Screen resolution problem

[ciphernemo]

No help :/

I ran into similar problems, but with a different monitor and driver. However, the same process with your monitor and driver at your desired resolution might work...

I found a solution!

I was googling this issue and came across this thread on these sevenforums where I used to participate. So I thought I'd post my solution for anyone else googling this in the future since many switching to Windows 7 from Windows XP. I have the same BenQ model and use it as a 5th monitor (yes, I'm an insane enthusiast) for my PC. I had two of these laying around, so I mounted one above my other monitors with a monitor arm. Problem is, Windows 7 treats it as a non-plug-and-play monitor, which means no 1680x105 native resolution.

The solution is to install the drivers already linked before in this thread, and then manually add the 1680x1050 resolution at 59Hz (doesn't work at 60Hz at the native resolution). So the drives are here...

Here is the link: BenQ Australia - Support

Method to get 1680x105:

1. Downloaded and extracted the zip file from the link above (choose Vista, it will work with 7).
2. Right click on the desktop and choose "Screen Resoltion".
3. Find your BenQ monitor listed as a non PnP monitor and select it by clicking on it's image. If you can't find it, click on the "Detect" button.
4. Click the "Advanced Settings" link on the bottom right.
5. Click on the Monitor tab and select your BenQ monitor.
6. Click on the "Properties" button.
7. Click on the "Update Driver" button.
8. Select the "Browse my computer for driver software" option.
9. Select the "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer" option. This is important as you won't be able to install the driver through the browse above this option.
10. Click on the "Have Disk..." button.
11. Browse to the folder where you extracted the BenQ FP202W Vista driver then click on the "Ok" button.
12. Select the appropriate BenQ option (both should install the driver, but select the one best suited to your connection, either analog VGA or digital DVI).
13. Click on the "Next" button.
14. Click on the "Close" button, then "Close" again, then on "Ok" and "Ok" again to get back to the desktop. This will install the driver, but Windows is still overriding the resolutions available.
15. Use your NVIDIA, ATI, or Intel software for adding a new resolution. I use an NVIDIA card for this monitior, so I'll step NVIDIA users through this process. For ATI or Intel software, please reference its help file/instructions. I assume the ATI Catalyst software package would have a similar way to add new resolutions. For Intel software, I'm not sure either way.
16. NVIDIA: Right click on the desktop and choose "NVIDIA Control Panel".
17. NVIDIA: Click on the "Change resolution" link under the "Display" header on the left. This is visible both in Standard and Advanced views.
18. NVIDIA: Select the display that represents your BenQ monitor.
19. NVIDIA: Click on the "Add Resolutions..." button at the bottom.
20. NVIDIA: If you don't have a check next to the "Enable resolutions not exposed by the display" check box, put a check there.
21. NVIDIA: Put a check next to "1680 x 1050 at 59Hz (32-bit)".
22. NVIDIA: Click on the "Ok" button.
23. NVIDIA: Select "1680 x 1050" from the Resolution list box. The refresh rate should switch to 59Hz automatically. I have a v2 of the FP202W monitors, and there is one with no version number and a v2 and v3. Check the back of your monitor to determine which one you have. The non-version and v2 one should be 59Hz for 1680 x 1050 resolution. The v3 might support that in 60Hz, but I'm not sure. Experiment if you have the v3.
24. NVIDIA: Click on the "Apply" button.
25. NVIDIA: Click on the "Yes" button for the pop-up window if the monitor's resolution changed successfully.
26. NVIDIA: Close the NVIDIA Control Panel.

 

[pasuli]

No help :/

I ran into similar problems, but with a different monitor and driver. However, the same process with your monitor and driver at your desired resolution might work...

I found a solution!

I was googling this issue and came across this thread on these sevenforums where I used to participate. So I thought I'd post my solution for anyone else googling this in the future since many switching to Windows 7 from Windows XP. I have the same BenQ model and use it as a 5th monitor (yes, I'm an insane enthusiast) for my PC. I had two of these laying around, so I mounted one above my other monitors with a monitor arm. Problem is, Windows 7 treats it as a non-plug-and-play monitor, which means no 1680x105 native resolution.

The solution is to install the drivers already linked before in this thread, and then manually add the 1680x1050 resolution at 59Hz (doesn't work at 60Hz at the native resolution). So the drives are here...

