Any ideas, HP laptop only displays normal screen, not widescreen

Im usually good with figuring out things but im having an issue with a hp laptop pavilion dv4-1283cl

The screen on the laptop is a widescreen, but some reason it is only displaying in normal mode, so its black on the right side. It looks like when you have your screen resolution wrong for your monitor type and it only takes up part of the screen.

Its not an issue with the win7 that is installed cause its still doing this on bootup and also in bios it is the minimal screen.

win7 shows no errors with the video card and the resolution is set correctly for the full widescreen.

the graphics are not compressed either.

If you have the resolution set to a non widescreen setting it will display 4x3. You can streach it in the bios if the setting is enabled and it will make all screens full screen.

This should only be noticed outside of windows unless you have the wrong resolution chosen in windows. What resolution are you using?

Quote from mikeyz : The screen on the laptop is a widescreen, but some reason it is only displaying in normal mode, so its black on the right side. .

The black is only on one side?
So the present image is not in the middle?

Quote from RockySosua : The black is only on one side? So the present image is not in the middle?

the black is on the right side, its like a 4:3 image on the left side. Its like the computer thinks it only has a standard non widescreen.

The only other time ive seen something similar on a dell, was if i connected that computer to a projector that was 4:3, the display on the laptop would also compress.

Did you try resetting your bios to default?...alternatively you could try updating/re-installing your bios/graphics drivers.

How is it displayed when you connect an external monitor?

I've never seen the image tucked over to one side like that. Usually it finds a middle spot. but that's not important right now.
Let's see what can be done.
A question first.
What has changed on your laptop? I presume it worked properly at one time, didn't it?
I believe the drivers can affect the image. even in the bios, so it wouldn't hurt to reinstall them.
A lot of laptops have a utility that resides in the taskbar on the right, generally hidden from view, above the arrow, and you can find a variety of settings in there, that will affect the image on your built in screen.

Quote from RockySosua : I've never seen the image tucked over to one side like that. Usually it finds a middle spot. but that's not important right now. Let's see what can be done. A question first. What has changed on your laptop? I presume it worked properly at one time, didn't it? I believe the drivers can affect the image. even in the bios, so it wouldn't hurt to reinstall them. A lot of laptops have a utility that resides in the taskbar on the right, generally hidden from view, above the arrow, and you can find a variety of settings in there, that will affect the image on your built in screen.

i tried loading the BIOS again, no luck, even tried an older version. I removed the CMOS battery also to hard reset it with no luck. Reloaded the Graphics chipset drivers.

pretty much dont know what else to do, as it happens on the bois screen so its not an OS driver. Seems like the screen just magically wanted to be a 4:3.

Attached is a picture of the issue, windows thinks its a widescreen still also 1024x768. Has win7 pro.

cant think of anything that changed, the os has been on it for over a year now.

So it just changed one day by itself, or did you do something that provoked it?

I can't be 100% sure of the following, but I believe that some drivers you install in Windows can have an effect on the bios and vice versa.
For instance, you may be familiar with some RAID0 configurations of a few years ago that required installing drivers before installing Windows. so the driver supposedly installed at the bios level, also has an effect on Windows. conversely, some Windows drivers can have an effect on the bios, like a card reader, for instance. Some of them require drivers to be seen and after installing in Windows, the bios can see the card reader too.
So I'm not real sure how it all works as I am not a software writer, but knowing that the drivers installed in Windows can have an effect on the bios image, it would be a good idea to remove the graphic's drivers and reinstall them, preferably from a different source than the ones you have.
Let's say the drivers you have came from Windows Updates, then go straight to the HP site to get different ones, or if they came with the laptop, maybe there's a newer version. You can check the driver version in the Device Manager.

Quote from RockySosua : I believe the drivers can affect the image. even in the bios, so it wouldn't hurt to reinstall them.

This is what I meant in the other thread about people tossing out suggestions without understanding the technology they're talking about.

Drivers have nothing to do with the way the laptop works in the BIOS. NONE.

Quote : I can't be 100% sure of the following, but I believe that some drivers you install in Windows can have an effect on the bios and vice versa.

I can be sure you are 100% wrong. Drivers do not affect the BIOS. At all. BIOS settings can affect the way Windows operates and what drivers can do with the hardware though. But that's extremely unlikely to cause the OP's issue.

Quote : For instance, you may be familiar with some RAID0 configurations of a few years ago that required installing drivers before installing Windows. so the driver supposedly installed at the bios level, also has an effect on Windows.

I don't know what you're smoking, but you might want to try reading a book instead. When you "load" drivers before installing Windows, what you're doing is telling Windows Setup, "hey, I've got some hardware you don't have a driver for, so use mine when you look at the installed hardware". Then when Windows Setup detects the PNP ID of the hardware matching the driver you provided, that driver is used after the Windows kernel is booted during Windows setup. In newer versions of Windows setup, you have the chance to interactively load drivers after the kernel is booted, much like a regular installation of Windows.

At no time is the BIOS affected during driver loading.


If it seems like I'm being harsh, it's because you regularly get up on your high horse and berate other people for daring to argue with your skills, but you often are wrong about the way the technology works and this time, you're just handing out bad advice. Learn the way it works, don't pretend like it's some voodoo and you can't understand what's going on.



Oh and can someone quote me so Rocky sees this? He seems to think I'm a troll for giving out technically accurate advice.

Quote from mikeyz : Im usually good with figuring out things but im having an issue with a hp laptop pavilion dv4-1283cl The screen on the laptop is a widescreen, but some reason it is only displaying in normal mode, so its black on the right side. It looks like when you have your screen resolution wrong for your monitor type and it only takes up part of the screen. Its not an issue with the win7 that is installed cause its still doing this on bootup and also in bios it is the minimal screen. win7 shows no errors with the video card and the resolution is set correctly for the full widescreen. the graphics are not compressed either.

I'm curious, what resolution does your laptop have, and what is Windows set to display at?

Quote from mikeyz : i tried loading the BIOS again, no luck, even tried an older version. I removed the CMOS battery also to hard reset it with no luck. Reloaded the Graphics chipset drivers. pretty much dont know what else to do, as it happens on the bois screen so its not an OS driver. Seems like the screen just magically wanted to be a 4:3. Attached is a picture of the issue, windows thinks its a widescreen still also 1024x768. Has win7 pro. cant think of anything that changed, the os has been on it for over a year now.

OK, missed this post. At this point it looks like there's an issue with the video BIOS/video firmware. I would however, try connecting an external display first and see what that looks like. It's also possible that the EDID for the laptop's LCD is messed up.

What type of display is showing up in the device manager as your monitor? Possibly windows registered the wrong type of display and is limiting your resolution as a result. You can try to uninstall your monitor, reboot, and see if it picks up the correct one.

My HP probook says "Generic PnP Monitor" and I get to use my widescreen native res with no problems, maybe force that device as your monitor if the auto detection doesn't resolve it on reboot.

Quote from redmaxx : I'm curious, what resolution does your laptop have, and what is Windows set to display at? OK, missed this post. At this point it looks like there's an issue with the video BIOS/video firmware. I would however, try connecting an external display first and see what that looks like. It's also possible that the EDID for the laptop's LCD is messed up.

i posted an attachment in an earlier post with the resolution 1024x768

if i connect an external display the external display is fine, fills the entire screen. laptop remains 4:3