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Problem viewing images/graphics on i9300 and IE 6.0--- please HELP!!!
I hope someone can help me a problem with my brand new Inspiron 9300. My frustration is growing with each 1 hour that Dell Support puts me on hold and transfers me to another department. They actually want to charge me a $40 service fee to help fix a “software” problem…but I just took it out of the box! Ridiculous…I’m close to send it back.
Problem: The jpegs/graphics on Internet Explorer 6.0 are pixilated/jaggy. From simple jpegs on yahoo.com to the Dell logo and menu headers on dell.com, the graphics don’t come out clear. The problem is isolated to the web browsing. I have saved jpegs off these websites and opened them in Windows Picture viewer, and they are clear.
Solutions that I have tried:
1) Adjusted the DPI setting. Out of the box the setting was at 120 DPI (125%). I’ve tried 96 DPI and 144 DPI, but no difference on the jpegs/graphics. Only makes the fonts, icons, and viewing area on IE 6.0 smaller. The 144 DPI (150%) is the setting that I prefer.
2) Changing screen resolution. Default at 1920x1200. Tried all other resolutions, but no solution.
3) Per Dell Support, I followed the follow IE repair link: http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kb/en/document?dn=1070215&c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04;
Did sfc /scannow; no help here
Did In-place upgrade of Windows XP (reinstall); again no change.
Tried following the Edit Registry and Install IE 6.0, but when running the .exe, it tells me that I already have the latest IE installed (??). Unable to (re)install IE 6.0…
4) Edit the IE registry, per a Dell Forum suggestion at http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_video&message.id=74666;
"How to change the registry"
1. Click Start > Run
2. In the Run dialog, type regedit
3. In the Registy editor, click Edit > Find
4. In the Find dialog, type UseHR and click Find Next
5. Change the value of UseHR from 1 to 0.
Pictures are crystal clear, but the fonts and images are SO small, I need a magnify glass. Increasing the DPI to 200% doesn’t help at all.
I have downloaded Netscape 8.0, the pictures are clear, similar to #4. But I didn’t spend $1900 on a full-loaded laptop to view miniature images and read 4 point font on websites.
I have read some postings about the hi-res screens and incompatibilities with IE, but those postings were 2+ years old. Has this problem been fixed? Is the i9300 not made for internet browsing?? Why would Dell sell a laptop that can’t view the internet properly? Is there a IE fix to this? Is there another browser that works?
Thanks in advance for the help, and hopefully I can keep my sanity.
Wayne
Inspiron 9300 Pentium M 740
17” True Life Wide Screen UXGA
256MB NVIDIA 6800
Windows XP Professional 1 GB
DDR2, 533MHz 2Dimm
iteminspace
8 Posts
0
April 3rd, 2005 05:00
I am observing the exact same symptoms on my XPS Gen2. Firefox is just fine but explorer displays the same jpegs jagged and as if bit-mapped.
I also have right next to the laptop my desktop and it displays the same jpegs without any issues.
I tried quite a few things just as you did but I haven't found a solution. Obviously Forefox is my default browser now.
I was wondering if it is related to the different aspect ratio on the wide screen. Just a guess. I hope Dell helps us resolve this issue.
Slough
19 Posts
0
April 3rd, 2005 11:00
Have you tried the new IE 7?
http://download.technet.cz/utility/ie7/InternetExplorer7.zip
RobsTV
31 Posts
0
April 3rd, 2005 15:00
Message Edited by RobsTV on 04-03-2005 12:29 PM
iteminspace
8 Posts
0
April 3rd, 2005 17:00
SR45
12.1K Posts
0
April 4th, 2005 11:00
Have you tried ClearType ? Set it and tell use if this helps...Also, setting the DPI back to 96 is best and using a larger DPI will only make it worse. You also should only use the native resolution for that monitor ( UXGA ) since using anything else will give you less than a good picture. If your eles are not up to that screen, you should send it back and get the XGA screen instead.
Display Properties Section :
1. Right click with your mouse an empty space on the desktop
2. Click on Properties in the next box
3. Click on Appearance on top
4. Click on Effects over towards the lower right side
5. Now click on the down arrow on the second box that you see ( Should state " Standard " ) . Select Clear Type.
6. Now click on Apply on the bottom, than click on OK in the next window that pops up. You are now done.
Need of larger Fonts :
Go back into Display Properties
1. Click on Appearance
2. Click on the Font Size in the next window in the Appearance area, and select what size fonts you want. You can change back again if you don't like it...
You can also go to Settings in Display Properties and click on Advanced. Here you will be able to change the DPI setting from 96 DPI to 120 DPI that will also enlarge the fonts
iteminspace
8 Posts
0
April 4th, 2005 17:00
I use ClearType and it doesn't make any difference in my case. BTW, the text is absolutely perfect but the graphics have the problem.
As the text display is not an issue I don't see why the DPI would affect things. I do use 120 DPI.
Again though, note that if I place the same site in IE and Firefox right next to each other. The Firefox pictures are just a little smaller but absolutely perfect, quite in contrast to IE.
