GeneInAlabama Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 I do not like windows 7. I just bought a new computer with Windows 7 and I am having difficulty reading some of the screens. Is there a way of increasing the contrast so that the screen can be more easily read? I have increased the monitor to 100% contrast and I can't tell that it has made any difference. I don't think it is the monitor because everything was fine with the windows XP computer and I am using the same monitor. I have made all the adjustments I can find through the control panel with no noticeable effect. Is this a characteristic of Windows 7? Is there anything I can do to correct this? Am I doomed to go blind from squinting? Any help would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILLMAS Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 When you say monitor are you referring recent technology like an LED monitor? Or what type of monitor are you dealing with? Check out this video to learn how to change screen resolution. http://youtu.be/C7wEkl9sdQo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 I do not like windows 7. I just bought a new computer with Windows 7 and I am having difficulty reading some of the screens. Is there a way of increasing the contrast so that the screen can be more easily read? I have increased the monitor to 100% contrast and I can't tell that it has made any difference. I don't think it is the monitor because everything was fine with the windows XP computer and I am using the same monitor. I have made all the adjustments I can find through the control panel with no noticeable effect. Is this a characteristic of Windows 7? Is there anything I can do to correct this? Am I doomed to go blind from squinting? Any help would be appreciated. If your monitor is old, it may not have the capability to show proper contrast with the new video card. New 21" flat screen monitors are cheap. A wise investment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 Gene you may have to disable Microsoft Silverlight or adjust the properties to see if that helps. Also I believe Win 7 can be run under "Classic View" that is more like XP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 It's hard to say what you should be adjusting without knowing what exactly you don't like the look of. Is it a problem in software applications that looked fine before, or just general Windows stuff, like the text under shortcuts, and in title bars? If you've got an LCD monitor of any kind, you should always run it at the "native resolution" for the best clarity. LCD screens have a specific resolution, and using anything else distorts everything and makes it impossible to display crisp edges on anything, especially text. If you find that running at the native resolution makes everything look too small, then it's time to upgrade to a larger monitor. MAS' video explains how to change your screen resolution. 23" Dell monitors at Sams Club for $169. If it's the colors causing the problems, you can turn off all of the fancy translucent effects in Windows 7. Removing the effects will tax your computer a little less too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39tBDjJl5uM With more information about the problem and specifically where you notice it, I might be able to give better advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneInAlabama Posted May 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 I have a 20 inch LED monitor and the resolution is already set at the maximum 1600 x 900 which is the recommended setting for this monitor. The main areas I am having a problem is with the e-mail, especially the headings and the information at the left side of the basic message. The basic message seems slightly less readable than it was before. The calendar is light colored and a little difficult to read. Also, this forum is slightly lighter than it has been, especially the list of topics. My old programs (TaxSlayer, Microsoft Office, etc.) are just as sharp as ever. The videos above are sharp. Maybe part of the problem is that maybe I need to have my glasses changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 I have a 20 inch LED monitor and the resolution is already set at the maximum 1600 x 900 which is the recommended setting for this monitor. The main areas I am having a problem is with the e-mail, especially the headings and the information at the left side of the basic message. The basic message seems slightly less readable than it was before. The calendar is light colored and a little difficult to read. Also, this forum is slightly lighter than it has been, especially the list of topics. My old programs (TaxSlayer, Microsoft Office, etc.) are just as sharp as ever. The videos above are sharp. Maybe part of the problem is that maybe I need to have my glasses changed. Change all the settings on your monitor to factory default (brightness, contrast, etc). Then choose the auto config for sizing. I'll bet the problem will go away. You probably had settings to work with the old video card. Reset to factory, then try adjusting brightness, contrast, etc.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 Yes, it does sound like a calibration issue. Like Jack says, reset the monitor to default, and see how it looks. If that doesn't fix it, look for software installed for calibration. nVidia, ATI, and Intel (graphics card/chip manufacturers) all have software applications that can run in your system tray, and can be used to calibrate the video output before it even gets to your monitor. One of them is likely installed, and that's where I'd start tinkering. I believe those applications also always have a reset-to-default feature in case you mess it up too badly. If you want to get a little more scientific about it, I can give you some calibration pointers. What initially looks good to your eye can often be too bright, too color saturated, and the result is losing details in the darks and highlights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneInAlabama Posted May 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 Thanks Jack and Eric. I hit the "auto" button on my monitor and it went blank for a few seconds and when it came back on, everything looked a lot better. I don't adapt to change as well as I used to. If only they would quit changing computers, software, and taxes; I would probably be OK. I appreciate the help all of you gave. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 I don't know about Windows 8 but I am begining to get used to Windows 7 on my laptop too. It does have some nice features. I turn off the Aero mode because graphics display faster. On my old laptop with XP the time to connect to the router wirelessly was twice that of Win 7. Same memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 I love my W8 touch laptop. Didn't use it for tax with all the ATX stuff going on this year, did that on my office W7. Got a smartphone with Windows os. Will be getting a new office desktop later this year, W8. I want to be able to sync all three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcb39 Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Basically, what I am hearing, is that W8 is not recommended for business use. