Windows Vista (ugh) Laptop graphics issues

[sinala1]

Howdy folks,

Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere - a search has not revealed anything on it - but I am having serious issues with the quality of pictures/graphics in Windows Vista Business 32bit. I just got a new laptop (HP Notebook 530) that came pre-installed with Vista, and ever since I Have been running it I have noticed that images are not the same quality. I have got the screen resolution set to its highest (1200 x 800) and graphics set at 32bit - however images, especially in Internet Explorer 7, are of very poor quality. I am currently downloading the newest graphics drivers from intel, however if anyone else has had similar issues and can help I would be most most grateful! Its an Intel Centrino Duo 1.66ghz processor, with 1 gig of RAM which is shared with graphics (I have since been told you need at least 2 gig of RAM for Vista to run comfortably - although I am not sure if that would be linked to my current image issues?)

Graphics Specs:

Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator Driver for Mobile Report
Report Date: 09/19/2007
Report Time[hr:mm:ss]: 20:15:00
Driver Version: 7.14.10.1227
Operating System: Windows Vista (TM) Business* , (6.0.6000)
Default Language: English
DirectX* Version: 10.0
Physical Memory: 1014 MB
Processor: x86 family 6 Model 14 Stepping 12
Processor Speed: 1662 MHZ
Vendor ID: 8086
Device ID: 27A2
Device Revision: 03


* Accelerator Information *

Accelerator in Use: Mobile Intel(R) 945GM/GU Express Chipset Family
Video BIOS: 1471
Current Graphics Mode: 1280 by 800 True Color (60 Hz)



* Devices Connected to the Graphics Accelerator *


Active Notebook Displays: 1


* Notebook *

Monitor Name:
Display Type: Digital
Gamma Value: 2.20
DDC2 Protocol: Supported
Maximum Image Size: Horizontal: Not Available
Vertical: Not Available
Monitor Supported Modes:
1280 by 800 (60 Hz)
Display Power Management Support:
Standby Mode: Not Supported
Suspend Mode: Not Supported
Active Off Mode: Not Supported

* Other names and brands are the property of their respective owners.


I wait with baited breath for your replies, as I know a certain laptop whos flying/landing/frisbee capabilities are about to be tested

Thanks!

[Cornish Jack]

Reader's query in the latest issue of Personal Computer World covers similar problem with Vista and gurus suggest colour management is a possible issue.
I don't pretend to understand their suggestions but they advise "right click desktop, select Personalise, then Display Settings followed by Advanced Settings from the dialogue box. Click Colour Management to see a list of profiles associatedwith your monitor or click All Profiles and add the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 profile"
If you can get anything useful from that, well done. Personally, I would dump Vista and get a mature copy of XP or (even better) one of the Linux variants.

[sinala1]

Thanks Cornish, but alas that setting was already in place... further research has discovered that it seems to be only in Internet Explorer 7 - I have done a lot of reading and found that it can happen on high resolution widescreen monitors - images get pixelated. There was a registry edit fix suggested, but the registry value referred to does not appear in my Vista registry - apparently it only appears in very high resolution systems.

This is bugging me, but I dont know what else to try!

[planecrazy.eu]

I had the same issues with Vista, however i found an Nvidia utility that has since sorted it. I am guessing it is what has been said, and that its a Colour Management problem, if you go and look at the settings in the colour management you will soon get lost, or you may not? i did...

I have found with vista that as little as 512ram will do the trick if you have a 128 dedicated graphics card, if you have 1gb of ram then you can get away with a 64. If you have less or GMA then i have noticed the system is unusable for some one like me who is used to full system speed and not waiting for applications to open for ages and all that. My partners laptop has normal shared grahpics and its so, so annoying and slow despite been a DuoCentrino 2 and 2GB of RAM.

My system is 16 months old and rates 4.6 on the vista rating, i put that down to the Dedicated Graphics Card.

[DG101]

This is bugging me, but I dont know what else to try!

Have you considered a different browser - e.g. Firefox?

(why use 10 words when 1 would do?)

[Mac the Knife]

See if your supplier will "downgrade" you to XP.

There's so much pressure from consumers and suppliers for this that MS now actually has a program in place to allow this. Ask about it - you can in fact insist and quote MS on it.

Vista has not been a success, in spite of being forced on users.

Mac/Mac

[sinala1]

Thanks MacTheKnife... you are right, it has been forced upon me - and the worst bit is that given the system config (1gig of ram that is shared with video) I dont think that it can support Vista very well anyway - so why bother selling the system like that???

Further investigation has revealed that DVD's are also grainy

Seriously considering looking for this Downgrade software, however I don't want to give up on Vista if there is a way to fix this problem

[Lazy Gun]

See if your supplier will "downgrade" you to XP

...or upgrade to linux.

Apologies- I couldn't resist it.

LG