# Icons and stuff mysteriously big
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icons-and-stuff-mysteriously-big/476876
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 12, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icons-and-stuff-mysteriously-big/476876 "2008-12-12T14:06:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Demonica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demonica)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icons-and-stuff-mysteriously-big/476876/1 "2008-12-12T14:06:49Z")
This morning, before work, the computer was fine, everything looked normal, I shut it down properly and went to work. Tonight, I booted it up, and everything was suddenly big. I don’t know how else to describe it. The icons were big, the fonts were big, when I started firefox everything was big. Like it was set for someone with vision difficulties or something.
I changed the resolution from 1024x768 to 1280 x 1024, and everything looks ok now. But why would it spontaneously change like that?
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### Author:  [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icons-and-stuff-mysteriously-big/476876/2 "2008-12-12T14:25:14Z")
Was the screen on when you booted it up?
If the video card does not correctly identify the screen, it may switch video modes like that.
Si
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### Author:  [@Demonica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demonica)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2008, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icons-and-stuff-mysteriously-big/476876/3 "2008-12-12T14:36:11Z")
I’m sure it was…I just hit the power button on and walked away to feed the cat. The screen was on when I came back…I don’t think it would turn itself on?
I’m not computer-savvy. Can you tell? _smiles_
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### Author:  [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icons-and-stuff-mysteriously-big/476876/4 "2008-12-12T14:44:56Z")
Seems odd, but I have given up trying to understand computers. Something upset the system, and it switched modes. If it keeps doing it, you may have a problem. Otherwise, it may just be a mystery of life.
Si
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### Author:  [@Demonica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demonica)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2008, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icons-and-stuff-mysteriously-big/476876/5 "2008-12-12T14:52:14Z")
Thanks for the help, si\_blakely…Hopefully, it won’t happen again. I just panic a bit when things work funny on this infernal machine. I’m not very savvy with it, but I am a complete and helpless internet addict. I need it to keep working!
Maybe the cat has been surfing when I’m not here. Kitty porn.
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### Author:  [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icons-and-stuff-mysteriously-big/476876/6 "2008-12-12T15:12:36Z")
> [@Demonica](#):
>
> Maybe the cat has been surfing when I’m not here. Kitty porn.
Email me the contents of your history folder. I’ll do some
…
um
…
research.
😉
Si