Blobby blobby blobby :(

[venta]

I've been in work since 9. After a couple of hours of consistent effort from Sysadmin #3, I've just got myself logged on... as Sysadmin #1 said last week, I am the kiss of death to PCs :(

We're now up and running. Unfortunately, something somewhere has gone peculiar, and my fonts, icons, etc are enormously horrible and blobby. All settings seem to be as normal. The resolution won't let me set it any higher.

It used to be OK.

*whimper*

Comments

[wimble.livejournal.com]

What is the resolution?

Try redetecting, or resetting the monitor type (under advanced settings I think): if it thinks you're using a VGA monitor, that's the most obvious reason for it limiting you to a low resolution.

But you've tried the really obvious things, right?

[venta.livejournal.com]

Resolution = 1024x768. Yes, I know that's low by most people's standards, but I think it's what it's always been.

The usual Properties->Settings->Advanced->Monitor doesn't allow me to reset the type. I don't know where else to look.

But you've tried the really obvious things, right?

Well, that's a bit of a daft question, innit?

I've tried the things that are obvious to me. And the things that are obvious to grumblesmurf.

[wimble.livejournal.com]

S'alright. I know people who'd say "no, I haven't tried anything, not even reversing the setting change I just made." I didn't really think you were one of them.

Um... Appearance tab on display settings, and change to an appropriate scheme? Don't know whether that classes as obvious or not. I never use it, so on those grounds it's not obvious how it could have gone wrong.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Appearance tab on display settings, and change to an appropriate scheme?

It's currently "Windows Standard", which is what I'd expect. It's not the extra-large variety, or anything.

Hmm. How long til someone tells me this wouldn't be a problem if I were running linux? My money's on diffrentcolours.

[wimble.livejournal.com]

You could install linux. It'll probably make the problem go away. And then, once it's gone, you could reinstall windows, and it'll stay away.

Hmmm. Puzzled.

Oh, are you running a version of windows with the automatic "system restore" stuff? You could try going back to the previous restore point. Which won't diagnose the problem, but may fix it...

[venta.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, as certain amount of re-installing and general fannying about this morning was required. I'm not sure an auto-restore would be a good plan, and I'm not even sure if I've got it switched on at the moment.

[wimble.livejournal.com]

It does offer an "undo last restore" option as well, so unless it's completely fatal (ok, sounds like it might be), it's usually worth a go.

The only other thing I can think of off hand is to download TweakUI from Microsoft (different versions for different OS, so I won't provide a link; just search for it), and try the various repair options, particularly repair fonts.

Although if you actually been reinstall the OS itself, I'm even more puzzled, as it's unlikely to have gone wrong that quickly.

[smiorgan.livejournal.com]

How long til someone tells me this wouldn't be a problem if I were running linux?

Of course it wouldn't be a problem! Linux has its own set of problems. Like not being able to start X at all, or setting your monitor refresh rates wrongly and making the hardware burst into flames (I'm reliably told that this can happen, although I've failed to do so at home so far).

My advice is be thankful for what you've got and maybe try stiing further away from your monitor.

[ao-lai.livejournal.com]

Well, looking through the settings on my machine, there does appear to be a setting buried somewhere that I could use to make the font size a little bit smaller... That probably wouldn't affect the icons, though.

Most likely it's a driver issue - video card and/or monitor. You could try un-checking the box on the Monitors tab in Display->Settings->Advanced ('Hide modes that this monitor cannot display', or somesuch), but YMMV...

[venta.livejournal.com]

You could try un-checking the box on the Monitors tab in Display->Settings->Advanced ('Hide modes that this monitor cannot display', or somesuch),

The one that says that if you're not careful it might break the hardware ?

:)

I tried that, and it just offered me higher refresh rates. I reckon if it can't do higher res at 60Hz, it's not going to be able to do it at 100. Possibly wrongly.

I've tried reinstalling drivers for the video card/monitor. I may shortly begin attempting voodoo. Beware.

[ao-lai.livejournal.com]

The one that says that if you're not careful it might break the hardware ?

Yes, that's the one. :)

If I un-check it, I may get other refresh rate options (mine is currently set to 70 Hz) but after I close that 'Advanced' menu, I see higher resolutions appearing on the main Settings menu. Ordinarily, that's capped at 1024x768.

If that doesn't happen, then I guess it's a video driver issue rather than a monitor issue. But that's pure speculation!

[venta.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm offered higher resolutions that 1024x768. If I try to set them, though, I get a weirdly-fonted box telling me "input not supported".

I suspect it's something up with the video driver. I am, however, assured that the driver is the one I've always had :)

[ao-lai.livejournal.com]

Weird. Okay then, maybe it thinks that you've got a different sort of monitor now...

Everything okay in Device Manager, I presume?

[condign.livejournal.com]

as Sysadmin #1 said last week, I am the kiss of death to PCs :(

What's the phrase? "Oh sure, she's the kiss of death, but what a way to go!"

Anyway, I'd really recommend ignoring your sysadmin and updating the monitor driver. In my experience, that solves the problem most of the time.

Even if they haven't reinstalled a driver, Windows will, cunningly, often revert to an old driver when it feels like it... or at least I've found so.

[venta.livejournal.com]

solves the problem most of the time

But not this time :(

I think there may be something in this necro-osculation theory...

[condign.livejournal.com]

Refer to comment 1 above, then. Put the computer to rest and be satisfied that it died happy.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Despite the fact that it didn't work this morning (when I or my boss tried it), setting the resolution to 1280x1024 now works.

I *think* this is smaller than I used to have it. It certainly looks teeny-tiny after this morning's fat bloaty fonts. Still, it's much nicer.

Thanks to zandev for glaring at my machine and making it behave.