstall WindowsXP.

Thanks for the help folks,

Jeff
--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.