Monitor resolution changed when loading Win 10

HerbK · 03 Aug 2015

Compaq Presario system with Acer G205HL monitor - loaded Win10 today (upgrade from Win 7) - all seems OK except monitor is not recognized by Win 10, so the default Generic Non-PNP monitor is all that is shown in Device manager. The Acer monitor is 1600x900, but the default monitor resolution is different than that so the image is distorted (stretched wider). Within Device Manager, I tried to 'Scan for hardware changes' but that was fruitless. I think I need to 'tell' the system what monitor it has and load the proper driver, but I don't know how to do that. Can anyone help?

bobkn · 04 Aug 2015

Monitor drivers are here:

Download Drivers and Manuals | Acer Official Site

(select them from a list). There is no install application, so you install them manually. (extract the .zip, right click on the .inf, choose "install". Or change drivers in Device Manager.)

It seems likelier to me that you need new graphics card drivers. As you haven't told us what you have, it's not possible to point you to them.

HerbK · 05 Aug 2015

bobkn said:

Monitor drivers are here:

Download Drivers and Manuals | Acer Official Site

(select them from a list). There is no install application, so you install them manually. (extract the .zip, right click on the .inf, choose "install". Or change drivers in Device Manager.)

It seems likelier to me that you need new graphics card drivers. As you haven't told us what you have, it's not possible to point you to them.

Thanks for the speedy reply, Bob. As for a graphics card, I'm reasonably sure the graphics circuits are integrated on the motherboard, so I don't know how better to answer that question. I tried what you wrote (download, extract, install) and I really appreciate that instruction. It is quite direct, but I was ignorant of the technique. (By doing it, I learned there is an unzip function built in to Windows - who knew? Probably everyone but me. :-( ) Unfortunately, that process failed but not my fault - the feedback message was "The third-party INF does not contain digital signature information." My assumption is that is related to the problem of being able to choose only from Win Vista, 7, and XP versions: Nothing for 8 or 10. And that was directly from the Acer website. I acknowledge the monitor - although it is a flat panel - must be approaching dinosaur status.

I learned what I know about computers during the '80s and '90s. In 2000 I moved and changed jobs - leaving behind all of my computer expert friends who unselfishly nurtured my knowledge. Since then, all of my learning has been on a need to know basis as a user who rarely goes under the hood, so to speak, so the presence of a built-in unzip tool, or installing a driver by right-clicking and selecting 'Install" was an education for me. I really appreciate your well-written response as it helped me without confusing me. As far as the final resolution (no pun intended) of the problem, it appears Acer will be no help, and am thinking seriously of replacing the system. Not just for this problem, but a laptop would be infinitely better for our current needs. It's August: Back-to-school sales will soon be in full swing: You never know...

Thanks again for your help.

bobkn · 05 Aug 2015

I'd hoped the monitor "drivers" would install. I've generally had no problems with that, even for quite old ones (as they aren't really "drivers").

What shows up in Device Manager for the display adapter?

HerbK · 05 Aug 2015

Re: What shows up in Device Manager for the display adapter?

Microsoft Basic Display Adapter

bobkn · 05 Aug 2015

HerbK said:

Re: What shows up in Device Manager for the display adapter?

Microsoft Basic Display Adapter

Those are generic drivers. If you want to be able to set the display up properly, you'll need the ones for your graphics card (or onboard graphics).

What's your Compaq Presario model, exactly? (Sticker on the PC somewhere?)

HerbK · 05 Aug 2015

Re: What's your Compaq Presario model, exactly? (Sticker on the PC somewhere?)

According to Start>Control Panel>System, it is Hewlett-Packard/Compaq CQ5320K. (I can't pull the tower out of its 'nook' in my desk without crawling behind to disconnect some wires. It has plenty of ventilation, but not much room for eyesight.)

Lebon14 · 05 Aug 2015

I can only find CQ5320F for your computer. The "F" version had integrated nVidia GeForce 6150SE with an nVidia chipset. Disclaimer: Since I don't know what is the difference between CQ5320F and CQ5320K, the steps MAY not work.

Go here: http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

Choose, in the drop boxes, in order:

Legacy
nForce 4 Series
nForce 430 / GeForce6150SE
Windows Vista x64
English

Yes. Windows Vista drivers. Your PC is very old. If that drivers doesn't work, you'll have to turn back to Windows 7 and it'll probably be the last OS your PC can run with all hardware recognized correctly with supported drivers.

essenbe · 05 Aug 2015

HerbK, did you install drivers when you upgraded? Windows update will install most of the drivers if you can't find proper drivers. I updated an old Dell Laptop that came with Vista on it and there are no Windows 7 Drivers even. I just let windows update install the drivers and it works pretty good. Well, as good as a laptop with a T2390 CPU can work.

HerbK · 06 Aug 2015

Lebon14: I did what you recommended, but the video problem remains - the displayed image is somewhat stretched horizontally. (Vertical resolution appears to be OK.) It's probably apples-oranges, but for comparison, (my) Gateway ZX6980 displays a desktop icon in a space about 3/4" wide by 1" tall, while my wife's Compaq (the PC which is the subject of this discussion) displays a desktop icon in a space about 1-3/8" wide by 1-1/8" tall. What is that - about 12% higher and 83% wider? So the displayed image is readable and scrollable - it just doesn't look right.

Oh, by the way, I was careless when installing the new driver(s) and installed everything in the package. OH NO!! I lost my network connectivity!! That cost me a little time (and angst) working on that, but eventually I got to the Device Manager and did an update function for the Network Adapter. The software found the old driver and the internet connection was immediately restored. Phew! Dodged a bullet on that one. I've come to accept the display problem may not be fixable, but I wonder why it was OK in Win7, but not in Win10. I'm sure there's an explanation somewhere; just not in my brain.