Resolutions limited to default display??? vs. Chipset

[zapp22]

Friends
this concerns finding/using ALL supported resolutions - Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium on a HP dv6-1350us.

When I use the usual tool to 'change resolution' it appears to me that unlike the Adapter control panel in XP, Win7 is offering an "easy" slider that only reveals the resolutions that can be used on the default display, in this case the laptops 15" screen.
I need, rather, to expose or view ALL supportable resolutions irrespective of the monitor.
What I'm trying to do is determine whether to use the HDMI output to an LCD TV type monitor, or use the external VGA out to a "pc monitor", something that will display Blu-Ray on a 22" or larger screen. The resolution needed is well beyond the top-end of what the builtin display handles.

I checked the specs and the chipset employed, Intel G45 Express is definitely capable of any/all I could ask of it.

Someone tell me pls how to find the tweakers

thanks in advance
z

 

[stormy13]

Leave the laptop display at its native (1366x768), connect whatever external display you want (TV or monitor) and set it to its native resolution. Unless you are trying to run in clone mode (only works when both displays are at the same resolution), you want it in extended mode and then both can be different.

That and running the laptop display out of its native resolution, and at 1366x786 most likely means the TV ot monitor will be higher can result in a couple of things happening,

1. Get the ever popular "mode not supported", resulting in having to boot to safe mode to restore the proper resolution.

2. Will run at the higher resolution but everything will be too small to read.

You also run the risk of damaging the display by running it a resolution higher than the default.

 

[Keiichi25]

Stormy is correct.

Also, current laptops, even laptops made 5 years ago, have the 'Fn' + some F key that will allow you to switch monitor modes, like Laptop, Monitor, Laptop and Monitor modes.

In your case, however, do NOT use this. You should be able to go into the Displays and it should show up as 2 monitors. Select Monitor '2', and there should be a check box for 'Extend desktop to this screen'. What this will do is turn off Monitor Cloning via the Windows setup.

Now, if you are using DVI or HDMI, it should tell the video card what resolutions it should be able to support, which then you can up it on your card for that output. You should be able to go to the theoretical maximum supported by either the card or monitor. Which ever reaches its highest resolution first will be the highest it will go.

 

[zapp22]

ok, that makes some sense. I'll likely use the HDMI [there's no DVI port]. And its not a matter of extending the desktop, just using a big screen for a guy who has a retina disease that is slowly taking his sight.

If I could ask a related question: this struck me as something XP does "better" than Windows 7: I wanted to try to adjust Font size for the same reason [above]. So, easy enough, change the size... but I did not realize at that time that Windows 7 changes basically everything when you deal with that 'Custom Size' setting. It uses the old ruler approach like XP, but all the dialog boxes grow and the change is not linear - that is [and I messed with it a lot] for example: at 160% of "normal" a dialog box is, shall we say, size 'B'.... run it up to 164% if I recall right, and the dialog boxes are still "B" though the font size moved a little. Suddenly when you hit something like 167%, the dialog box size leaps to something like 40% increase in footprint, making it too big to function [can't get to the 'Apply' etc buttons]. Also, Internet Explorer 8 responds in a similar overkill fashion becoming really huge, so you must use its zoom function to downsize it, adding another layer of complexity.
What I need to do for the time-being, were it possible, is simply adjust all the default font sizes up to about 175% which seems to be where this guy is comfortable....
When we get a big monitor in there it will help a lot of these issues [i'm thinking 1900 x 1600]

thanks much for the help

 

[madtownidiot]

In XP it was called "accessibility options" in windows 7 it's called "ease of access center" ... and I agree.. you could try the magifier, which can be customized

 

[zapp22]

Unfortunately I found the magnifier [or I should say we BOTH found] to be clumsy to use, if not downright annoying. There are probably things I don't know about it, in terms of customizing, but it sure wins no prize for intuitive ease-of-use.
The best intermediate solution would be to separate Fonts from Objects and have the font size boostup a bit. Its not Terrible right now sitting at about 160% it is a compromise. Only IE8 looks wacky but it does not get much duty call. [I admit to being a Chrome pusher.....]

 

[Keiichi25]

Go to Display and there is something where you can set the text to larger... There is also Set custom text size as well.

 

[zapp22]

that's my point. that single control does not deal only/strictly with fonts, it makes the objects bigger.

Go to Display and there is something where you can set the text to larger... There is also Set custom text size as well.