Can you make the desktop smaller?

I have come across a monitor that has a problem with adjusting the width of the screen. The desktop runs off the side of the screen. The monitor's width adjustment is broken so it cannot be reduced.

Always trying to make broken hardware work, I am just wondering if anyone knows a way to adjust the desktop size so it will be reduced down in size (everything will fit into a smaller area of the screen). Changing the resolution settings does not work, it still fits the same area.

I am probably being too wishful, anyway, I wondered if the DOS startup files may be able to be edited somehow.

Matt

 

Further, what I need is a resolution of say 700 X 600, rather than 800 X 600. I wonder if there might be a (freeware ) program that will allow you to set your own resolution?

Cheers
Matt

 

Hi Matt

you can work wonders with the height (infinitely extensible with a scrollbar!), but width-wise AFAIK you're stuck.

soldering iron time I'm afraid...

==

edit there are utilities out there like WindowSize which you can use to customise width and height of any given window within the desktop, but that's not really what you are after is it?

WindowSize here:
http://www.markuswelz.de/freeware/index.html

best wishes, HJ.

 

Ta HJ (or should I say ahh, bummer!)

I also realized that customising the resolution is not what I need, since it will only distort the screen, not make it "narrower ".

Thanks for the bad news , but I always live in hope.
Matt
PS changing the window size will not help, since I can only see one or other ends of the task bar

 

got it!

Hi again Matt

not perfect but getting lots closer... this will cope with everything except the taskbar

Hawkeye Shell Init from here:
http://www.hawkeyetech.com/products/freeware.htm

all of 31kB and it's free

(and you'll need the VB6 runtimes)

can use it to enforce a margin say 100px down the RHS

put: Margin, 0, Right, 100 (no CR at the end of the line) into the top bit, then File > Run Script Now (or save it or whatever)

after making the margin (91kB) 100px border at RHS of 800x600 screen

==

masses of other usefullness, this thing is really supercool ! why have I not found this before? (ans: didn't look hard enough)

==

if you make a margin down the RHS and plonk the taskbar down the LHS, it should mean you can get at everything... as long as your X-shift still works... from reading your

it probably does?

==

sorry for negativity of earlier post, was thinking startups, INIfiles etc... virtual desktops can make desktop overlap screen pixels, but I don't think you could get it smaller like that, what happens to the gap? - so, got to have a border somehow. Gave up too easily. 50 points away from Gryffindor.

There's probably a neat registry way to get this which might cope with the taskbar as well but that's beyond me at the moment...

best wishes, HJ.

 

Much appreciated HJ.
I cannot do much work on it until the weekend (maybe).
Good point about putting the taskbar on the side.
Glad you have found some usefullness for yourself.
Looks good.

Matt

 

there's a very useful one - "start a task if it's not already running" which gives me the key to something I've been trying to do for ages

==

back to your desktop thing - I tried "Saving As... "

the saved file runs perfectly happily as a "stand-alone "; the effect persists until reboot

==

PS I do have "Windows Scripting Host" included in my Windows setup, that's ?probably needed for it to work

best wishes, HJ