When the computer is running on battery power, you can conserve power by setting the brightness control to the lowest comfortable setting using the appropriate display keyboard shortcuts.
When you start the computer with an external device (such as an external monitor or projector) attached and turned on, the image may appear on either the display or the external device.
Press
to switch the video image to the display only, the display and the external device simultaneously, or the external device only.
To display a program at a specific resolution, both the video controller and display must support the program and the necessary video drivers must be installed.
NOTE: Dell recommends
that unless otherwise
indicated, you run the
display at the highest
native resolution the
display will support.
Before you change any of the original display settings, make a note of the original settings for future reference.
NOTE: Dell recommends
that you use only the Dell-
installed video drivers,
which are designed to
offer the best
performance with your
Dell-installed operating
system.
Under Pick a category, click Appearance and Themes.
Under Pick a task..., click the area you want to change, or under or
pick a Control Panel icon, click Display.
Try different settings for Color quality and Screen resolution.
If you choose a resolution or color palette that is higher than the display supports, the settings adjust automatically to the closest possible setting.
Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control
Panel.
Double-click the Display icon and click the Settings tab.
Try different settings for Colors and Screen area.
If you choose a resolution or color palette that is higher than the display supports, the settings adjust automatically to the closest possible setting.
NOTE: As the resolution
increases, icons and text
appear smaller on the
screen.
If the video resolution setting is higher than that supported by the display, the computer enters pan mode. In pan mode, the screen cannot be completely displayed. For example, the taskbar that usually appears at the bottom of the desktop may no longer be visible. To view the rest of the screen, use the touch pad or track stick to pan up and down and left and right.
NOTICE: You can damage an external monitor by using an unsupported
refresh rate. Before adjusting the refresh rate on an external monitor, see the
monitor user's guide.
to switch the video image to the display only, the display and the external device simultaneously, or the external device only.
