Screen Resolution stuck on 800x600 16-bit

Hey everybody,
I know this problem is quite common, yet I can't seem to find the solution. I recently decided to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 Ultimate (performed a full, clean installation on a blanked-out drive). The installation went well, but the problems began afterwards. No matter what I tried, and no matter how many times I tried, the screen resolution just won't change. I have a 22" screen (LG 2253) and a GeForce 9500GT graphics card. The screen resolution seems to be stuck on 800x600 and 16-bit, with no options of changing it. I tried installing the drivers Windows Update suggested, installing the latest nVidia drivers, the drivers for my monitor, changing the resolution in the nVidia control panel (forcing a resolution), and even installing a custom driver for my monitor, that I created using Powerstrip. I performed the WEI check, changed the theme, switched cables (from VGA to DVI and vice versa). I literally went through all of the posts on this board, and on others and tried every possible solution.

I'm really frustrated, and I'm starting to lean towards the option of reinstalling Windows XP.

Thanks in advance.

Welcome to Seven Forums, foouser
So you go to this screen and it shows 800x600? Are you sure that you are plugged into your graphics card not your motherboard? Good luck with your problem.

I'm 100% positive that my monitor is plugged into the graphics card. And yup, 800x600 is the only choice in the resolution selection screen.

Almost always this problem occurs because of bad drivers. "Bad Drivers" means that the correct driver is corrupted, installed wrong, or has a conflict with a previous or existing driver.
Most times you can correct the problem by uninstalling and reinstalling the correct drivers.

First, go to the nVidia website and download the most current known good driver. (196.21 or the new 197.13 beta).

Then go to Start > Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program. Uninstall all the nVidia Apps (3D, PhysX) first, then uninstall the driver (the Control Panel will go with the driver). You will be asked to restart > restart.

When the puter reboots to the desktop Windows will install it's own generic WDDM1.1 driver and you will be asked to restart again. You must do so in order to install the nVidia Drivers > Restart.

Once back on the desktop:
1. You should now be able to change screen resolution. If you can't you may have a defective video card. W7 uses video very differently than XP, so a defect that did not manifest itself in XP will come up in W7.
2. If you can change the resolution then all is well and you can now install the nVidia drivers from your download.

If you continue to have problems you can then try and use DriverSweeper to remove all traces of any nVidia software from Safe Mode. Look up FROSTMOURNE's tutorial on installing drivers to get instructions on using DriverSweeper:

[FONT=&quot]http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/43216-installing-updating-drivers-7-a.html#post414637[/FONT]

Hope that Helps.

foouser said:

Hey everybody,
I know this problem is quite common, yet I can't seem to find the solution. I recently decided to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 Ultimate (performed a full, clean installation on a blanked-out drive). The installation went well, but the problems began afterwards. No matter what I tried, and no matter how many times I tried, the screen resolution just won't change. I have a 22" screen (LG 2253) and a GeForce 9500GT graphics card. The screen resolution seems to be stuck on 800x600 and 16-bit, with no options of changing it. I tried installing the drivers Windows Update suggested, installing the latest nVidia drivers, the drivers for my monitor, changing the resolution in the nVidia control panel (forcing a resolution), and even installing a custom driver for my monitor, that I created using Powerstrip. I performed the WEI check, changed the theme, switched cables (from VGA to DVI and vice versa). I literally went through all of the posts on this board, and on others and tried every possible solution.

I'm really frustrated, and I'm starting to lean towards the option of reinstalling Windows XP.

Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

Well annoyingly, like so many others you have not provided enough information in your system specs.

I will give you one pointer as I do not know the make of your card -

In the past I read some makes of Nvidia 9500's (GT etc) require you to update your graphic card bios (provided by the manufacturer) in order for it to work with Win 7!

Have fun!

The manufacturer of my graphics card is Inno3D. Sorry I forgot to mention it. A quick search reveals that there are no BIOS updates for my graphics card, both in the manufacturer site and overall across the web.

