# Dsktop crash now cant getout of 640 x480



## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

Desktop crashed now the monitor wont change to 1280 like it was. When it boots it boots near that resolution but when it goes into windows it drops to 640 x 480. When you go into the Control panel and change it it says you have changed it but it has not changed and drops right back to 640. It also says I have two monitors. I don't. How do you get rid of one. 

And of course according it Microsoft superior trouble shooter everything is working fine.

EVen when you try and change the driver it won't change. Monitor is fine


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Most stuff like that is Control panel/system/hardware/device manager/delete the sucker and let Windows find it and the correct driver on next boot. 640 x 480 will be there without a special driver. Or just do a system restore to an earlier restore point.


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## dlskidmore (Apr 18, 2012)

does it say safe mode in the corners? what OS?


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## InvalidID (Feb 18, 2011)

Right click on the desktop>properties>settings tab>slide the slider where you want it. It'll flash and ask if those are the setting you want. Click yes.


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## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

Did all that . Ya all are wrong . There is a setting to restart the computer when you change. Unless (at least on this machine) it is set to yes nothing works. Don't know how it got set not to but finally found it. Thanks. And if were dictator all computer people would go to prison till stuff worked  No thanks to Bill Gates


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## InvalidID (Feb 18, 2011)

Thats what I was gonna say next...


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## WhyNot (Jun 21, 2011)

TNHermit said:


> And if were dictator all computer people would go to prison till stuff worked  No thanks to Bill Gates


[sarcasm] You do realize, buddy, that this works two ways. If I were a dictator all users would be required to wear mittens secured with duct tape until they knew what they were doing (and what not to do). [/sarcasm]


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## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

WhyNot said:


> [sarcasm] You do realize, buddy, that this works two ways. If I were a dictator all users would be required to wear mittens secured with duct tape until they knew what they were doing (and what not to do). [/sarcasm]



you and me need to have an argument  I would agree if the information you could get was worthwhile. BUT  I have been computing since Commodore 128. And NEVER in all the time I have used windows have I found any of their error messages, help messages, the process they pretend to take you through to solve a problem . And this new thing saying they are looking for solutions WORK!  Not Once!

And if you read up on Mr Gates you will find he actually did create the idea of turning unfinished software loose and letting the customers de-bug it in order to save development costs. And everybody jumped on that band wagon Quicken was notorious for this and the support was meager at best. 
If you do go online and ask real questions you are called a troll. And if you don't ask those questions as if its no big deal in a lazzie faire mode like it no big deal you will get thrown off.
I have software right now that I have had for a while that i pay monthly fee. When it first came out it was rock solid and simple. Now they tried to jazz it up and it works differently on every machine same cofig. They have chat help and its worthless. So iam thinking of dumping it but i really like it but the hassle factor is getting to much


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## WhyNot (Jun 21, 2011)

Nah....I don't argue. There's no point in it. But I will say that to evaluate all tech support/repair people by Microsoft isn't really....appropriate either.

If Microsoft wasn't the way it is, a lot of us wouldn't have jobs lol.

Back when code red came out, I had such a huge influx of business because users didn't apparently watch the news nor heed other people's advice about getting their pc's patched and secured. I had a big blinking sign you could put letters on and placed, "Thanks for the business uncle Bill" on it.

We can go ahead and claim that our frustrations with computers, are the manufacturers' faults...and we can blame their tech support for being what it is. But at some point there is some responsibility on the part of the user.


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## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

WhyNot said:


> Nah....I don't argue. There's no point in it. But I will say that to evaluate all tech support/repair people by Microsoft isn't really....appropriate either.
> 
> If Microsoft wasn't the way it is, a lot of us wouldn't have jobs lol.
> 
> ...


While I agree that user has his responsibility such as one has with a car. And I know you need the work . But the sheer number of forums et-al for help with computers tells me the manufacturer aren't doing their job. when you buy a toaster you expect it to toast and not have to fix it everyday. Same with anything. I would be willing to bet that computers have caused as much in poor productivity as they have in increased productivity. It s just that they do the drudgery so we think we have a improvement. I have thought a lot about going back to pen and paper. If it wasn't for the research end. Probably would.

Not to mention the people who can't spell anymore


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## WhyNot (Jun 21, 2011)

I guess it depends on how you look at it. There are a LOT of car forums with people who have issues with their vehicles. Does that also mean that the vehicle manufacturers aren't holding up their end?

Six of one, half a dozen of the other, in my opinion. Granted software is a whole other animal...and really there are only so many ways you can "safeguard" from issues.

In all honesty, for the last 5 years for me, regular windows users don't really come into my life professionally anyway. I'm pretty rusty at trouble shooting most issues that people have....most of my professional work these days is in migration and middleware programming. I take on contracts per project for mid to large corps....don't really do daily service/support anymore.

So in a way, I'm out of touch with what is going on "commonly" in the last five years or so.... add to that that I have never had much issue with any computer or sofware of my own...it can be difficult to relate with the frustration...which I think is important as a first level technician...which is probably why on the other end of the phone when they get a first level tech...the tech really can't relate because they aren't a computer person and haven't had much training...or they just don't care and are there for the measly 7.25 to 10 bucks an hour they get paid....or maybe they are just run down by the sheer number of people that won't listen.

Who knows.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

TNHermit said:


> EVen when you try and change the driver it won't change.


What video driver is it currently set to? Which driver are you trying to change it to? What happens when you try to change it?

Are you using a driver from the video card vendor, or from the computer vendor?


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

TNHermit said:


> And if were dictator all computer people would go to prison till stuff worked  No thanks to Bill Gates


If computers worked I would be out of a job -- Do you want to throw tens of thousands of good, tax paying American Computer techs out of work?


