Having Dell Dimension 3000 Resolution Issues After Upgrading To Windows 7?
After doing a semester of introductory C++ programming at my University, I decided it was time to move to the PC based Visual Studio IDE. I was getting tired of the conversion and interface differential from Xcode that I used on my Mac at home and Virtual Studio that was being used on PCs at school.
So I decided to convert my unused Dell Dimension 3000 into a basic C++ workstation. I was adamant about upgrading the OS from Windows XP to Windows 7. Little did I know that there would be issues with my screen resolution and graphics card. My default screen size was 640×480 and I was unable to change to any other dimension.
After about 3 hours of research and trying different suggestions, I was finally able to resolve the situation – thanks to the following post by Broton. I’ve outlined the simple process below in hopes that it will
THE PROCESS
- Download the driver located here. This is the Intel 82865G Graphics Controller driver.
- When prompted, save the file to C:\dell\drivers\R106458 .
- If you try to run the setup.exe file, you will receive an error message. This is okay (for now).
- Locate the setup.exe file in the C:\dell\drivers\R106458 folder.
- Right click on this file and select "properties".
- Click on the "compatibility" tab and change settings to "XP (service pack 3)".
- Now go back to the setup.exe file in the C:\dell\drivers\R106458 folder and the setup file should run as normal.
- When prompted, restart your computer.
- Navigate to Start > Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Adjust screen resolution.
You should now be able to adjust your screen resolution freely. This technique, although not tested, might also work on older versions of Dell Dimension that are experiencing the same issue. I hope this helps someone else out there.