Try running the Windows Experience Index if you haven't already. Don't ask me why but I've seen AERO not work if it has never been run. Not sure if it messes up the screen resolution but I know I had to run it after upgrading my video card to get AERO working. My guess is if it doesn't list 3 or better for Graphics AERO is disabled. You've done everything else so it can't hurt to try it. Also is there anything flagged as having a problem in device manager?

foouser said:

... I performed the WEI check...

Click to expand...

Already did the Windows Experience Index... plus, everything seems fine in the device manager (nothing with a question mark).

Get a new graphics card?

Alright, I found a quirky solution for my problem, although I still have problems...
I tried the Driver Sweeper method, and it didn't really help. One thing I did find out is that when I uninstall my drivers through the Device Manager, momentarily before I restart, I seem to be able to change the resolution to whatever I want (!). After the computer boots up, it then again looks for drivers, installs them and the resolution changes back to 800x600. I also found out that my graphics card runs only on x8 link, while the PCIe slot itself allows a maximum link of x16. I tried changing different configurations in the BIOS, but nothing seems to be helping.

I'm starting to believe that the problem is more hardware related than software, but yet again, as I mentioned above, I'm able to momentarily change my screen resolution to normal.

I'm really lost now, any help would be really appreciated.

Give this a try:
Go through the steps to reinstall the drivers, but this time, before you uninstall the drivers from Programs delete the C:\nVidia folder before you reboot.
If windows finds the old drivers it may be reinstalling them.

foouser said:

Alright, I found a quirky solution for my problem, although I still have problems...
I tried the Driver Sweeper method, and it didn't really help. One thing I did find out is that when I uninstall my drivers through the Device Manager, momentarily before I restart, I seem to be able to change the resolution to whatever I want (!). After the computer boots up, it then again looks for drivers, installs them and the resolution changes back to 800x600. I also found out that my graphics card runs only on x8 link, while the PCIe slot itself allows a maximum link of x16. I tried changing different configurations in the BIOS, but nothing seems to be helping.

I'm starting to believe that the problem is more hardware related than software, but yet again, as I mentioned above, I'm able to momentarily change my screen resolution to normal.

I'm really lost now, any help would be really appreciated.

Click to expand...

Have you tried booting to safe mode then install your new driver and restart?

It might be time to start over with a clean install. Then disable driver updates from windows update. If you go to advanced system settings, under the hardware tab you should see Device Installation Settings. Click that button and select "No, let me choose what to do".

foouser said:

Hey everybody,
I know this problem is quite common, yet I can't seem to find the solution. I recently decided to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 Ultimate (performed a full, clean installation on a blanked-out drive). The installation went well, but the problems began afterwards. No matter what I tried, and no matter how many times I tried, the screen resolution just won't change.

I'm really frustrated, and I'm starting to lean towards the option of reinstalling Windows XP.

Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

That is most likely because Win7 doesn't have a suitable default driver for your Card. It will revert back to a "generic video" driver and yep, it will give you 800x600 resolution.

If you go into Device Manager, I'm betting the Video Card entry does not identify your card... probably says something like "Standard VGA" or such.

You need to go to Nvidia and get their latest VGA driver for your card... In many years of coming up with bogus video drivers for Nvidia chips from various manufacturer's sites, it's always been NVidia's own drivers that have worked best.

Drivers - Download NVIDIA Drivers

You shouldn't have much trouble installing them... they're in EXE format.

Then when you go to Device Manager, you should see something like "NVidia 9500GT" and double clicking that should bring up a dialog that identifies the driver source as Nvidia not Microsoft.

If you did all the above successfully and still no luck -

Swap the DVi lead for a VGA or vice-versa and see if that works.

Are you installing the proper >
Digital driver for your LCD monitor if using HDMi/DVi lead?
Analogue driver for a VGA lead?

