Please help! Laptop display problem...

I recently bought a secondhand laptop (Hewlett Packard Omnibook 1200). I had
to install the operating system which I've done (Windows 98). Everything is
fine but. The screen is stuck at 640x480 and 16 colours! What I want to know
is, is this a driver problem or a hardware problem? If if is a hardware
problem, can it be upgraded and resolved?

Any help would be really appreciated. I'm a complete novice with laptops and
this is really bugging me. I'm used to a 800x600 and 32 bit True Colour.
Thank you.

Sounds like you need a video driver.

You can download it here:

http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/eng...e_drivers.html

Good luck.

<> wrote in message news:bissep$r7d$...
> I recently bought a secondhand laptop (Hewlett Packard Omnibook 1200). I
had
> to install the operating system which I've done (Windows 98). Everything
is
> fine but. The screen is stuck at 640x480 and 16 colours! What I want to
know
> is, is this a driver problem or a hardware problem? If if is a hardware
> problem, can it be upgraded and resolved?
>
> Any help would be really appreciated. I'm a complete novice with laptops
and
> this is really bugging me. I'm used to a 800x600 and 32 bit True Colour.
> Thank you.
>
>

Thanks but I've already tried installing these drivers from the HP website.
I sorted out my audio with these drivers but not the display. I suspect that
it is the video card. Can this be upgraded in a 2100? I have been reading
about the specifications of this model on the HP website and apparetly it
says that the 2100 can do 800x600 and 64k colours - mine doesn't but it
might be an old video card. Is it possible to upgrade yourself - does anyone
know (sorry if this is an obvious question I aven't a clue about the
workings of laptops). Cheers.

Graham

"Paul R Smith" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Sounds like you need a video driver.
>
> You can download it here:
>
> http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/eng...e_drivers.html
>
> Good luck.
>
> <> wrote in message news:bissep$r7d$...
> > I recently bought a secondhand laptop (Hewlett Packard Omnibook 1200). I
> had
> > to install the operating system which I've done (Windows 98). Everything
> is
> > fine but. The screen is stuck at 640x480 and 16 colours! What I want to
> know
> > is, is this a driver problem or a hardware problem? If if is a hardware
> > problem, can it be upgraded and resolved?
> >
> > Any help would be really appreciated. I'm a complete novice with laptops
> and
> > this is really bugging me. I'm used to a 800x600 and 32 bit True Colour.
> > Thank you.
> >
> >
>
>

Sadly, probably not. 99% of laptops made then usually have the video card
attached to the system board. You may just save the trouble and plop down
300 bucks on ebay for a laptop that can do the colors you want. Or there
might be a local re-seller in your area. Good luck.

<> wrote in message news:bisvnl$ten$...
> Thanks but I've already tried installing these drivers from the HP
website.
> I sorted out my audio with these drivers but not the display. I suspect
that
> it is the video card. Can this be upgraded in a 2100? I have been reading
> about the specifications of this model on the HP website and apparetly it
> says that the 2100 can do 800x600 and 64k colours - mine doesn't but it
> might be an old video card. Is it possible to upgrade yourself - does
anyone
> know (sorry if this is an obvious question I aven't a clue about the
> workings of laptops). Cheers.
>
> Graham
>
>

wrote:
> Thanks but I've already tried installing these drivers from the HP website.
> I sorted out my audio with these drivers but not the display. I suspect that
> it is the video card. Can this be upgraded in a 2100? I have been reading
> about the specifications of this model on the HP website and apparetly it
> says that the 2100 can do 800x600 and 64k colours - mine doesn't but it
> might be an old video card. Is it possible to upgrade yourself - does anyone
> know (sorry if this is an obvious question I aven't a clue about the
> workings of laptops). Cheers.
>
> Graham

You have to get the "right" drivers. You flipped between 2100 and 1200.
If you downloaded the wrong drivers...if you find a treatment for
dsylexia, let me know, I need it too...

I had a similar problem with a Gateway computer. The drivers on the
Gateway site wouldn't let me get out of 16 color mode. I found drivers
elsewhere that worked. Start with driverguide.com.

mike

--
Bunch of stuff For Sale and Wanted at the link below.
laptops and parts
4in/400Wout ham linear amp.
Honda CB-125S
400cc Dirt Bike 2003 miles $450
Police Scanner, Color LCD overhead projector
Tek 2465 $800, ham radio, 30pS pulser
Tektronix Concept Books, spot welding head...
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Monitor/4710/

On Sun, 31 Aug 2003 14:14:19 +0100, <> wrote:

>I recently bought a secondhand laptop (Hewlett Packard Omnibook 1200). I had
>to install the operating system which I've done (Windows 98). Everything is
>fine but. The screen is stuck at 640x480 and 16 colours! What I want to know
>is, is this a driver problem or a hardware problem? If if is a hardware
>problem, can it be upgraded and resolved?
>
>Any help would be really appreciated. I'm a complete novice with laptops and
>this is really bugging me. I'm used to a 800x600 and 32 bit True Colour.
>Thank you.
>


If you have installed the drivers, the nest step is to specify the
display type.

It's definitely a driver issue, most commonly, either no driver is
installed, or the wrong driver, or it's incorrectly configured.


wrote:

> I recently bought a secondhand laptop (Hewlett Packard Omnibook 1200). I had
> to install the operating system which I've done (Windows 98). Everything is
> fine but. The screen is stuck at 640x480 and 16 colours! What I want to know
> is, is this a driver problem or a hardware problem? If if is a hardware
> problem, can it be upgraded and resolved?
>
> Any help would be really appreciated. I'm a complete novice with laptops and
> this is really bugging me. I'm used to a 800x600 and 32 bit True Colour.
> Thank you.
>
>

You need to have the proper driver for the video chipset. Windows will
use a default driver if it can't find a match on the install cd. Go to
the HP web site and look for the drivers for your laptop. I have had
the same problem with a different brand of laptop, so I know exactly
what you are talking about.

wrote:

> I recently bought a secondhand laptop (Hewlett Packard Omnibook 1200). I had
> to install the operating system which I've done (Windows 98). Everything is
> fine but. The screen is stuck at 640x480 and 16 colours! What I want to know
> is, is this a driver problem or a hardware problem? If if is a hardware
> problem, can it be upgraded and resolved?
>
> Any help would be really appreciated. I'm a complete novice with laptops and
> this is really bugging me. I'm used to a 800x600 and 32 bit True Colour.
> Thank you.
>
>