Windows XP Home Display Problems

[Doobiecow7]

I am running Windows XP Home edition and am having a really weird problem with my display. When i change the screen size in my settings, the only resolution size that takes up my entire screen is 1400 by 1050 pixels. The smaller resolutions (1280 x 1024, 800 x 600, etc.) result in the screen getting smaller, and a black border appears between the edge of the screen and what is being displayed. Whenever I play games, the display appears in a very very small area in the center of my screen. Fixing the video options in only one game has made the screen appear like it should, but adjusting the settings in other games doesn't work. I have messed with every single option and tab menu in the windows control panel --> display properties area and nothing fixes this problem. I have the latest drivers for my video card (listed below). My display worked fine for a few months of running xp, but suddenly started doing this awhile ago ( i think possibly after i installed a game but i'm not positive. I remember uninstalling the game to see if it would fix the problem but it didnt work). PLease please please help me, my eyesight it getting worse than it already is...



-Doobiecow7

running windows xp home edition on a dell insprion 8000.
900 mhz
320 MB RAM
ATI Mobility 128 AGP 4x (DELL) is my video card

 

[microAmp]

If I read your post correctly :
Have you tried using the buttons on the monitor itself to stretch the screen out at the smaller resoultions you want?

 

[earthman]

What kind of monitor do you have? If its an LCD flat panel, you may only get the one resolution at full screen, an artifact of how LCD's work.

 

[Doobiecow7]

This computer is a laptop so i'm using the monitor that's attached to it. There aren't any buttons that stretch the screen. The screen worked fine with all my resolutions in the past, so i have no idea what's going on... Any suggestions?
-Doobiecow7

 

[Doobiecow7]

Do you think that if i reinstalled windows xp, this screen problem would be fixed?