# HELP! My computer resolution is TOO big! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 2, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-computer-resolution-is-too-big/302003 "2005-05-02T01:57:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-computer-resolution-is-too-big/302003/1 "2005-05-02T01:57:15Z")
First i need to massage my forehead. :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: Long story short: I was playing around in the “Settings” tab on Display Properties from the desktop and went to “custom” and raised it to 200%. The result is a computer on-screen display SO BIG I can no longer access the buttons on the bottoms of the menus to change it back! Again: HAAAaAAAAlp! ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-computer-resolution-is-too-big/302003/2 "2005-05-02T02:00:42Z")
I forgot to mention: another reason the display is SO BIG is that I went to the Appearance tab some weeks ago and increased the font size and mucked around with the display so it’d be bigger. So, I had already increased it as large as it could go and then increased THAT %200 – see where I’m getting at? Again: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-computer-resolution-is-too-big/302003/3 "2005-05-02T02:05:10Z")
If you increased the resolution then everythign would be SMALLER not bigger. Perhaps tou decreased the resolution? If you can’t move the windo enough to mess with the button and restore your original settings, run windows in safe mode, change the resoution and reboot. To do this hit f1 while windows loads (just keep hitting it when the comp boots up and you’ll get an onscreen prompt). ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-computer-resolution-is-too-big/302003/4 "2005-05-02T02:26:15Z")
I want to try another tactic – I did notice that if I move my cursor to the top of the Display menu and right click, I get an option that says "move’ – and with my arrow keys I can move the menu high enough to see the buttons I need to press. Trouble is, every time I try and move the move the menu resets itself. Hitting tab to try and activate the button doesn’t seem to help. Is there anyway I can move the screen and get it to stay so i can can access the “OK” “Troubleshoot” and “Apply” buttons? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-computer-resolution-is-too-big/302003/5 "2005-05-02T02:38:19Z")
OK is a default button, meaning that it gets clicked when you press the Enter key. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-computer-resolution-is-too-big/302003/6 "2005-05-02T02:38:20Z")
Alt-a to Apply, Enter for OK. Safe Mode would also work, but it’s F5 or F8 at startup, not F1. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-computer-resolution-is-too-big/302003/7 "2005-05-02T02:43:40Z")
You can access the Display Properties applet by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting Properties. From there you can reset your screen resolution. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-computer-resolution-is-too-big/302003/8 "2005-05-02T02:59:26Z")
Aha! Mystery solved. Got into safe mode and made the changes. I’d increased the DPI to 200% without altering the resolution – that’s why everything got so big. Thanks again, Dopers. Everyone can move along – nothing to see here –