Just got a new computer - Questions!

[Mirc]

OK, I just got a new computer. But now I have a lot of issues which I've never seen before.

First of all the idio... erm I mean nice guys that put it together decided to change some settings. They changed everything in the Windows 98 style, which I hate (IMO Windows XP has much better graphics than any OS ever had). And I want to change that back! I managed to change back the general scheme (the one with the title bar of the programs, that is blue in XP and gray in '98), and the start menu. But there are a lot more things that are not as they should be in XP!

Is there any way I can revert ALL graphic preferences back to default? If not, what annoys me most right now is: a) when I minimize a program, it used to go smoothly, with an animation, to the task bar. Same with maximizing. Now it just disappears or reappears. b) when I click the title bar of a program, in order to move it, normally it just moves along with my mouse. But in 98, and in my current settings, it shows a gray rectangle that moves the program only after I release the mouse! How can I change at least those 2 things back?

Second: How can I find out what graphics card I have? I tried rightclicking My Computer and going to properties, and I tried dxdiag, but none of them shows my graphics card. I want to know this because I wanted a certain GeForce card, with 512 Mb, but they didn't have it so they gave me a 256 ATI Radeon card, and I want to know exactly what model it is, so I can find out all the advanced specifications of my card.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Turner]

Start → Right Click on My Computer → Select System Properties → Click on 'Advanced' tab. Click on Settings under Performance and there's a bunch of settings you can click on there.

Don't know about the graphics card. You could try PCPitStop, they have utilities there that can give you system info.

 

[Mirc]

Thanks a lot Turner. I got the settings fixed. I don't have time right now to check that site, but I'll post here if I find it.

 

[civverguy]

Also, go to start-> run -> and type dxdiag to get system information.

 

[Turner]

Second: How can I find out what graphics card I have? I tried rightclicking My Computer and going to properties, and I tried dxdiag, but none of them shows my graphics card. I want to know this because I wanted a certain GeForce card, with 512 Mb, but they didn't have it so they gave me a 256 ATI Radeon card, and I want to know exactly what model it is, so I can find out all the advanced specifications of my card.

He tried that.

 

[Mirc]

Also, go to start-> run -> and type dxdiag to get system information.

Yes, as Turner said, I tried that. It just tells me ATI Radeon X1300 (which is a series of cards).

 

[civverguy]

Oh,

 

[Synobun]

Right Click>Properties>Settings>Advanced

There should be the driver they put for your GFX card, if not, look in the other tabs.

 

[Speedo]

Yes, as Turner said, I tried that. It just tells me ATI Radeon X1300 (which is a series of cards).

If you want to know the exact model/manufacturer or something, you're gonna have to open the case and look at the card. Assuming that ATI has some utility comperable to nTune, you could find the details of clock speed and memory settings for the card, but little else.

 

[Macha]

To change it back to looking like xp, right-click the start menu select properties, click start menu tab and select start menu(as opposed to classic start menu). then right click the desktop select propeties,themes tab and select windows xp instead of windows classic.

 

[Mirc]

I said I already did that before starting this thread, my question was about some other various small things.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

You can also try Using RivaTuner, which should work with most ATi cards. It should give you all the info on it, as well as allow you to change some things ( like unlock pixel pipelines, or stuff like that if your card has any that are locked up)

 

[mdwh]

I always have the opposite problem, in trying to faff around in order to disabled the Fisher Price interface...

Unfortunately there seems to be several different options in different areas switch between them.