Lot's of people suffer from this problem after changing from XP/Vista to Win7.
Mostly due to the fact that Win7, although recognising the hooked up monitor correctly, uses it's own "incomplete" monitor file instead. Using the "latest drivers" like so many "experts" tell you to do doesn't always work. Certainly not in this case.

foouser said:

...changing the resolution in the nVidia control panel (forcing a resolution)...

Click to expand...

When you forced a resolution, was that forced resolution available in the control panel where you can choose your resolutions? And even when you choose that new res, would it still revert to 800x600?

I found none of the nVidia drivers above 182.50 deliver a good solution when you want to create a custom resolution. So i'm still using the 182.50.
These are Vista drivers but at least you can create and use a custom resolution with them.
Newer ones give you also that option but then you have other problems, i must admit that i didn't try the very latest ones but i don't need to, it works fine with 182.50. If you do a little search on this forum you'll find various topics dealing with the same problem, one of them contains a link to the solution on the Tom's Hardware forums, that's where i got it from.

PS: When creating a new res, sometimes you have to use a slightly different refreshrate to make it work perfectly.

foouser said:

Alright, I found a quirky solution for my problem, although I still have problems...
I tried the Driver Sweeper method, and it didn't really help. One thing I did find out is that when I uninstall my drivers through the Device Manager, momentarily before I restart, I seem to be able to change the resolution to whatever I want (!). After the computer boots up, it then again looks for drivers, installs them and the resolution changes back to 800x600. I also found out that my graphics card runs only on x8 link, while the PCIe slot itself allows a maximum link of x16. I tried changing different configurations in the BIOS, but nothing seems to be helping.

I'm starting to believe that the problem is more hardware related than software, but yet again, as I mentioned above, I'm able to momentarily change my screen resolution to normal.

I'm really lost now, any help would be really appreciated.

Click to expand...

Hi everyone, I've faced the same problem exactly same as foouser. My window 7 resolution has stuck to 800 x 600. Only when I uninstall my drivers through the Device Manager, I can change my resolution but after the computer boots up, it then again looks for drivers, installs them and the resolution changes back to 800x600.

Kindly help me for this, i'm stuck for this issue for few days already

neo101 said:

If you did all the above successfully and still no luck -

Swap the DVi lead for a VGA or vice-versa and see if that works.

Are you installing the proper >
Digital driver for your LCD monitor if using HDMi/DVi lead?
Analogue driver for a VGA lead?

Click to expand...

Hi Neo101, may you please explain in further way, It seems work for me but I'm not really understand how to start first

Terenceliew said:

neo101 said:

If you did all the above successfully and still no luck -

Swap the DVi lead for a VGA or vice-versa and see if that works.

Are you installing the proper >
Digital driver for your LCD monitor if using HDMi/DVi lead?
Analogue driver for a VGA lead?

Click to expand...

Hi Neo101, may you please explain in further way, It seems work for me but I'm not really understand how to start first

Click to expand...

How do you connect to your monitor?

With DVI/HDMI lead? = Digital Connection > use digital driver that is provided by monitor manufacturer.

With (old) VGA lead = Analogue > use the analogue driver provided by your monitor manufacturer.

If you connect to a digital TV - you should connect with 'HD'TV driver (provided with Win7/card)
Also choose 60hz/100hz setting 1920x1080

Please fill out your 'system specs'

nvidia 8400 mgs ddr2 lenovo
yes,my graphic card is discreted card means its detatchable,,,,,,,,,,i see it ,when i update my bios 2 l slic 2.1,,,,,,after installing nvidia drivers from nvidia.com.....after i update my bios ,,,,,,here i face my problem ..now my display split into two some times 6 r 8..when i used powerstrip..it shows my monitor screen resolutions to 1600*1200..but my display supports only1200*800...is this actual problem ...so how can i change to my actual settings



when i reset my monitor settings to 1200*800...using powerstrip and i update with my original bios and restart..it show 1200*800...but when i update my nvidia driver it again dhow 1600*1200...
so i hope u got my point ,,so please help me ,,,it is hell for me past 1 year.....