# XP prefers 16-bit color?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-prefers-16-bit-color/183755
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 23, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-prefers-16-bit-color/183755 "2003-06-23T13:31:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-prefers-16-bit-color/183755/1 "2003-06-23T13:31:47Z")

</div>

I know that there’s not a sentient creature inside my computer box trying to drive me insane, but for some inexplicable reason, _both_ of my computers running XP will switch from 32-bit color depth to 16-bit for no apparent reason. 32-bit is supported just fine, and will run for minutes, or even days, before it flips back. There doesn’t seem to be any particular application calling for the change.

The graphics cards are both 64MB GeForce cards; one a GeForce 3 Ti, the other a GeForce 4 4200. I have the Detonator reference drivers installed for both.