Windows Display in Landscape?

Very weird thing happened this AM and am wondering if someone can help me out. I was in Outlook writing an email. I do not know where the cursor might have been. In any event, I hit what I thought was CTRL or ALT (it might have been FN on my Toshiba laptop M105-S322) and the right arrow (->). I was hoping to get to the end of the screen.

All of a sudden, the entire message was displayed in a manner that was perpendicular to my screen and keyboard. At first I found it amusing, thinking I am going to have to turn my laptop on its side to read my message. My keyboard, however, would have been perpendicular to my desk and on my left-hand side. When I closed down the email, I discovered that the entire windows display (XP SP2) was perpendicular to the keyboard.

I tried to drag the start button and task bar to another position, thinking that might rectify the situation, but was not able to even move the cursor properly. I closed down windows in the proper manner. Unfortunately, my settings were saved, and when I re-opened it, the display was still perpendicular to the keyboard.

The only thing that saved me was using Norton's GOBACK which I used to restore my settings to the time that I first booted up my machine this morning. Of course all the work that I had done was obliterated, inlcuding the record of previously sent emails. However, at least I am able to use my laptop and the display is horizontal (as it should be) rather than vertical.

Any understanding as to why this might have happened, and if so, what can I do to correct it in the future (other than the steps that I have taken?) Thanks for your help..

 

Windows Display in Landscape

Thanks. I can't think of any reason either. Wish that I had taken a "PrtSc" of it. It's hard to believe.

Will try checking the Fn key with Toshiba, but as you said, I can't understand why it would be.

Wondering if it could be Ctrl or Alt and "-> " key.

Appreciate the feedback.

 

Look in your display properties and see if there's a setting in there somewhere. It'll probably be in the advanced section. Right click the desktop>properties>settings>advanced.

I think it's pretty much a standard feature to be able to rotate the screen these days. The puter I'm using right now has the option. Also, on this one, there is keyboard combos available that will do it if I choose to enable them.

 

On some LCD screens you can use Ctrl-Alt-Arrow keys.

 

I agree with Whiskeyman. I have seen this happen on Dell laptops and a combination of Control-Altenate and one of the Arrow keys will rotate the screen image in 90 degree increments.

 

Windows Display in Landscape

Whiskey man and Derfsch,

THANKS!!!!! you are right. Freaked me out yesterday, though. Wish I had known it before since I used GOBACK to restore my settings. I lost a LOT of emails, files, etc. If I try to restore it to a later time period (viz., when I inadertently hit the ctrl/alt & -> keys) do you think I'll be able to retrieve my other files?

At least now, I'll know what to do. Got to admit there was "humor" in it for the moment. But that quickly turned to panic.

 

Glad to hear you got it figured out. However, if you'd prefer to not have that enabled, I'd still take a look in the display properties in the location I mentioned. It may be that you can turn the hotkeys off somewhere in there.

 

Windows Display in Landscape

Thanks; I've used it only this once. Had disabled it before when I had to uninstall/reinstall programs. I was/am not aware of GOBACK's limitations, but I know that I have tried to use "System Restore" several times to no avail. BTW, if I use a program like Registry Mechanic which purports to "clean up" my registry. Does that invalidate the system restore feature?

 

Windows Display in Landscape

PeteC,

Thanks. I use it all the time, but for some reason (groping for an answer here, not saying anything disparaging about Registry Mechanic) sometimes when I try to use the XP system restore I have to go back several settings before I am able to restore the system. In fact sometimes, I cannot restore it at all.

When I used GOBACK, I got the desired results immediately (true, I passed up the two most recent set points because I was afraid that I would still have he vertical display of my desktop rather than the horizontal one that is the default display).

Just trying to figure out why some restore points work and others do not.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Occasionally, for test purposes, I access my IBM/Lenovo T43 from my desktop computer with LogMeIn, and this 90° screen rotation occurs on the laptop every time I take control of it from the desktop. Fortunately, the two computers sit side by side at home, and it's now an easy matter to re-orient the laptop's screen display.