Topic: display gone small

[ipt8]

Help please?

Our Laptop with Vista is playing up. Sometimes it starts with a normal size display, but most times it starts with a display about two thirds normal size. This is to the left of the screen and with a small strip not displayed at the bottom of the screen.
All the desktop is showing but not filling the screen
I have tried the screen resolution and this has not fixed it. It is set to the largest size.
It is not the box near the top right corner either.
Windows help is no help if you see what I mean.
Any help apreciated.
Thanks
Ivor

[Larkshall]

I think your problem is that the browser is starting up in a restricted size. To correct this you should look for the three boxes in the top right hand corner.

The left box is _ (minimised).

The middle one is the one to click on it shows either a large square or small square, if it so the large square then it is in the smaller display mode, click on it and the browser display will go to full screen.

The right box is the one which closes the browser and shows X.

[mickstani]

Standard resolution for a laptop is normally 1024 x 768. You could reinstall graphics drivers and also run checkdisk but because the fault is not constant laptop could be developing a hardware problem, possibly graphics chip on its way out.
Hope its still in warranty.

[BarriedaleNick]

It sounds to me like there may be a problem with the actual display screen or Windows failing to recognise it properly.
Have a look in Device Manager - Monitors and see what is there.  You are pretty safe in removing it or updating the driver for it but depends on what you feel happy with.
Note this is not the Display Driver but you could have a look at that as well.
Sorry but laptops do not have a standard res of 1078*768 any more and haven't had for ages but it is worth trying all resolutions available.  However often if the monitor is not recognised or has an incorrect driver then Windows will not know what resolutions it is capable of diplaying..

[ipt8]

Hi all
Larkshall - yes I tried all that but no use.
Mickstani - yes I will try re-installing graphics drivers and run checkdisk, although I have system mechanic installed and I would have thought that would sort it. It is well out of warranty, in fact my wife has worn several of the letters off the keypad!!!!!!!!
BarriedaleNick - Oh yes I should have thought of that, I have done this before so will check devise manager. I have tried it on all resolutions and it is on the best available.

I will have a session with it and report back.
Thanks to you all.
Ivor

[ipt8]

Done all the suggested tests. Only came up with problem in devise manager, but on looking up its not related.
I have tried attaching another monitor, with the settings to display a mirror image, the laptop display is still small but the image on the plugged in monitor fills the screen ????????????????????

[BarriedaleNick]

Well its probably an issue with the screen or the cable but thats not very helpful as they are a bugger to fix or replace.
I seem to recall that some of the pins on a VGA cable are used for signaling data back from the display so it could be the screen is not communicating correctly due to a bad connection - esp if intermittent..
Other than that Im afraid I cant be of much help..