missing resolutions in win98 how fix?

[max_clif]

hi my monitor can do 2048x1536@60 hz, but win98 will only allow me to go up to 1600x1200.

1)Is there a registry hack to fix this, or a program to enable the higher (perhaps non-standard) resolutions?

I really dont want to use entech's powerStrip

2)Also, if I change the refresh rate higher than monitor was designed for, will the monitor automatically reject the settings thus preventing damage?

Any help would be appreciated

 

[hammerhead]

Are you certain it's a Win '98 limitation, and not your graphics card?

Why would you want to exceed the design limitations of the monitor (with regard to refresh rate)?

 

[max_clif]

It's a limitation of windows 98. Monitor has official support for 1800x1440@85hz, but that isnt even listed in windows.

So question is, how do I make it get listed

 

[Toejam31]

I don't think this is a Windows issue. Have you installed the latest driver for your monitor? If the monitor is identified as Plug-n-Play, not all the modes supported by the monitor or the video card will be available under Display Properties.

Are you running the system with the latest video card drivers, and have you checked the specs of the video card to see what resolutions and color depths it can support?

Toejam31

<font color=red>First Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=17935" target="_new"><font color=green>Toejam31's Devastating Dalek Destroyer</font color=green></A>
<font color=red>Second Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=15942" target="_new"><font color=green>Toey's Dynamite DDR Duron</font color=green></A>
__________________________________________________________

<font color=purple>"Some push the envelope. Some just lick it. And some can't find the flap."</font color=purple>

 

[max_clif]

It is a plug&play monitor, and vid card does support the resolution I wanted 2048x???

Just that it doesnt appear under windows display properties. So I guess Im doomed to using 3rd party utility to bring out the resolutions?

 

[Toejam31]

Unless you can install the correct monitor driver, then yes, a third-party utility is your only option.

Is there a particular reason why that the monitor driver cannot be installed; and by this I mean, by you ... not by Windows?

Why don't you post some specifications about the monitor you are using, such as the brand, and the model number, and I'll try to help you find the driver.

Oh, and by the way, in response to this question:

2)Also, if I change the refresh rate higher than monitor was designed for, will the monitor automatically reject the settings thus preventing damage?

Not necessarily. The most likely scenario is that you would damage the monitor. However, with the driver installed, and the monitor properly identified, you can select in Display Properties to hide the modes that the monitor cannot display, which helps avoid attempting to use resolutions and refresh rates the monitor cannot support.

Note: Even with a good 21" monitor, for example, like a Sony CPD-G520, which can support 2048x1536@75Hz, the recommended resolution is 1880x1440@85Hz. FYI.

Just because a monitor is capable of a really high resolution and refresh rate doesn't mean that it's going to look the best at the maximum settings it can support.

Toejam31

<font color=red>First Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=17935" target="_new"><font color=green>Toejam31's Devastating Dalek Destroyer</font color=green></A>
<font color=red>Second Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=15942" target="_new"><font color=green>Toey's Dynamite DDR Duron</font color=green></A>
__________________________________________________________

<font color=purple>"Some push the envelope. Some just lick it. And some can't find the flap."</font color=purple>

 

[max_clif]

Thanks. I already am using the right monitor driver.

My vid card is the gf2 GTS 64 megs, using latest detonators. And my monitor is the Dell 21" P1110, and is the latest driver from 2001.

a)Will you Sony do 2048x1536 straight from win98?

b)If the max recommended resolution on the sony is as you stated 1800x1440@75, and you do 2048x1536@60, will you damage your monitor? For my monitor it's listed as "1600x1200@85hz AND OTHERS" but doesnt actually say what the absolute max resolution is, but works at 2048x1536@60hz Im unsure whether this will damage my monitor

 

[Toejam31]

a)Will you Sony do 2048x1536 straight from win98?

Even without hooking one up and observing the results, I am fairly certain that this would be the case. This is generally the rule, and not the exception, in my experience.

You might find it interesting to note that according to the specifications on this <A HREF="http://docs.euro.dell.com/docs/monitors/p1110/En/specs.htm" target="_new">webpage</A>, the optimal preset resolution for your monitor is 1280x1024@85Hz ... the highest preset resolution is 1600x1200@85Hz, and the highest <i>addressable</i> resolution is 1800x1440@75Hz ... which might explain the lack of higher resolutions in the Display Properties, despite the monitor's listed specifications, and the modes supported by the video card. It's possible that you are being constrained <i>by</i> the monitor driver and the Extended Display Identification Data in this instance. It would be unusual ... but certainly not unheard of.

Does the information on this site reflect the accessible modes you see under Display Properties? If so, there's not much that you can do to force the monitor to use other resolutions without a third-party tool of some kind.

By contrast, I am using a 22" Iiyama Vision Master Pro, with the latest driver. I have always been able to access all the resolutions, color depths, and refresh rates, regardless of the operating system, which includes Win98SE, Windows 2000 Pro, and currently, Windows XP Pro.

But without the monitor driver, the full list of user-defined modes for the monitor are not accessible.

In your case, it may very well be the reverse.

b)If the max recommended resolution on the sony is as you stated 1800x1440@75, and you do 2048x1536@60, will you damage your monitor? For my monitor it's listed as "1600x1200@85hz AND OTHERS" but doesnt actually say what the absolute max resolution is, but works at 2048x1536@60hz Im unsure whether this will damage my monitor

1800x1440@75 is not the <i>maximum</i> recommended resolution ... it is just the recommended resolution for that particular Sony monitor. It's unlikely that you would damage the monitor by running the display at the highest maximum resolution, but you might not like the quality of the display, the crispness of the fonts, or the overall size of the desktop. 60Hz is not an optimal refresh rate for any resolution, and there could be a certain amount of flicker, which can cause eyestrain.

