Strange resolution problem - T43p UXGA desktop icons

[Phil_C]

I was fiddling with trying to run an old DOS game in Win XP, which changed the screen resolution a couple of times.

Afterwards, all my desktop, Explorer, and Start Menu icons, etc. changed to low-res grainy-looking icons. The only way I can get the high-res icons back is to switch to 32-bit color. But I know for a fact that the OEM setting was 16-bit.

Is there a way to control the icon type without using 32-bit color? There must be, but I can't find it.

[Flightvector]

Keep it on 32-bit, I can't remember using anything under 24-bit for a long time. 16-bit is pretty limiting on color, pictures of the sky will look quite bad with bothersome gradients with it if not most photos in general. 16-bit on my notebook causes some of my icons to look very bad. There is no reason to go lower at all, I mean this is a T43p you are talking about . I can't even conceive of any perceptible performance hit from running in 32. I'd feel like I was wasting my LCD if I had a UXGA res. If anything, I only use 16-bit for some last ditch gain in frame rates for games that I almost never play on my notebook.

I am not sure how a DOS game might have caused issues though, do you mean that they caused a permanent resolution change or just until you exited the game? You can try updating your graphics drivers. My icons are also grainy in color gradient at 16-bit; some of them are hideous, but not all of them. If this is the case, you might be remembering wrong. I need a more specific description, or better yet, a screen capture.

[tom2517]

Yeah, the factory setting is 16 bit. I have never tried 32 bit color, maybe I should give it a try.

[Phil_C]

I had to use System Restore to get the original IBM settings back. Icons and everything else are beautiful at 16-bit once again. I notice that the IBM default settings include some different shell fonts in boldface, but that's it. I looked everywhere I could think, including the registry, before using System Restore, which caused me some extra work repeating recent software installs).

When I had the problem, the Recycle Bin icon was the oval-shaped "metal" looking can. I would choose the familiar high-res icon in display settings, but could not get rid of the tin can. Maybe this is a clue to something.

So why are my icons, etc. so nice at 16-bit? Maybe IBM makes some special change in their default setup?