Changing Resolution Makes Desktop Smaller!

Question

I have an Inspiron XPS running Xp Home Edition My video card is an ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 128MB   Here is the backround. One day I was playing Halo Combat Evolved on the Computer and closed the lid. After opening the lid the screen had shrunk. From then on whenever i changed the resolution the screen would shrink( the desktop intself would get smaller and there would be black space around the desktop. For example if i changed it to 800x600 the screen would shrink to a window of the size 800x600 instead of making everything bigger.)My original resolution size is 1920x1200 pixels. And the desktop is just fine then.)   I know its a bit hard to understand what I am trying to get across so I will try and restate it. If i change my screen to 800x600 the screen shrinks to the size of a gameboy and it is hard to see anything

NemesisDB · Answer

LCD's have a native resolution and cannot resize they way a CRT monitor can.  If you shrink to 600x800, only that many pixels are displayed, so to speak.  There should be a bios option to artifically resize that resolution to fill the entire screen but the result will not be as smooth.

teknickle · Answer

Hold down FN key (should be blue) and then press the FONT key (also in blue lettering). This will toggle from Native to Scalled mode.

wajones · Answer

I'm having the same problem, but I can't find a FONT key!!

NemesisDB · Answer

Change the setting in your bios --  click F2 when you see the dell splash screen at boot up

wajones · Answer

Thanks, I'll try that

teknickle · Answer

Sorry, it was really late and I overlooked the XPS model being listed. Yours doesn't have that one (like my 1150 doesn't, but my 4100 does). You will have to do that from BIOS.

vmantva · Answer

Thanks all, Ill try that.

Madmoxi · Answer

I just fixed this exact same problem with my XPS tonight.

Go to: Start>Control Panel>Display

Click on the "Settings" tab, should be last one on the right, then click the "Advanced" button near the bottom.

Click on the tab named "ATI Displays", click on "Panel" (for laptop screen).

Under Panel Attributes there is a button next to "Scale Image", its a small blue bubble type button next to the words "Scale Image", I missed it at first because it doesn't look like a regular radio button =/

Click the button for "Scale Image" and then make sure the radio button next to "Expand to full panel size" is checked below it.

Hope this helps =)

Madmoxi · Answer

@PopupKiller wrote:

Thank you for posting this. I've had the same problem for the last three weeks. I was starting to panic. I am unable to call support because I am deployed to Afghanistan and my warranty runs out before I will return home to WA. Thank you again. :)

You are most welcome, and I wish you a happy Turkey Day, stay safe over there and come home soon, your service is appreciated by many /hug

MM

(Sandi)

PopupKiller · Answer

Thank you for posting this.  I've had the same problem for the last three weeks.  I was starting to panic.  I am unable to call support because I am deployed to Afghanistan and my warranty runs out before I will return home to WA.   Thank you again. :)

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Changing Resolution Makes Desktop Smaller!

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