Computer issue -- upgraded to Win8 on Dell Inspiron and now have black areas - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: gooseEL34
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2013, 12:02:26 am
content: Hey all-Thought I would take a shot here.Dell Inspiron laptop is the subject. I recently upgraded from WinXP to Win8 and everything went great, except thatnow I have to black rectangular bars on the sides of the desktop. Changing the resolution does not fix it.The effect is like watching a non HD commercial on an old HDTV. The extra width was blacked out. About 1.5" on each side.Thanks for thoughtsTim

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2013, 12:34:25 am
content: Update the display drivers. You probably have default or generic display drivers that don't match the capabilities of the panel.Windows 8 should be clever enough to do it for you. Normally it will detect your hardware and automatically download the correct drivers.

author: gooseEL34
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2013, 01:35:24 am
content: Thanks. Will start there.!

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2013, 09:54:55 am
content: Yes, you need the correct display driver because it sounds like an aspect ratio issue. You didn't say what you changed the resolution from or what you changed it to. Changing from 800 x 600 to 1024 x 768 (for example) does not change the aspect ratio, both are 4 x 3. You probably have a widescreen type display such as 1360 x 768, and I don't think the default Windows drivers will offer that option.

author: RobB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2013, 04:52:59 pm
content: you "upgraded" to Windows 8

author: bitwelder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2013, 11:10:16 am
content: Not sure why posting a computer software issue on EEVblog,unless you consider "Don't turn it on, take it apart!" a possible solution

author: gooseEL34
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2013, 05:51:08 pm
content: Sorry guys. I don't belong to many forum newsgroups and I knew the eevblog crowd was technically savvy.I do belong to this blog forum for support in my hobby of building and tweaking with guitar tube amps.Moderator, please remove this thread with my apologizes.....Tim

author: Six
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2013, 05:56:20 pm
content: Fair post I'd have thought. PC's are electronic devices after all!What sort of amps do you build mate? I'm happy to see another audiophile on the forum(PS: Get a Mac)

author: Galaxyrise
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2013, 07:51:31 pm
content: What resolutions are you trying? Are you able to select the native resolution of the laptop (probably something like 1440x900)?

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 02, 2013, 07:57:30 pm
content: While were on about PC's and up-grades... personally, I am totally feed-up with the Gates system of up-dates.Primary because my internet connection is 3G wireless, within a high residential area so, most times my abilityto get ANY useful PAGE or SITE is fraught fighting the on-off Window up-dates, via my user control thus;I have to spend a half day or night, allowing Windows up-date via my selected "I suppose it's needed" idea;all this is relentless, Gates keep forcing up-dates for his OS, but for me it's time wasting and annoying.

author: DavidDLC
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2013, 08:19:01 pm
content: Quote from: gooseEL34 on April 02, 2013, 05:51:08 pmDon't get sorry, people here posts about politics, animals, countries, etc. As long as you post on the correct section you have no problems.

author: gooseEL34
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2013, 08:50:06 pm
content: As far as my amp love goes...I am 41 and have played guitar since I was 6. About 1994 I struck up an online conversation with a Fender amp collector from Santa Rosa, CA. It was pre-internet. I cannot remember, but I think we used newsgroups on text based CPUs at the University of Virginia. Basically, it started because I had a rather interesting 1962 Fender Bassman 6L6 based push-pull guitar/bass amp. It was manufactured in early 1962 (January by the date code, if I remember). So, it had a late 1961 AC Transformer. What was unique about the 1961 Bassman, was that it had a tube rectifier, and the 1962 had solid state diode rectification (series 1n4007s, if I recall). My AC tranny had the 5.0v taps factory taped off. I was posting a request to ask how involved it would be to add a tube rectifier (as the chassis was already punched for the extra octal socket, it would have been pretty easy).Over the next 4 years, Greg and I shared emails and he basically taught me a complete course on Fender amp innards and how to work on, diagnose, and modify Leo's circuits.Sadly, I sold the Bassman and cabinet for my wife's engagement ring (still have the wife!), and Greg passed in 2008 or so to stage 4 cancer, but we struck up an online friendship that lead to my interested in amps, not only as a player, but as a tech.Now, my brother has taken up the mantle and is designing and building tube amps. Last summer, we gutted a Marshall 4010 (solid state version of the JCM800) as it was a 1x12" combo with a nice open chassis will almost no holes cut into it, and built a tube JCM800 clone into it.I am currently working on some old Traynor YBA-1s (poor man's plexi built in Canada in the 60s/70s) and a rare Alamo Reverb + tube reverb unit.I have not really expanded into hi-fi audio, but I have an original Fisher 400 that I got on the cheap that supposedly has one bad OT.That is on the "to do list" for the summer.I have also restored some AA5 tube radios but guitar amps are my passion (when I am not slugging it out as a lawyer by day).I have gotten a lot of valuable info from this site, including enough info to venture into solid state amp repair (gasp! My tube audiosnob friends would disown me!). It is nice to work on +15/-15vDC once in a while, whereas the Ampeg SVT can run 600-700vDC and is scary!!!cheers,Tim