600 x 800 pixels, how can I get it with this monitor?

[Venusthefirst]

I want to give this computer to my granddaughter when I build myself a new one in a coule of months time. I bought her Encyclopaedia Britannica and it needs 600 x 800 pixels resolution to run. When I bought this computer second hand it had that,or so I was told. When I wiped my drive and reloaded recently the resolution had gone to 640 x 480 pixels and I can't change it back. My Hewlett Packard monitor is anergo super VGA D1195A 72 Hz refresh rate in 800 x 600 (60hz RR in 640 x 480 pixels) It is seven years old and is FIXED FREQUENCY. The graphics card is Cirrus Logic CL-GD54434.QC-D
I've found that this card is very old but I beleive somebody had set it up with an updated driver. I thought of doing this from theWindows98 own selection of drivers but I'm worried in case something 'drastic' goes wrong. Ibought a new graphics card that ws supposed to support much higher graphics than 600 x 800 but I still couldn't change the resolution and had to take it out and get a refund. Anybody got any ideas how I can manage to change the resolution wihtout having to buy a new monitor? Most of the new graphics cards are too sophisticated for this monitor. I'd like to be able to update the graphics card driver if possible but am unsure of which driver to use. If I choose a new one and it doesn't work can I gobackinto windows under Safe Mode and change it back again? Any of you clever guys out there willing to help a 'damsel' in distress:-) ??

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Venus

[Tiretool]

640 by 480 is very basic as far as resolution goes and almost any video card should support it with or without the most recent drivers. Just to be on the safe side... look on the card and post the FCC ID number so that we may conclude who made this particular card and where to find the most recent driver. Then after you've downloaded the driver just install it and you should be able to access that particular resolution. Most drivers come with a readme.txt file that will explain the correct procedure for installing the driver.

[Venusthefirst]

I checked the card when it was outside the computer previously - Al Icould find on it was
CL-GD54434-QC-D
47864-411.DN
9530-J
JAPAN-N
Chip windbond. w27E 257-12 96241

I'm not clued up on the technocalities of video cards, I'm afraid. Hope the information you asked for is amongst the above details.
I've tried to ask Cirrus Logic about this by going to their website but I never get any reply to my e-mails.
If you could suggest a suitable upgrade driver I'd be most grateful:-) Thankyou for replying to my query.

June.

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Venus

[Venusthefirst]

P.S. I contacted Hewlett Packard who seemed to think the fact that the monitor was 'fixed frequency' may have been part of the problem. I no nothing myself, being a 'dunce' in this department:-)

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Venus

[RE]

I can't find those numbers you listed anywhere on Cirrus Logic's site. I really don't see why there would be differnt models for the UK.
Go here and check for the proper model number; http://www.cirrus.com/
Make sure your monitor and graphics adapter are properly identified by Windows. Right click on your desktop, select properties, settings, and check to make sure that everything is set where you want it. Next click on Advanced, and go through the tabs to make sure everything is correctly identified or set where you want it. If your monitor is not listed choose change and select super VGA 800x600. Don't go above your monitor's recomended refresh rates... it will blow it up, (I fix these things for a living) permanently. Hope this helps.

[Tiretool]

I already looked for that chip on the Cirrus website also, which is why I asked for the FCC ID number. It's got to be on there. If you pull it out of the machine and look real close you'll find it. When you do, post it and we can almost assuredly find a more recent driver for that card.
Good luck.

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************************************
tiretool@pcmech.com

[theENiGMA]

Change the monitor driver to a generic windows one for 800x600. THis will allow you to turn the monitor up to that resolution. Even if the video card can go that high, if the monitor is not set up correctly, it will not allow you to change it. In display properties, go to the setttings tab. Click on advanced, and go to the monitor tab. Click on the change button. CLick on next. Change the nexzt selection so it says you want to display a list of all drivers. In the driver window, select show all hardware. At the very top of the list is standard monitor types. Select this and in the list on the right select super vga 800x600. It may ask for the WIndows disk when you click on next. Click through all the install stuff. Restart the computer. Go back into display properties and under the settings tab, you should be able to change the resolution to 800x600. Change it to this. If the screen comes back up, it works, if not wait 15 seconds, and windows will reset it to 640x480. If it can't handle the 800x600 you will need a new monitor.
-KEiTH


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Well, I'm off to go look for myself. If I should get back before I return, tell myself to wait for me.

[Venusthefirst]

Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions, Guys. First about that terrible spelling in my PS - I do actually know how to spell 'know' when I saw I'd typed 'no' I was truly embarraseed (blush, blush. Well it was 3am over here, I was tired - that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it:-D

I hate opening up this computer, the case is old and it 'argues' about being put back together again:-)(I have to fiddle to get the floppy drive to accept diskettes afterwards) so I think I'll try Enigma's solution first. But I'm going to print all this wonderful information out so that I will know better the next time.
I couldn't find this card on the Cirrus Logic site either but, when I went to 'Windrivers' and typed its number in I got a message saying something like 'the card you have specified is very old and never supported much more than VGA, the drivers for it have been discontinued'
I asked HP for advice (its one of their monitors) and the sent me to three graphics cards' manufacturers' sites. I just went to Matrox. The said to make sure the monitor was multisinc so when i told them HP said it was 'fixed frequency' they said they could not supply a card that would work with it.
I bought a new graphics card that was supposed to support much higher than 600 x 800 pixels but Windows still would not allow me to change up, when I tried I got 'ghosting' and windows reset the original 640 x 480 pixels a few seconds later. I asked the electronics store where I bought the card why I stillcould not change up with it but they didn't know, they let me take it back (seeing as how it was no use to me). However this was before Matrox told me to make sure my monitor was multisink and not fixed frequency or their cards would still not enable me to change up.
What was still puzzling me was that the new card was capable of supporting higher than 600 x 800 pixels and the monitor is capable of 600 x 800 pixels so, even though it is 'fixed frequency' there must be a way of setting things so that the monitor can display in 600 x 800 pixels. I wish I'd heard Enigma's reply before I took the new card back. I still don't have an updated driver for this Cirrus Logic card and so I can't try it out just yet.
Maybe I'll open it up later and find out the number you want, but I can't remember seeing anymore on it than I already gave you, that was on a stick on label. Would the number you all want be 'engraved' on the actual card?
Thanks for all the help and advice, Guys. I'll be chewing it all over tonight.




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Venus

[Venusthefirst]

P.S. I've just remembered, I found the monitor listed in Windows own drivers' list, the actual model name and number was quoted, so it must surely be set up properly? I can't remember if I found that AFTER I took the new card back or not. I'll get there in the end, hopefully.

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Venus

[theENiGMA]

If WIndows has a driver for that specific monitor, try it. Make sure it's that exact model though. Monitors made by the same companies can often have tubes made by different manufacturers and such. If that's the one that's already actually installed, then I think you are out of luck. SOrry.
-KEiTH


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Well, I'm off to go look for myself. If I should get back before I return, tell myself to wait for me.