I fail to see why running a monitor at such a resolution would be a priority for you. Is this just for testing purposes, or is there a valid need to have this much desktop real estate?

Toejam31

P.S. For the best information on the subject, I suggest you contact GoSharks (Jim Witkowski) who is the Chief Hardware Engineer at <A HREF="http://www.monitorsdirect.com" target="_new">Monitorsdirect.com</A>, and who is also (happily) our resident forum expert on monitors. Jim has forgotten more on the subject than most people ever learn, and I defer to his judgement on all matters concerning displays.

<font color=red>First Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=17935" target="_new"><font color=green>Toejam31's Devastating Dalek Destroyer</font color=green></A>
<font color=red>Second Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=15942" target="_new"><font color=green>Toey's Dynamite DDR Duron</font color=green></A>
__________________________________________________________

<font color=purple>"Some push the envelope. Some just lick it. And some can't find the flap."</font color=purple>

 

[max_clif]

Ok so to I want to clear something up then. If the max ADDRESSIBLE resolution is 1800x1440@75 (yes you got the right info for my monitor), but using a 3rd party util like Powerstrip and I am able to do 2048x1536@60hz, does that mean I am actually damaging my monitor, or am I using a resolution that they do not recommend but the monitor will do (perhaps not well) without damage?

1800x1440 wasnt originally listed under windows at all, even if it was listed as a spec for this monitor by dell, I had to add it in using powerstrip.

As to why Im doing this? Just curiousity, just like when you buy a new car you may like to push it to the limit a few times for fun

BTW, nice monitor you have, how much was it?

 

[Toejam31]

Okay.

It <i>shouldn't</i> damage the monitor for you to run it at 2048x1536@60Hz. Which is the entire point of it being listed in the monitor's specifications as the highest resolution and refresh rate that the monitor is capable of producing.

But ...

Older monitors, like all hardware, do not always respond well to being subject to undue amounts of strain, for example, like older hard drives and burn-in programs that stress the devices to their fullest capabilities. It's exactly this kind of thing that might push a device "over the edge", and cause it to weaken, or fail.

In other words, if it was brand new, I might chance it. Once. If I just couldn't help myself. But if the hardware has got some age on it, I'd leave well enough alone, and be satisfied that you have found the answer as to why the higher resolutions and refresh rates are not immediately available as a user defined preset in Windows.

I have seen what happens when a monitor is pushed past it's specifications, although not with an AG monitor. (Most of these being too expensive to play with.) With an Invar Shadow Mask-type monitor the screen appears to "melt" in places. It only takes a few seconds, and there is no going back once it occurs. It can be nearly impossible to see the screen in order to access the onscreen controls, and although you can boot up in Safe Mode, you can't always alter the resolution/refresh rate for when Windows boots normally.

And so, while you may wish to satisfy your curiosity, I'd resist the urge, set the monitor at the recommended preset level, and find something else to break.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. You can get naked in public, too ... but you might get arrested when the old ladies faint.

My monitor originally cost about a grand, but prices have dropped since then. The newest model from the company, which is the 512, can be purchased for around $700.00, which is a great price, IMHO. Check it <A HREF="http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.asp?edc=317902" target="_new">out</A>. It is an incredible monitor for being under a thousand dollars.

By the way, you can see why it might be a good idea to be as specific as possible and take the time to list the kind of hardware you are using when you are asking a question. No one can see your computer online, and having a way to verify the specifications for a device can help immensely when troublehooting. This is one of the reasons that I have my hardware specifications as a part of my sig. It can save a lot of time, in the long run.

See ya!

Toejam31

<font color=red>First Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=17935" target="_new"><font color=green>Toejam31's Devastating Dalek Destroyer</font color=green></A>
<font color=red>Second Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=15942" target="_new"><font color=green>Toey's Dynamite DDR Duron</font color=green></A>
__________________________________________________________

<font color=purple>"Some push the envelope. Some just lick it. And some can't find the flap."</font color=purple>

 

[max_clif]

Actually my monitor doesnt list 2048x??? in its specs.

But I think I'll um leave it alone LOL Wouldnt be practical to use it at that rez anyways.

Diamondtron screen, that's hitachi you got inside right?

 

[Toejam31]

That's true, it isn't listed, (in Windows), but we both know that the monitor is capable of 2048 x 1536@60. In fact, the specifications are virtually identical to a Sony monitor, model# CPD-G520, which you can see right <A HREF="http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer/ss5/office/displaymonitors/corporateseries/cpd-g520_specs.shtml" target="_new">here</A> ... because the monitor was made by Sony for Dell ... not <i>by</i> Dell. Same difference.

DIAMONDTRON CRT's are made by Mitsubishi, which recently merged with NEC.

Toejam31

<font color=red>First Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=17935" target="_new"><font color=green>Toejam31's Devastating Dalek Destroyer</font color=green></A>
<font color=red>Second Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=15942" target="_new"><font color=green>Toey's Dynamite DDR Duron</font color=green></A>
__________________________________________________________

<font color=purple>"Some push the envelope. Some just lick it. And some can't find the flap."</font color=purple>

 

[max_clif]

Ok thanks for your help and posts!