Re: Full-screen DOS Prompt on Vista (was I want to go geek .. and VPC?)

["Patricia M. Godfrey" priscamg@xxxxxxxx]

Robert Holmgren wrote:
** Reply to message from Carl Distefano  on Wed,
30 May 2007 22:04:44 -0400
The consensus seems to be that it's a video driver issue, i.e., that
Vista drivers (WDDM) do not support full-screen mode, and that to
get full screen you need to install XP video drivers (XDDM) in
Vista.

it follows that
the reason FullScreen works for me must be that my graphics card
(an Intel 950) doesn't have WDDM drivers, and thus falls back on
older graphics drivers.

No, it was just Robert's expertise, as usual.
A new computer store opened hereabouts (both branches of CompUSA
having closed), and I went up to have a look around. Lots of Vista
boxes, desktops and laptops, and on all of them I was able to get a
DOS prompt (Start->Programs->All Programs->Accessories->Command
Prompt), but when I hit Alt-enter, I got that (as it proved,
mendacious) message about this mode not supported.
I then got into conversation with an apparently knowledgeable sales
rep and mentioned the anomaly to him (the kid was young enough to be
my grandson, but he had heard of DOS!). So we went back to a Vista
box, and he first confirmed my experience. He then opened the
Properties tab of the DOS prompt and started enlarging the screen size
and buffer size. Went too fast for me to see the exact numbers (which
in any event would depend on screen size and resolution, no?), but
there's a graphical representation of the DOS prompt size superimposed
on the full screen. As the numbers went up, the DOS screen enlarged.
When the two coincided, he hit apply, OK, then Alt-enter. Et Voilà!
Full screen DOS prompt.
Robert probably did it automatically, from force of habit, and then
forgot. Or perhaps he wanted us to figure it ous for ourselves. But
drivers have nothing to do with it. Billg was lying in his teeth. Again.
--
Patricia M. Godfrey
PriscaMG@xxxxxxxx