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Basically, what I am hearing, is that W8 is not recommended for business use. You are correct. Microsoft has backed off on its latest OS, just like it did Vista. New computers are no longer required to only have WIN8, they come with WIN7 installed and a set of disks to upgrade, if you choose. Microsoft has admitted that WIN8 is great for touchscreen devices, but not other equipment. I used a demo of WIN8 at a tech symposium immediately after its release. Took me 5 minutes to know what Microsoft has taken many months to admit. WIN8 is the "skip" OS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmars Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 I have a 20 inch LED monitor and the resolution is already set at the maximum 1600 x 900 which is the recommended setting for this monitor. The main areas I am having a problem is with the e-mail, especially the headings and the information at the left side of the basic message. The basic message seems slightly less readable than it was before. The calendar is light colored and a little difficult to read. Also, this forum is slightly lighter than it has been, especially the list of topics. My old programs (TaxSlayer, Microsoft Office, etc.) are just as sharp as ever. The videos above are sharp. Maybe part of the problem is that maybe I need to have my glasses changed. I HAVE THE same issue and just got used to squinting all tax season, even the blue borders on pages like this are so white you can hardly see them apart from the white areas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jklcpa Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 I purchased this 24" LCD monitor thinking everything would be bigger and I'd be able to see better. Everything has always been crystal clear on it and not too light as you others have described, but I did change the zoom setting in the "view" menu to 125%. Old eyes and too many years looking at tiny numbers, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 I disagree on W8. Business apps are just behind. They'll catch up. Windows 8.1 is due out later this year and will tweak some things. I like the new look with the tiles. You can toggle back to the old desktop look and 8.1 will make that easier. I do want to better organize my apps though and I'm hoping 8.1 will help with that. W8 should run anything W7 can. I want the touch features and I want the business apps to begin adding them. I also want to sync everything on my office pc, laptop and smartphone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcb39 Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 I am able to sync my android tablet with my Win 7 laptop and desktop. My IT man would never allow me to put WIN8 on my work computer. I don't ask why, I just obey. On the other subject, I have a 23" LCD Monitor with everything zoomed and the colors are brignt and sharp as I have ever seen. Again, don't ask me why. The entire system was new in 2012, but monitor and computer were not packaged together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 I disagree on W8. Business apps are just behind. They'll catch up. Windows 8.1 is due out later this year and will tweak some things. I like the new look with the tiles. You can toggle back to the old desktop look and 8.1 will make that easier. I do want to better organize my apps though and I'm hoping 8.1 will help with that. W8 should run anything W7 can. I want the touch features and I want the business apps to begin adding them. I also want to sync everything on my office pc, laptop and smartphone. Now just convince all the accessory companies to write drivers for W8 and you may have a valid position. Business apps should not be driven by OS unless you are in favor or replacing all business software on a yearly basis. (A waste of money just so Microsoft can brag that they have the newest and greatest OS) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Jack, they will. ccb39, neither would my IT guy. Now my former IT guy, masters in EE, overcharged me for telling me stuff I knew before him, still hung up on xp. Some techies say this, and some say otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 Idunno what all the fuss is about. I think Windows 8 is fine for whatever use... unless you want to use Metro apps with a trackpad, then it'll drive you nuts. I don't use the Metro apps. And if you don't use the Metro apps, the only thing you really have to get used to is the new Start screen, which is just like a full-screen version of the Start Menu, with way better keyboard input optimization. Example, you can hit the Widnows key on your keyboard to bring up the Start screen, and then just start typing the name of a software application or document, and Windows will find it. Hit Enter (or if there are multiple results, use arrow keys and hit Enter) to launch the application or open the document. Being a big fan of keyboard shortcuts, I think it's quite nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcjenkins Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 Eric, if it stays around for a while, I am sure we will get used to it. Just don't expect us to rush into it. It's hard enough to deal with all the changes in tax code, without having to learn a bunch of new hardware issues. We'd rather wait until we are sure it is going to last, first. Just saying................LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Posted June 2, 2013 Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 I know that not everyone is keen on things changing, especially with technology. I've heard the next version, codenamed "Blue" will allow you to skip the whole new Start screen, and give you a classic start menu, which should alleviate most of the complaints, if true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted June 3, 2013 Report Share Posted June 3, 2013 Code name blue is now officially 8.1. I think it is like the old service pack 1, 2, etc. MS isn't going to drop this, they didn't drop Vista, they went to W7 which incorporated the Vista changes and more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry D EA Posted June 4, 2013 Report Share Posted June 4, 2013 <<<Gene you may have to disable Microsoft Silverlight or adjust the properties to see if that helps.>>> <<<Also I believe Win 7 can be run under "Classic View" that is more like XP.>>> Taxed, Damn, now you are a computer expert too!! Go back and read your posts and see if you find where you contridict your own statements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted June 4, 2013 Report Share Posted June 4, 2013 (edited) Terry you are too late to post. Where were you locked up? Gene already got his answer long time back If you post like this again, insulting a member for simply responding, [yes, " Where were you locked up?" is clearly an insult] you will be banned. That is a promise. KC Edited June 4, 2013 by kcjenkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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