Resolution and Video Problems

[Guest]

I reinstalled XP Home edition, and now when I try and run in anything other
than the max resolution (1400 x 1050), there is a black box that surrounds
the working area (as in, the desktop does not fill the whole screen, but has
a black border). The lower the resolution, the greater the border. I am
afraid this is also hampering video activities, as when I run a movie in full
screen the movie is extremely choppy (this did not happen before the
reinstall). How do I fix the black border if I want to run on a lower
resolution and how to I fix the choppy video?

BTW, I have tried messing with the resolution and hardware accelerator to
fix the choppiness of the video. It does not affect it. Secondly, the video
runs fine when it isn't full screen, but the bigger it is, the choppier it
is. Any ideas?

 

[Guest]

There are several potential solutions to your problem...
eg: when doing a fresh install of windows, always install the drivers
provided by yoiur motherboard manufacturer (chipset, video, sound, lan,
etc...) or else go to the manufacturer's website to download the latest
drivers.
If your motherboard has a chipset other than Intel, it is REALLY important
to find and install the latest drivers (eg: VIA, SIS, etc)... if not, your
video card may not work properly (even if it is a seperate video card).
If your video is a seperate card, make sure you download and install the
latest drivers for that as well. Windows has native support and drivers for
a lot of different hardware, but I always find it best to get them straight
from the manufacturer.
It never hurts to defrag the hard drive as well.... a fragnebted hard drive
causes poor virtual memory performance and therefore lackluster overall
performance.