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## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

mnn2501 said:


> If computers worked I would be out of a job -- Do you want to throw tens of thousands of good, tax paying American Computer techs out of work?


Tell you what

You come to me and I will build you a house full of furniture that works as well as consumer electronics do. I think you can answer your own question. 

that being said if the person is a good tech then he should be working. I was going to town this morning and hinting what i have thought for a long time. We have mad pride in workmanship something to be ridiculed. WhyNOt says there is a lot of cars got problems on the forums. I'll be most of it has to do with electronics. It use to be that you bought something and it lasted for years and decades. It got that it worked so well that you would not even think about it. Now days we get excited if we just get something to work for five years. And how much of this stuff will be on ebay 20-30-100 years old. i guess it goes back to that old disposable society thing. Even with children


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## WhyNot (Jun 21, 2011)

TNHermit said:


> It use to be that you bought something and it lasted for years and decades. It got that it worked so well that you would not even think about it. Now days we get excited if we just get something to work for five years.


I agree with this very much. Although I still say that there are good technicians out there that stand by their work, however, when something isn't made to last...there is only so much you can do.

You make some beautiful furniture. Real furniture.

Walmart sells a lot of crappy press wood allen wrench furniture. Even an expert woodsmith can only do so much with the materials he's given. GRANTED you can rebuild it...but again, you can only do so much with what is at hand.

My number one job actually as a network and computer tech is to do so well with not just fixiing a computer but with user education that it lliterally works me out of a job. At least for that person or company. .. And yeah, there is a way to do that with pretty much a 95% success rate. I make that my goal because there are plenty more people to help.

Over lunch my mother and I were discussing children. Last weekend my daughter and I went camping and the place was surrounded by shrieking children by 8pm. My daughter says, "Mom, when I was a kid did me and my friends do all that screaming?" Nope. But my new neighbor's kids do it all the time. They seem to be only allowed outside on the weekends and they are holy terrors out there screaming and clobbering things. Seems like they should be let out more often. A puppy in a tiny cage does the same thing when it gets let out. Figure that.

An ad on the radio this morning was talking about this "awesome" minivan that has a media console and screens to...."keep the kids busy."

While growing up every summer I enjoyed the roadtrip from WI to WA in the back of a 73 Cadillac Seville. I had books and crayons...a pillow...a winder camera....we sang songs...made up jokes....asked a million questions.....and gave the wrong answers to to Canadian Border Patrol. **Note...not all 7 year olds realize that a fire extinguisher is not a "fire arm". I was pretty convinced we were armed against fire though. :shrug:

So I'm not sure if it's the times or the parenting or both....but it seems like children mostly behave like monkies let out of tiny cages.


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## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

WhyNot said:


> I agree with this very much. Although I still say that there are good technicians out there that stand by their work, however, when something isn't made to last...there is only so much you can do.
> 
> You make some beautiful furniture. Real furniture.
> 
> ...


We use to do Florida the same way from Ohio. In a 57 chevy no air the whole nine yards.
This whole fairness thing has gotten people to the place where striving, taking pride in your work, and the like is considered foolishness. Self absorption is the name of the game. it seems only those over 45-50 can remember those times and why they are trying to get rid of us.

This whole thing was prophesied and made a great impression on me when i watched "Logans Run" back in the 80's

As far as Walmart furniture. i tell people to buy it when they start out just to have something. but take care of it till they can afford worth while stuff. I felt the same about computers. i don't buy the Dells and stuff. I figured if I bought these thinkpads and Apples i would have a lot less hassle. but like you said even they cannot run poor software better. What gets me this idea of free browsers and the like. the money they cost to keep running is unbelievable. My hope is that the cloud computing could make it possible for some good stuff since they can upgrade constantly and a poor product wont be used. its exactly what i told the Evernote people the other day on the chat


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

TNHermit said:


> It use to be that you bought something and it lasted for years and decades. It got that it worked so well that you would not even think about it. Now days we get excited if we just get something to work for five years.


My 70ish next door neighbor lives with her 40ish daughter. Five years ago they spent $2,000 on a Sony laptop & software. It was a P4 class processor with Win XP. In her mother's mind it was the last computer they would ever need to buy, since they bought what they believe was "the best" (the mother's words, not mine).

Over the two years I've been their neighbor I've ordered a few parts she's needed. The memory upgrade, new main battery, & new AC adapter weren't a big deal, but a few months back I had to replace the CMOS battery. The CMOS battery was a nightmare project, requiring several hours to completely dismantle & reassemble the laptop. Then a few weeks ago the power plug needed to be replaced. The laptop had to be completely dismantled again, then it required soldering. Needless to say, without my help it wouldn't have been cost effective to replace even the CMOS battery.

I've suggested replacing the laptop a few times, but the mother becomes upset. She believes that since they bought "the best" that it will NEVER need to be replaced. Unfortunately the laptop can't take Vista or 7 because there are no hardware drivers, so the day will come when there will be no choice in replacement.

I've suggested that we look for a dual core laptop off corporate lease at eBay, looking to spend in the $100 to $150 range, but the mother won't hear of it. She says the one she bought five years ago has to be "better", so the subject is closed.

I'll try to be a good neighbor by helping with the old laptop when I can, but when support for XP ends in 2014 I don't know what I'm going to say.

In conclusion, computers (ALL computers) are dated merchandise. You've only got a few years, so buy smart. Unless you need premium performance for some compelling reason, stay off the new technology cost curve by buying 2 year-old machines off corporate lease. I try to upgrade at a time when my old machine still has some value. A typical deal would be to buy a newer laptop at eBay for $150 then sell my old one for $75, making the effective upgrade cost $75.


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