SR45
12.1K Posts
0
April 4th, 2005 19:00
I have read on this forum and another ( Notebookforum.com ), that using 120 DPI instead of the default 96 DPI will effect the picture for some reason, but I to do not understand why. If you are still within the 21 days return policy period, maybe you should ask Dell to replace the system with the WXGA+ screen instead of the UXGA screen, so that you can have larger fonts without changing the DPI. Sorry for your troubles, but some individuals have eye problems that prevent them from viewing the fonts as well as others with better eye sight. As far as paying for support, I don't understand this either. I never pay for support while under my warranty, and neither should you, so something is wrong. Perhaps they sent you to the wrong extension. Call tech support again or better, use the online tech support to handle your questions though it will be longer to resolve than using the phone. Or just send it back for a refund...
Message Edited by SR45 on 04-04-2005 03:32 PM
iteminspace
8 Posts
0
April 4th, 2005 20:00
SR45,
Thanks a lot for your help. I am not the original poster who sounds much more frustrated than I am. I can live with the problem as it affects only IE and not Firefox. Because of this, I actually believe it to be a software problem related to IE and as I said earlier, likely related to the aspect ratio of the screen, i.e. 1920*1200.
I just think that Dell might have a little more pull with MS than us users. Due to concerns about viruses, I did not want to try the IE 7 suggestion above. Clearly Firefox scales the jpegs correctly so IE ought to be able to do the same.
Thanks again for your concerns and assistance.
djbutta
5 Posts
0
April 5th, 2005 01:00
Thanks all for your feedback. I've tried FireFox...jpegs and graphics are good, but the font is just too small. I stand corrected on an earlier statement, I tried 96 DPI again with IE and it's the same result as Firefox. In fact the results are the same as when I followed the steps above to edit the registry (see above).
ClearType had no effect.
Anybody have an i9300 and been able to resolve this issue? It's frustrating that Dell Support is clueless on this issue, and there doesn't seem to be any good news upcoming.
jeffcmfrt
831 Posts
0
April 5th, 2005 16:00
Hi guys
This has been a ongoing problem with IE and laptops with higher res laptops for ever making the regestry value change and other changes will drasticly improve your display.I have made the changes and my display is great now.After you make the regestry value change and set the dpi to 96 and uncheck automatic image resizing box in internet explorer along with changing the text size to largest in IE you will have to make a couple more changes such as your font sizes and changing to clear type as sr45 sugested.You will just have to play around with your display settings and your resalution untill you are satisfied with your display.Basicly in my opinion the regestry fix and above mentioned are things to improve your display in internet explorer when not using your native resalution.I have good eyes and i would go blind runing 1920x1200 with or without theese changes.I run 1280x800 and i have found my happy medium between the battel of text, images and fonts in IE you just have to make the above changes and change the resalution fonts ect untill it suits you.My display isn't absolutely perfect but it is verry close and i am very pleased now. Before i made theese changes i was very disapointed with my display and was ready to returne it to dell.Good luck
Inspiron XPS
3.4 H/T processor
1 gig ram
256 ddr ati 9800
15.4 wide aspect ultra sharp
wuxga(1920x1200) display
Operating system windows xp home
Service pk 2
Logitech MX750 wireless mouse
Nostromo n52 gamepad
iteminspace
8 Posts
0
April 5th, 2005 18:00
I want to run at 1920*1200. I want the highest resolution display as it improves the sharpness of text by having more DPI. It simply doesn't make sense to me to use a lower resolution. The reason you can read the small text in a newspaper is because the text is printed using a very high DPI.
I am quite satisfied with Firefox as it does not distort the pictures and obviously I can adjust the text quite nicely but still retain the high DPI. Now I use large fonts or extra large fonts set by in the appearance tab of the display properties.
Within the browser it is obviously easy to adjust text size.
I just installed Debian Linux at 1920*1200 and Firefox is perfect there as well.
SR45
12.1K Posts
0
April 5th, 2005 18:00
djbutta
5 Posts
0
April 5th, 2005 19:00
djbutta
5 Posts
0
April 5th, 2005 19:00
Message Edited by djbutta on 04-05-2005 03:04 PM
jeffcmfrt
831 Posts
0
April 5th, 2005 21:00
Yes SR45 it seems pretty drastic to have to make theese changes on somthing brand new and espicially for the price we pay for theese machines.But the fact is if we want good displays we must make theese changes.Also guys there is a simple tool you can download it is called clear type tuner it will drasticly improve your text it works on all lcd displays and i highly recomend it. You can find the link by looking up my previous post on displays or search in microsoft's downloads for clear type tuner or it is under powertoys for windows xp if you can't find it let me know and i will post it. It is pretty hard to find good luck guys
Inspiron XPS
3.4 H/T processor
1 gig ram
256 ddr ati 9800
15.4 wide aspect ultra sharp
wuxga(1920x1200) display
Operating system windows xp home
Service pk 2
Logitech MX750 wireless mouse
Nostromo n52 gamepad