Larger than Native resolutions on Netbook and Laptop LCD's*This one's going on the public side simply because I'm disgusted with MS, Intel, ATI and nVidia for making a how-to necessary. Why did I want to do this? Because I have a 1024 x 600 display on my favorite Netbook(my WORK machine), and a client-mandated application was recently updated to scale for 1400 x 768, without the conveniences of scroll bars, zoom functionality, or window management(resizing) within sub-windows of the app. My personal solution once I could make it happen was to set my Desktop Area to 1024 x 768 since I can drag the subwindow's horizontally as required to see all of their contents, while minimally disrupting my use of other applications(in fact this has improved web browsing a tad) ... but how to get to this point when the latest Windows 7 drivers for Intel and ATI(based on threads found in my search for a solution) graphics each apparently grey out the checkbox that can make it all happen?
Apologies for the length of that first paragraph, because the solution is dead simple:
download and install the XP version drivers for your specific Display Adapter, and run the exe file in XP SP3 Compatibility Mode. After a restart, you will then want to open Device Manager, expand the Display Adapters tree, Right Click your Adapter and select "Update Driver" >> Brows My Computer >> Select From A List >> <In general, pick the oldest one, especially for Intel Drivers that are version 6.x.x for XP, version 7.x.x for Vista, and version 8.x.x for Win 7 >> Click OK and OK for any Dialogues that follow up to "Restart Now or Restart Later" ... at this point if you don't have any unsaved work, go ahead and click Restart Now, otherwise click Restart Later and after you've dealt with anything open but
before you forget about it, Restart to check your handi-work.
...and just because I already typed this part up earlier in an e-mail to my client's regional lead, here is what to do once you've addressed the grayed out issue:
For anyone whose laptop/netbook has Windows 7(or Vista or XY, though the steps will be slightly different), they should be able to Right Click on the Desktop>> Select "Screen Resolution">> in the window that opens select the blue link on the right to>> "Advanced Options" >> in the window that opens select the "Monitor" tab >> Un-check the box that says "Hide modes that this monitor cannot display" >> Click Apply >> Click OK >> Select the Resolution of your choice from the Drop-Down (Center Left of the Screen Resolution Window).
For anyone whose wondering how this makes ANY sense, LCD's generally don't distort their output when confronted with Resolutions higher than native; Instead, properly functioning drivers will give the monitor what it expects, but allow you to scroll through your larger-than-native desktop by moving your cursor to the screen edges.
*hey rick, any way to tag threads for Google SEO? I ran out of space in the title to cover some of my more fruitless searches.