screen size changed during reinstall of XP

[Guest]

I reinstalled the Operating System in an attempt to clean some virus problems
off my laptop. (Norton was locked up and couldn't run) After I reinstalled
XP, the desktop screen is very small (there is a 2-inch black frame around
the desktop now). Is there a way to change this without reinstalling
everything again?

As a separate issue, I thought that by reinstalling the XP, it would wipe
out my old files and programs from the C: drive so that I could start with a
fresh, clean drive. Well it didn't, so now I have to find out how to safely
erase the entire C: drive so that I can reinstall my files and programs. Any
help is appreciated!

 

[RoadRunner]

Hi ... To your first question , Windows has adjusted your screen resolution
to what Windows believe its best for your computer , You can correct the
empty black area by looking for your monitor setting at which you can adjust
them to full screen , just take a look at your monitor area as to where the
adjustment are located , Or if you post back as to what type of laptop you
have maybe someone can pin point it to you ... As for your second question
when ever you try to reinstall windows and you want to wipe everything off
you need to make sure to delete the partition and then afterward recreate a
new partition , just formating windows wouldn't do you have to delete the
partition and then recreate a new one

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Right click a blank area of the Desktop | Properties | Settings
tab | Advanced button | Monitor tab | Screen refresh rate.

Fiddle with the refresh rate until your display fills the screen.

You will probably have to lower the setting. Mine is set at 60 HZ.
Some people advise against this setting. It's supposed to make your
screen flicker.

Mine does not flicker. 60 HZ is the only setting that allows
the display to fill my screen.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I reinstalled the Operating System in an attempt to clean some virus problems
off my laptop. (Norton was locked up and couldn't run) After I reinstalled
XP, the desktop screen is very small (there is a 2-inch black frame around
the desktop now). Is there a way to change this without reinstalling
everything again?

You need the specific WinXP-compatible video drivers provided by the
manufacturer of the computer.

As a separate issue, I thought that by reinstalling the XP, it would wipe
out my old files and programs from the C: drive so that I could start with a
fresh, clean drive. Well it didn't, so now I have to find out how to safely
erase the entire C: drive so that I can reinstall my files and programs. Any
help is appreciated!

You apparently neglected to format the hard drive as part of your
re-installation. This doesn't always happen automatically, depending
upon the specific type of installation CD used. Fixing this issue
pretty much renders your first question moot, however.

Simply boot from the WinXP installation CD. You'll be offered the
opportunity to delete, create, and format partitions as part of the
installation process. (You may need to re-arrange the order of boot
devices in the PC's BIOS to boot from the CD.)

HOW TO Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;316941

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Bruce Chambers]

... As for your second question
when ever you try to reinstall windows and you want to wipe everything off
you need to make sure to delete the partition and then afterward recreate a
new partition , just formating windows wouldn't do you have to delete the
partition and then recreate a new one

That's simply not correct. Formatting a partition removes everything
from it. The only reasons to delete and recreate partitions during
installation would be if the file system is incompatible with the new
OS, or if the user wants to resize the partitions.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Sue]

I'm curious as to what would be the point of keeping the
partition if you are going to format the hard drive ?
Because i had once a virus were i did do just a format
and it didn't get rid of the viruses , it was a waste of
time i had to delete the partition and then recreate it
to get rid of everything ...

 

[Sleepless in Seattle]

1. Install correct driver for graphics card and/or adjust refresh rate.

2. Format drive.

 

[Sleepless in Seattle]

Where did you learn this crap??

--
Jonah

Hi ... To your first question , Windows has adjusted your screen
resolution to what Windows believe its best for your computer , You can
correct the empty black area by looking for your monitor setting at which
you can adjust them to full screen , just take a look at your monitor area
as to where the adjustment are located , Or if you post back as to what
type of laptop you have maybe someone can pin point it to you ... As for
your second question when ever you try to reinstall windows and you want
to wipe everything off you need to make sure to delete the partition and
then afterward recreate a new partition , just formating windows wouldn't
do you have to delete the partition and then recreate a new one

 

[Sleepless in Seattle]

You must be mistaken. How can a virus exist when the file allocation table,
that identied its name and said where it was stored on the hard drive, has
been destroyed by the format.

 

[Sue]

No your mistaken because just doing a format does not
necessary get rid of everything i would know i had a
virus that did not get remove from a format , just doing
a format does not get rid of everything off the hard
drive there is viruses that can not be remove from just a
format , i had to delete the partition to get rid of
everything .

 

[RoadRunner]

Hi ... Well then I stand corrected and I apology , but it seem to always
work for me ....

 

[Guest]

Wow thanks for the responses. I tried to reset the refresh rate per the
instructions given, but it only gives me the option of "Use Hardware Default
Setting". There are no other options in the drop down menu. Can I download
a driver for graphics card from microsoft website? BTW, my computer is a HP
Pavilion ze5600.

How do I format the C: drive? I read the Microsoft link and have a few
questions... Can I do this w/o reinstalling the OS? Which file system type
do I use (FAT or NTFS)?

 

[Guest]

YEAH!! I did download the driver from the website and that seems to have
fixed the screen size problem. Thanks for all the input!

As for the second problem, I may just try to use the files and programs on
my C: drive, b/c the virus problems did seem to go away when I reinstalled
the OS.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I'm curious as to what would be the point of keeping the
partition if you are going to format the hard drive ?
Because i had once a virus were i did do just a format
and it didn't get rid of the viruses , it was a waste of
time i had to delete the partition and then recreate it
to get rid of everything ...

If you had truly formated the hard drive, there would have been no
virus left.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[JerryMouse]

If you had truly formated the hard drive, there would have been no
virus left.

Not exactly so. Consider "Unformat" utilities that can recover data from a
formatted drive. There are other utilities that can reconstruct everything
from the Master Boot Record onward.

 

[DevilsPGD]

In message <[email protected]> Bruce Chambers

If you had truly formated the hard drive, there would have been no
virus left.

It depends on the virus -- It is entirely possible for a virus to live
outside the active partition.

This is unheard of in today's "viruses", but wasn't uncommon in the old
days of viruses (specifically, when virus authors programmed viruses for
the sake of programming viruses, rather then with the goal of sending
spam or opening proxies or anything like that)


--
Yeah man, I tell ya what, man. That dang ol'
Internet, man. You just go on there and point
and click. Talk about W-W-dot-W-com. An' lotsa
nekkid chicks on there, man. Click. Click. Click.
Click. Click. It's real easy, man.
-- Boomhauer, "King Of The Hill"

 

[DevilsPGD]

In message <[email protected]> "Wesley Vogel"

Right click a blank area of the Desktop | Properties | Settings
tab | Advanced button | Monitor tab | Screen refresh rate.

Fiddle with the refresh rate until your display fills the screen.

You will probably have to lower the setting. Mine is set at 60 HZ.
Some people advise against this setting. It's supposed to make your
screen flicker.

If you're using a CRT, then set the resolution as desired then play with
the refresh rate until it's comfortable.

If you're using an LCD, set the refresh rate to 60Hz and leave it alone.
This will not cause flicker as LCDs don't flicker in the same way as a
CRT.

--
Yeah man, I tell ya what, man. That dang ol'
Internet, man. You just go on there and point
and click. Talk about W-W-dot-W-com. An' lotsa
nekkid chicks on there, man. Click. Click. Click.
Click. Click. It's real easy, man.
-- Boomhauer, "King Of The Hill"