Interesting resolution "problem"

[freddiestarfish]

I say "problem", as it's not really a problem, just odd.
Anyway.

I have a widescreen monitor, 1440 X 900, fine.
I try to change the resolution to something bigger, just because I can, but what happens is that everything stays the same size, but the computer acts as if I have a bigger screen, so I have to put the mouse at the edge of the screen and use that to scroll accross to see the other bits on the screen.

This is odd to me, what could be doing it, and how could I make it so that when I increase the resolution it does what normal monitors do.

[budrick]

It's most likely a function of the driver, such as drivers exist for monitors. LCD screens only look "right" at one resolution (in your case, 1440x900) - and that is also the maximum resolution at which an image can physically be displayed by your monitor. The reason is that there aren't enough physical pixels to display a higher resolution without scrolling, as you're seeing.

So, basically, you can't do it.

[freddiestarfish]

Cheers budrick, that does actually make sense.

Oh well, it's hard enough trying to find wallpapers for 1440x900 anyway, nevermind anything bigger.

[Al]

Yais, if you have an LCD screen, then your monitor will be physically divided into pixels. CRT screens are a bit more flexible because of the way the subpixels are arranged. So if you have a monitor of resolution X by Y, your screen actually has that many pixels on it, and you can't cram more on. If you put fewer on, it stretches in funny ways that look crappy.

[budrick]

I forgot to mention that lower resolutions will work fine, although it'll look terrible. If you maintain the aspect ratio things will appear in the right proportions, but look awfully fuzzy.

[freddiestarfish]

Yes the lower resos do look shit.

And it's a TFT LCD, so it is the pixel thing.
Cheers for the info guys.

[TX_101]

It's just a 'virtual' resulution.

As people have said before me, just leave it at it's native resolution.