Here is the link: BenQ Australia - Support

Method to get 1680x105:

1. Downloaded and extracted the zip file from the link above (choose Vista, it will work with 7).
2. Right click on the desktop and choose "Screen Resoltion".
3. Find your BenQ monitor listed as a non PnP monitor and select it by clicking on it's image. If you can't find it, click on the "Detect" button.
4. Click the "Advanced Settings" link on the bottom right.
5. Click on the Monitor tab and select your BenQ monitor.
6. Click on the "Properties" button.
7. Click on the "Update Driver" button.
8. Select the "Browse my computer for driver software" option.
9. Select the "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer" option. This is important as you won't be able to install the driver through the browse above this option.
10. Click on the "Have Disk..." button.
11. Browse to the folder where you extracted the BenQ FP202W Vista driver then click on the "Ok" button.
12. Select the appropriate BenQ option (both should install the driver, but select the one best suited to your connection, either analog VGA or digital DVI).
13. Click on the "Next" button.
14. Click on the "Close" button, then "Close" again, then on "Ok" and "Ok" again to get back to the desktop. This will install the driver, but Windows is still overriding the resolutions available.
15. Use your NVIDIA, ATI, or Intel software for adding a new resolution. I use an NVIDIA card for this monitior, so I'll step NVIDIA users through this process. For ATI or Intel software, please reference its help file/instructions. I assume the ATI Catalyst software package would have a similar way to add new resolutions. For Intel software, I'm not sure either way.
16. NVIDIA: Right click on the desktop and choose "NVIDIA Control Panel".
17. NVIDIA: Click on the "Change resolution" link under the "Display" header on the left. This is visible both in Standard and Advanced views.
18. NVIDIA: Select the display that represents your BenQ monitor.
19. NVIDIA: Click on the "Add Resolutions..." button at the bottom.
20. NVIDIA: If you don't have a check next to the "Enable resolutions not exposed by the display" check box, put a check there.
21. NVIDIA: Put a check next to "1680 x 1050 at 59Hz (32-bit)".
22. NVIDIA: Click on the "Ok" button.
23. NVIDIA: Select "1680 x 1050" from the Resolution list box. The refresh rate should switch to 59Hz automatically. I have a v2 of the FP202W monitors, and there is one with no version number and a v2 and v3. Check the back of your monitor to determine which one you have. The non-version and v2 one should be 59Hz for 1680 x 1050 resolution. The v3 might support that in 60Hz, but I'm not sure. Experiment if you have the v3.
24. NVIDIA: Click on the "Apply" button.
25. NVIDIA: Click on the "Yes" button for the pop-up window if the monitor's resolution changed successfully.
26. NVIDIA: Close the NVIDIA Control Panel.

It doesn't install my monitor driver :/

 

[ciphernemo]

It doesn't install my monitor driver :/

Have you tried doing just the NVIDIA or ATI forced resolutions?

 

[Lange]

It doesn't install my monitor driver :/

It will NOT install your monitors driver!!

Did you actualy read through (and understand) all that is written on the Tom's Hardware link i gave you?

In almost all resolution problems (resolution being available in XP and not in Win7) i have come accross in various forums, no-one could really install the monitor driver (or .inf file) because Win7 WILL use it's own monitor driver (or EDID file) over that of your monitor, no matter what you try.
If you want to use Win7 on your current monitor, your only option is one of the workarounds you can find on about every hardware forum dealing with Win7 and monitor res problems.
The problem is not your monitor, your monitor's "driver" or the videocard driver but the way Win7 recognises your monitor.

 

[Rik55]

This monitor accepts both analogue (VGA) and Digital (DVI-D) signals. Make sure you are using the 24pin DVI-D cable. Go into the monitors On Screen settings and make sure Input Select is set to Digital TMDS/24pin DVI-D Digital. Set refrash rate to 60Hz first, then try and select 1280x1024.

As I said before, the DVI supports only 1024x768 resolution, so there's no help from it.

I checked the Specs of the monitor again and it does support 1280x1024 @60Hz over DVI. It's a dual fuction monitor with different modes & different drivers for VGA & DVI. If you use DVI it will force Windows to reinstall the monitor driver. Win7 has been noted to have issues detecting the monitors EDID over VGA.