Computer reboots when changing screen resolutions.

[Guest]

This is on a fresh install of XP Pro on a clean HDD with SP2 installed.
Anytime I go to the screen properties and change the resolution the pc
reboots and I get a recovered from serious error message. I am not connected
to the net with the machine so I cannot get an error report... thanks for
your help.

 

[Malke]

This is on a fresh install of XP Pro on a clean HDD with SP2
installed. Anytime I go to the screen properties and change the
resolution the pc reboots and I get a recovered from serious error
message. I am not connected to the net with the machine so I cannot
get an error report... thanks for your help.

What is the make/model of your video card? What kind of monitor do you
have?

Malke

 

[Guest]

Built by Ati 9200, brand new... I installed the drivers off the manufacturers
disc. I am not sure of the monitor but it did not have this problem with the
last computer so I know it cnba handle the resolution. The guy wants it set
at 800x600

 

[Malke]

Built by Ati 9200, brand new... I installed the drivers off the
manufacturers disc. I am not sure of the monitor but it did not have
this problem with the last computer so I know it cnba handle the
resolution. The guy wants it set at 800x600

Do the normal video/monitor testing then. Look carefully at the monitor
cable - does it look OK, are any pins bent? If not, attach the computer
to a different monitor. Does the same problem happen? If not, you know
there's an issue with the original monitor. If the problem happens with
a different monitor, swap in a known-working video card. See what
happens. Just because the hardware is new doesn't mean it won't fail.
In fact, hardware is most likely to fail right away when new. Otherwise
it will go for years (or until one day after the warranty runs out).

Malke

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Dr. Wright.

Is that an LCD monitor? Those are very limited in the resolutions they can
display. My 15" LCD, for example, has a native resolution of 1024x768, and
the only other setting allowed is 800x600. It cannot display 1200x1024, or
any of the many other choices offered by my display adapter. When I try to
set it to 640x480, it gives me a "Compatibility Warning".

Your monitor may be similarly limited, and may not be able to display
800x600.

CRT monitors usually allow a much wider choice of resolutions than LCDs.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

 

[Ross Durie]

What drivel. The problem has absolutely nothing to do with the monitor -
"Recovered from serious error" - the grpahics card couldn't care less
whether the monitor can display what it outputs.

P.S. If you want 1280 x 1024 on a flat panel then buy a 17" one rather than
a15". Use you brain. Very few 15" CRTs would display 1280 x 1024, some not
even 1024 x 768.

 

[Steve N.]

Built by Ati 9200, brand new... I installed the drivers off the manufacturers
disc. I am not sure of the monitor but it did not have this problem with the
last computer so I know it cnba handle the resolution. The guy wants it set
at 800x600

My experience:

ATI drivers are consistently problematic lately, especially for the 9000
series cards, and current drivers DL'd from ATI are no better. Remove
the graphics driver, reboot, install the latest DirectX from MS, then
let Windows install whatever graphics driver it determines to be best
(if it decides to do so). This is one case where the MS supplied drivers
are more stable than those supplied by the manufacturer.

Steve

 

[Alex Nichol]

This is on a fresh install of XP Pro on a clean HDD with SP2 installed.
Anytime I go to the screen properties and change the resolution the pc
reboots and I get a recovered from serious error message. I am not connected
to the net with the machine so I cannot get an error report..

I would go to Display - Settings - click advanced, and under
Compatibility, select 'Ask Me' - not Restart. Unless the drivers are in
very bad state, then a change should take immediate effect, and you will
be asked to confirm within 15 seconds, after which it will revert to the
previous state if you don't confirm. And if the monitor *should* be
complaining 'I can't cope' it will revert straight away