Lab 8.1: Changing Display Properties and Upgrading Display Drivers

The video adapter (video card) is the key to better picture quality. Speed is the dominant feature of video cards. Higher speed permits faster screen refreshes and therefore better video motion. The monitor must have sufficient resolution to support the newer video cards. If the monitor doesn’t support the faster speeds or resolution, you will have to set the video card for a lesser speed or resolution. (SVGA has 1024 768 resolution). The product of the resolution numbers is the number of pixels (picture elements) available on the screen. The larger the number of pixels, the better the picture quality.

Monitors are classed according to their resolution and the number of colors they support. VGA monitors have a maximum resolution of 640 480 with 16 colors, SVGA monitors have a maximum resolution of 1024 768 with 16 colors, and XVGA monitors have a maximum resolution of 1024 768 with 256 colors.

Upon completion of this lab, you will be able to:

• Examine current display properties

• Change display properties

Set Up

For this lab you, will need an operational PC with Windows 9x installed.

Exercise

In this lab, you will use the Display Properties dialog box to examine and modify the display settings.

Changing the Display Properties

1. Boot the computer and right-click any empty area on the Desktop. Carefully observe the screen colors, window size, and screen flicker.

2. When the menu is displayed, click Properties.

3. Select the Settings tab.

4. Select Advanced and then click Adapter. The video adapter information is displayed. This is the information needed for an Internet search for the video driver. Record the manufacturer of the display adapter:

   Record the model number (if available):

5. Click Close to close the Video Card Properties window. The Display section shows the color scheme and the screen resolution. Record the current values:

   Color Scheme (Colors in Windows 98):

   Screen Resolution (Screen Area in Windows 98):

   Changes to these values could cause problems. If you have a record of the correct values, returning the system to normal is easier.

6. Select a new screen resolution by sliding the Resolution bar to the left or right while you observe the changes in the sample display window.

7. Click the following sequence to accept the new settings:

   Apply OK Yes

   The computer may need to reboot if you want to observe the new settings.

8. Reboot to the Desktop if necessary, and compare the Desktop with the observation in step 1.

9. Set the screen resolution back to its original value. (See steps 1 through 6.)

10. Reboot to the Desktop if necessary, and compare the Desktop with the observation in step 1.

11. Right-click any empty area on the Desktop.

12. When the menu is displayed, select Properties.

13. Select the Settings tab in the Display Properties dialog box.

14. Change the color scheme by clicking the Colors drop-down menu to show the color options and then clicking the desired option.

15. Click the following sequence to accept the new settings:

    Apply OK Yes

16. Return to the Desktop and observe the changes.

17. Use the Display Properties dialog box to set the maximum colors and maximum screen resolution. Record the highest values the system permits:

    Colors:

    Screen Area:

    If the display becomes unreadable, boot in Safe mode and change the settings to usable values. If the display does not occupy the entire screen, you have exceeded the maximum settings.

    What type of video adapter is indicated by the display’s performance? (Circle one.) VGA SVGA XVGA

    Note

    If the Windows default drivers are used for an XVGA video adapter, the actual performance is VGA level; therefore, it is important to use the proper driver. You may need to consider upgrading the video driver.

18. Change the resolution and color scheme back to the original settings.

Upgrading the Display Driver

1. Boot the computer to the Desktop, and follow this sequence:

   Start Settings Control Panel Add New Hardware

2. Click Next.

3. When you see the prompt Do you want Windows to search for your new hardware?, click No.

4. Click Next.

5. Choose Display Adapters.

6. Click Next.

7. Click Have Disk.

8. Insert the display adapter driver disk.

9. Choose the drive that contains the driver, click Next, and follow the prompts.

10. Boot the computer and return to “Changing the Display Properties” at the beginning of this lab for instructions for setting the display properties.