You can either use the screen resolution preferences panel or edit
your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file. e.g., sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf.

That did it - now running at1024x728 at 75 Hz but I have the whole list
to choose from

To both of you - I searched out this question and response hoping I could find
someone who could help me do this.

I see there is a way, but I'm a REAL newbie. Like no clue where to go to make
the change. I can find the file, and see it, but what do I have to add to make
it work at the right resolution?

Open a terminal and type: lshw followed by pressing ENTER. Scroll back and
look for the section on display.

If it says Unclaimed, it means that you are not using the right graphics
driver. If this is the case, go to System, Administration, Hardware Drivers
and it will tell you if a hardware driver is available for your card. If so,
install it.

If it does not say Unclaimed, then post what it says to us and someone will
try to make sense of it.

Maybe you could use this in command line
xrandr --newmode "1024x768" 64.11 1024 1080 1184 1344 768 769 772 795
-HSync +Vsync
and then this
xrandr --addmode VGA 1024x768

or if you want another screen resolution you could try generate another
modeline using modeline calculator in
http://www.arachnoid.com/modelines/index.html

after adding mode you should have change your monitor resolution using
menu->System->Preferences->Display and chose new resolution that you
just add using xrandr command.

Preferences-Screen resolution.............

There were no options available under system-screen resolution, that was
the problem

But try the other tip you got, I have used that before with good
results.

I just installed the latest ubuntu (7.04) and I have a problem with my
screen. The desktop for ubuntu does not use the whole monitor width - space
on the right side - and also the desktop goes too far on the bottom and I
cannot see the bottom of the screen.

I am able to use 1024 x 768 in Windows XP but I can only go to 800 x 600 in
ubuntu besides the centering issue.

We need more info, is the video on the MoBo? If not, what card etc. In any
even you'll have to adjust your monitor which you can do now to accomodate the
800x600 screen you have.

It may be that you will need to modify the xorg.conf file (this file
shows all the display resolutions
available as well other things) to add "1024x768".
Remember to make a backup of this file first just in case.

In a shell type:

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf_backup

gksudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf


Now scroll down the file do you see "1024x768" mentioned???

If you are a point and click person like me and for the benefit of
those out there who are and do not know all these magical command line
instructions, you can find your hardware information using the
following GUI method

Click on the main menus

-->SYSTEM
-->PREFERENCES
-->Hardware Information

This will then list all your hardware.


Also you can simply change screen resolutions by the following

-->SYSTEM
-->PREFERENCES
-->Screen Resolution

You need to be sure to have the correct graphics card drivers and I'm
afraid that's where everything goes to pot. I used to have the right
drivers on this machine under Dapper but now it's on Feisty I can not
find anyone who can tell me where to get the correct drivers from or
how to install them

How'd you know I was a point and clicl person? ;)

I tried to change the screen resolution like you suggested but that didn't
help. It only gave me two choices - 800 x 600 and something else which I
can't remember right now (I'm at work) but the 800x600 was the highest
resolution I could choose.

I will see if I can get the hardware information when I get home.

There's a lot of us point and click type people it's one heck of a lot
easier and you can begin to understand how things work rather than
this CLI nonsense

Here's an excellent tutorial which we need more of.
video.google.co.uk/videoplay+pope
http://preview.tinyurl.com/32czg9
It only briefly mentions changing screen resoloutions and I think you
may have to speak with a friendly Linux user who speaks plain english
to help you which seems to be a devil of a job to find :o(

Anyway I hope you get it sorted I'm sure it can be done fairly simply
but I know it's very very frustrating

The video is on the MoBo. It is a Compaq computer from Best Buy. I am not
sure how to adjust my monitor. It looks like I don't have the right video
drivers. But what I don't understand is that the last ubuntu version I had
no problems with the video.

I am very new to this and had just installed the 6.10 version a few weeks
ago but never did anything with it. I installed this new version and
started having video problems right away.

I've got similar graphics card issues. it used to work fine till I
went to Fiesty although at first look it seems to work it's not till
you try doing something which needs more fancy graphics do you begin
to realise the drivers obviously are not correct.

Anyone know where I can simply install the correct drivers for an
nVidia NV10DDR [GeForce 256 DDR] card or how I open/run a .run file ?

Before Fiesty all my programmes worked fine. I'm also having problems
with my LAN too I simply can not log into the workgroup. Fortunately I
have another Ubuntu machine I didn't upgrade so I can cross referance
things.

It might be nessecary to adjust the xconf. Some find this easy some do
not. It isn't a fun thing to do that's for sure.

Open a terminal and type,

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

follow instructions, but keep the info of you graphicscard and monitor
at hand. It will make a backup of your previous xorg.conf so if you
make a mistake you can still go back (it might be handy at this time
to install mc first through synaptic it's a norton commander clone and
it will make working from the cli a lot easier when things go wrong)

after you are finished, restart your xserver by pressing ctrl alt
backspace, or log out or restart the system.

I'm a newbie at this linux terminal stuff but I'll give it a try when I get
home and see if it helps. I have a guy I work with that uses linux and he
is a good source to lean on sometimes but he couldn't help me with this one
for some reason - or maybe he's just too busy for newbies like me

I loaded a copy (9-10) to my Toshiba laptop. Everything seems to work ok except
for the screen size. I go in to change the resolution but it doesn't give me an
option above 800x600. I see that the monitor is shown as "Unknown". I click on
the tab to detect the monitor and it doesn't seem to see it. I have a 1 1/2"
border around my screen.
Any suggestions?

This has come up on the Ubuntuforums recently, with the solution. Try Google to
find it.