Change Video Settings in Windows XP

Note: As of April 11, 2017, Windows XP customers are no longer receiving new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content updates from Microsoft. This article will no longer be updated and remains for information only. Please visit the Microsoft site for the full end of support statement.

Table of Contents:

1. Set or Change the Screen Resolution
2. Adjust the Color Depth
3. Adjust the Refresh Rate
4. Change the Size of Fonts and Icons

This article is for Microsoft Windows XP.
Click below to change the operating system.

• Windows 10
• Windows 8 or 8.1
• Windows 7
• Windows Vista

Set or Change the Screen Resolution

1. Close all open programs.

• Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

• In the Control Panel window, click Appearance and Themes, and then click Display.

• In the Display Properties window, click the Settings tab.

• Under Screen resolution, click and drag the horizontal slider control to change the screen resolution, and then click Apply.

• When prompted that Windows is about resize your desktop, click OK.
  Note: If a Compatibility Warning window appears, click to select Apply the new settings without restarting, and then click OK.

• If the new settings are compatible, the screen will reappear with the new settings.

• Click Yes if you want to keep the new settings.
  Note: If new settings do not work, Windows will attempt to revert back to the original settings automatically. If the video has become corrupted or an Out of Scan Range error occurs that cannot be automatically corrected, restart the computer. Press F8 during startup, highlight Safe Mode from the Startup Menu, and then press Enter to start the computer in Safe Mode. In Safe Mode, change the screen resolution back to the original settings and restart normally.

• Restart the computer to ensure that the changes stay in effect.

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Adjust the Color Depth

1. Close all open programs.

• Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

• In the Control Panel window, click Appearance and Themes, and then click Display.

• In the Display Properties window, click the Settings tab.

• Click to select the color depth you want from the drop-down menu under Colors.

• Click Apply and then click OK.

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Adjust the Refresh Rate

Note: Adjusting the refresh rate is only recommended for cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitors, and is unnecessary for laptop LCD screens or flat-panel LCD monitors.

1. Close all open programs.

• Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

• In the Control Panel window, click Appearance and Themes, and then click Display.
  In the Display Properties window, click the Settings tab.

• Click Advanced, and then click the Monitor tab.

• Click the Screen refresh rate drop-down menu under Monitor settings.

• Select the refresh rate you want from the available options, and then click Apply.

• When you are informed that Windows will now adjust the refresh rate, click OK.
  Note: If a Refresh Rate warning appears stating that you have specified a custom refresh rate, click Yes.

• If the new settings are compatible, the screen will reappear with the new settings.

• Click Yes if you want to keep the new settings.
  Note: If new settings do not work, Windows will attempt to revert back to the original settings automatically. If the video has become corrupted or an Out of Scan Range error occurs that cannot be automatically corrected, restart the computer. Press F8 during startup, highlight Safe Mode from the Startup Menu, and press Enter to start the computer in Safe Mode. In Safe Mode, change the screen resolution back to the original settings and restart normally.

• Close all windows and restart the computer when prompted.

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Change the Size of Fonts and Icons

Adjust the Size of Icons and Toolbars by Using the Dell QuickSet tool

1. In the notification area of the taskbar, click the Dell QuickSet icon.

• On the menu that appears, point to Icons & Toolbars, and then click the setting that you want.

Adjust the Size of Fonts

1. Right-click an empty area of the desktop, and then click Properties. (Or, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Display).

• In the Display Properties window, click the Appearance tab.

• In the Font size box, click the font size that you want.

• Click Apply, and then click OK.

Adjust the DPI Setting

1. Right-click an empty area of the desktop, and then click Properties. (Or, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Display).

• In the Display Properties window, click the Settings tab.

• Click Advanced.

• On the General tab, click the DPI setting that you want in the DPI setting box, or click Custom setting to set a custom DPI setting.

• Click Apply, and then click OK.

• If prompted, restart the computer.

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