Next time I go to a computer store (anything good is a TRIP or I'd drop in
this afternoon) I will take a printout of this message.
Marge
----- Original Message -----
From: "Patricia M. Godfrey"
To:
Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 6:50 PMSubject: Re: Full-screen DOS Prompt on Vista (was I want to go geek .. and
VPC?)
Robert Holmgren wrote:** Reply to message from Carl Distefano on Wed,
30 May 2007 22:04:44 -0400The 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