Windows Vista Security: Praxisorientierte Sicherheit für Profis

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Chapter 3: Fine-Tuning Windows Vista’s Appearance and Performance

Configuring Your Monitors

Windows Vista automatically configures your monitor settings the first time you log

on. Windows does this by choosing the best display settings for your monitor. The

optimized settings include:

Screen resolution

Determines how much information is displayed on the screen, measured hori-

zontally and vertically in pixels. Low resolutions, such as 640 × 480 or 800 × 600

pixels, fit fewer items on the screen but those items appear larger. High resolu-

tions, such as 1,280 × 1,024 or 1,600 × 1,200, fit more items on the screen but

those items appear smaller. Clarity typically is determined by the dots per inch

(dpi) being displayed. Generally, the higher the dpi, the better the text and on-

screen elements will look. However, if you set the screen resolution too high,

you might affect the supported refresh rate and color options, which could

reduce clarity as well.

Refresh rate

Controls the frequency at which the screen is redrawn. To get the best possible dis-

play, you’ll want to be sure you use as fast a refresh rate as possible. If the refresh

rate is set too low, the screen can flicker, which can cause eyestrain and headaches.

To reduce or eliminate flicker, you’ll want the refresh rate to be at least 72 hertz.

Color

Controls the number of color bits associated with each pixel. To get the best

possible display, you’ll want to use at least 32-bit color. With 24-bit color, you

won’t see most of Windows Vista’s visual effects. With 16-bit color, the edges of

interface elements may appear to be jagged rather than smooth.

Your computer’s video card and monitor together determine the screen resolution,

refresh rates, and colors that you can use. Generally, you’ll want to use the highest

quality setting that is mutually supported. Most monitors have a base or native reso-

lution, which is the resolution that the monitor was designed to display best.

Proper display depends on your computer using accurate information about your

graphics card and monitor. Depending on which graphics card and monitor models

Windows Vista thinks you have, different driver files are installed. These drivers

determine which display resolutions, colors, and refresh rates are available and

appropriate for the system. If the graphics card and monitor aren’t detected and con-

figured properly, Windows Vista won’t be able to take advantage of their capabilities.

Your display settings can be less than optimal for many reasons. Sometimes Win-

dows Vista doesn’t detect the device, and a generic device driver is used. At other

times, Windows Vista detects the wrong type of device, such as a different model, in

which case the device will probably work but some features won’t be available, or

worse, incorrect (and incompatible) options will be available.

Personalizing Windows Vista

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Setting the screen resolution and color quality

You can set the screen resolution and color quality by completing the following

steps:

1. Right-click an open area of the desktop and then select Personalize.

2. Click Display Settings. This opens the Display Settings dialog box, as shown in

Figure 3-19.

3. On a system with multiple monitors or graphics cards, click 2 to configure set-

tings for the second monitor.

4. Use the Resolution slider to set the display size, such as 1,600 × 1,200 pixels.

5. Use the Colors listbox to select a color quality, such as Highest (32 bit).

6. Click OK.

Figure 3-19. Configuring the screen resolution and colors