Fonts blurry?

First of all, you probably do not have the ClearType on, which will get rid of the jaggies.  Right click your desktop, click on Properties in the small box you see.  Click on Appearance > Effects, than in the second box from the top, change it from Standard to ClearType than click OK.  Your video card will give you resolution options, but you did not tell us about the card you have.  Do so, and we can assist further about the resolution.  You can change the DPI, also found in Display Properties that I suggested you go to turn on ClearType.  You can change the dpi to 120 instead of the default 96 dpi by clicking on Settings instead of Appearance, than click on Advanced to get to the DPI settings

Already tried both things but thanks.

Thank you, I will post that when I get home later...maybe a stupid question but how do I find this out easily?  Would Belarc tell me that?  I just copied this off the dell site about what I got, is there something there?  Sorry for being so dumb about this!  4X388INSTRUCTION, PREP-MTL, DEVIATION, DIMENSION, INCREASE, NUMBER1FC754PROCESSOR, 80547, PENTIUM 4 PRESCOTT DT, Pentium 4 Prescott DT, 2.8GHZ, 1 MEGB, 533FSB, SOCKET T, E0, MALE0149DFINFORMATION, PREPARATION MATERIAL, DEVIATION, PRECISION WORKSTATION, INCREASE, #21W7658KEYBOARD, 104, UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS, UNITED STATES, ENTRY, NMB, LEAD FREE1W7751MOUSE, UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS, 2BTN, LEAD FREE, ENTRY, PRIMAX ELECTRONICS LTD1DF965KIT, SOFTWARE, OVERPACK, WINDOWS XP, MCE05U, DIGITAL VIDEO DISK DRIVE, ENGLAND/ENGLISH1D6492DUAL IN-LINE MEMORY MODULE, 256, 533, 32X64, 8, 240, 1RX161T9210MODEM, V.92, DATA FAX, INTERNAL, DONNY, LEAD FREE, DELL AMERICAS ORGANIZATION1DC077HARD DRIVE, 80G, S2, 7.2K, 8MB, LEAD FREE, WD-UNIC1U8360ASSEMBLY, FLOPPY DRIVE, 1.44M, TEAC, CHASSIS 2005, LEAD FREE1W5824ASSEMBLY, CABLE, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY ATTACHMENT PACKET INTERFACE, MATRIX,SMITH,MINI TOWER1CD940KIT, SOFTWARE, WORDPERFECT, 12, PLUS-TRIAL1D5428DISPLAY, FLAT PANEL DISPLAY, 17, DUAL VOLTAGE, E173FPF, MIDNIGHT GRAY, DELL AMERICAS ORGANIZATION1U9565ASSEMBLY, COMPACT DISK READ WRITE/DIGITAL VIDEO DISK DRIVE COMBO, 48X, HALF HEIGHT, TOSHIBA SAMSUNG STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, CHASSIS 2005

Once again, we need your video card posted.   You can go to the video card web site and download the more current driver if its a nVidia card or a ATI video card.  If its an integrated video chip, let us know and we can direct you to the proper download site. 

Thanks SR45, I'll look later and post on here, I VERY much appreciate your help.  I just want to see my screen again!  Hopefully I will be able to post something around 6 tonight.

Yes, Belarc will tell you or you can right click your mouse on the desktop, click on Properties > Settings > Advanced > now click on Adaptor on top, which should tell you your video adaptor model

I could very well have forgotten or up something.  I have a dell drivers cd and tried to pick off of that what I thought I needed by looking at belarc but I could have overdone or underdone something.  Here's what I found under "adapter":  Intel(R) 82915G/GV/910GL Express Chipset. 

I had already done that and also went to Microsoft and updated with downloads but for some reason it keeps saying Error when I try to install the monitor update.  I'm wondering if I already have it on my machine?  It's an E310.  Guess what though....I just found something thru searching thru my help and support tab and found that you can go onto microsoft's website and customize the cleartype?  Well, lo and behold, it worked!  That's all I needed I think!  I can't believe after searching these forums that wasn't on here somewhere.  Honestly, I think that's one that should be in an FAQ or something!

Which model Dimension do you have  ?  Is it something like Dim 2400  /  3000  /  3100  /  E310 etc  ? 

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx?~ck=mn  This is a driver download site.  You will have to insert your model number, operating system here and it will take you to the driver site and download the correct drivers for your system.  We can assist further if necessary.  Either myself or someone else that may come along. 

 

 

You can find the model number either by looking at the round power button on some systems and it will tell you or you can click on Start > Help and Support > than click on Computer Information near the upper left side of Help and Support.  It will say something like Dimension xxxx near the top.  Give us that number.

 

The proper way to reload windows is the following if you missed something... (  You may have missed the chipset driver as well as the video chip driver when you reinstalled windows )

 

1.  Reformat and Reinstall XP

 

2.  Install the ChipSet driver from the download site above or from the CD that hopefully came with your system.  The ChipSet driver should be the first thing you install after loading windows.

 

3.  Install the Video chip driver next

 

4.  Install everything else that is needed including Microsofts Critical Updates, sound driver, modem driver and so forth. 

 

Dim 4400
2.6 Ghz 400 FSB
1 Gb 2100 DDR memory
Windows XP Home
120 Gb Seargate 7,200 drive
24 inch 2407 WFP
XFX 7800 GS O/C AGP
Dual 16x DVD-R
410 watt ( PcPower&Cooling )
PC-Cillon Internet Security

Who would have thought it would be so easy!?  It only took me 5 days to figure it out!  :smileytongue:

Good news.  Never even gave that much thought.  OK forget what ever I posted now.  Good luck  :smileyvery-happy:

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/devices.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&SystemID=DIM_PNT_P4_3100&os=WW1&osl=EN#   Driver download site for that E 310 system

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R126541&SystemID=DIM_PNT_P4_3100&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=11168&devlib=0&typecnt=1&vercnt=2&formatcnt=1&libid=6&fileid=168177 The video chip driver link for your system found here. 

:smileyvery-happy:  Yep, but you got it, none the less