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iKevin · Dec 24, 2000, 03:35 PM

I run my iBook at 800x600(the default setting) but about 1 out of every 5 startups it tries to start in 640x480 mode...what's up with that? I can understand if it happens after i've been in sleep mode or something but that's not the case most of the time.

Kevin

sine -''-..- · Dec 24, 2000, 04:39 PM

Hmmm... thats odd
I've never experienced that with my ibook. I suggest resetting the PRAM, i beleive thats where the system store the resolution preference. Also try trashing the monitors & sound prefs file.

BTW, does the machine boot up into 640x480? or is it just at that res for a portion of the startup sequence?

s i n e
-''-..-

fibroptikl · Dec 25, 2000, 02:39 AM

Yes, that is very odd indeed.

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Big Mac · Dec 25, 2000, 08:03 AM

My precious iBook has booted into 640x480 two or three times (hopefully the last times). When the desktop drew itself, my icons were no where to be found; the only things on the screen were my desktop pattern and my menu bar. I restarted normally (from the special menu), and on the next book everything was fine. I don't know of any sure fix, other than rebooting. As others have stated, zapping the PRAM may help.

sine -''-..- · Dec 25, 2000, 12:38 PM

Hmm, thats interesting
Ive never encountered this problem with mine... (rev A 366mhz)
What MacOS are you running? I use 8.6 and everything has been fantastic... I would encouter way to many problems runnin 9.

s i n e
-''-..-

iKevin · Dec 25, 2000, 01:27 PM

Yes it does boot completely in 640x480...very annoying. usually a restart fixes it. But every now and then it takes me going into the settings and resetting it manually. I have tried a "clean" OS install and that doesn't seem to fix it. I will try the PRAM flash. Thanks..Merry Christmas!

Kevin

iPaul UK · Dec 26, 2000, 10:07 PM

Are you absolutely sure that it's booting into proper 640x480 screen res mode? I only ask because I have had a suspicously similar problem to you.. BUT, what happens with my iBook 466 (and I suspect is also happening on your iBook) is that it boots into something resembling 640x480 screen res mode. Only it hasn't. What it has actually done is to somehow boot and magify the screen contents, and also offset it all with a bias to the top left of the screen. So, any icons that you kept towards the right of your screen, are now off the screen, so not really selectable! The same with the control strip.. If like me you set it to appear in the bottom left of your screen, this too is now off screen. This has happened to me maybe half a dozen times sinse I have owned this iBook (Got it in october), and it was always cured with a re-start. So I have not worried about it too much. There was also never any clue as to why it did it. Seemed fairly random. I suspect it is a minor bug affecting only the latest iBooks. I have heard of this happening to a one or two other latest gen iBook users too. By the way, does this problem appear while booting up? On my iBook, the big box that appears while booting up with the smiley Mac logo in it, is also heavily ofset towards the bottom right of the screen.

Like I said tho, this hasn't happened to me very often at all, so i've not lost any sleep over it.

iKevin · Dec 27, 2000, 10:52 AM

That's exactly it!!! it is a "Magnified screen" that resembles 640x480. And like you it has happened to me about a dozen times since i got my iBook(also in October). It's odd because the initial splash screen looks normal, but when it gets to the screen with the status bar it gets all offset and magnified looking. At least now i know there isn't some problem with my iBook...I'll just wait for a fix from Apple

Thanks!

iKevin · Dec 29, 2000, 07:35 PM

Think i have if figured out! It seems that if i just hit one "once" and wait for the iBook to wake up completely before i start trying to click on stuff the clock doesn't change. What i started to notice was that the clock would be wrong until the iBook completely woke up. Me clicking around before it had completely awakened must have made the clock stay at the wrong setting....anyway, it seems to be working perfectly now!

Now if i can just get 4x4 Evolution to stop moving my HDD icon everything will be perfect ;-)

Kevin....

thanks for all your help and posts on this matter!

ethan79 · Jan 13, 2001, 03:27 PM

Hi ipaul Uk and ikevin ...
i am the same problem ...
ikevin ... u mentioned that u have figure out what is the problem ...
mine explaining it to me ??
i do experience this problem ... say bout 1 time out of 20 times i switch on the ibook ...
i got my 466 SE firewire in november.

thanks

iKevin · Jan 13, 2001, 03:52 PM

Actually, i "thought" i had the problem fixed. Still happens...just not as often.

ethan79 · Jan 14, 2001, 05:35 AM

ikevin ... oic ....

well ... the problem does not irritate me much as a restart fixes the problem but just like to know the solution to avoid such problem.

anyone out there got similar experience with a terrific solution?

ruttopia · Jan 16, 2001, 01:02 PM

I don't have a solution, but I do have the same "magnification" problem. It only happens rarely, but I tend to leave my iBook on for longer periods of time I guess. Anyway, my clock acts up too. My clock tends to be set wrong after I've been using OS X PB, which always shows the wrong time as well.

Anyway, no solution, but add me to the list of people who've experience the magnification problem!

Big Mac · Jan 18, 2001, 03:49 AM

It's been awhile since I've read this thread, and iPaul hits the nail on the head. What I described in my previous post is indeed the magnification issue. I haven't experienced it at all in a long time.

iKevin · Jan 18, 2001, 09:45 AM

Well, i just got my new Pismo Powerbook in and it seems to be immune fro this "magnification" issue. So i guess it's just an iBook quirk.....still love my iBook though

MrK · Jan 18, 2001, 07:36 PM

I have the same problem w/ an iBook SE 466. Only a restart cures it. No one has a soluion?

Also, have you reported your problem to apple?

The machine thinks it is in 800 x 600 and only a restart fixes. But it happens ALOT on this machine, every 3rd boot...it is getting to be a pain in the rear.

drmellow · Jan 24, 2001, 12:38 PM

I don't have a solution, but wanted to chime in that I'm experiencing the magnification problem as well. It really freaked my wife out one day -- she was the first to experience it -- and she couldn't get at any of the icons on the right side of the screen. This is a sad thing, because she has a predisposition *against* apple products and this has provided one more reason for her to hate my iBook. I hope a fix for this problem is discovered/created.

drmellow · Jan 24, 2001, 01:08 PM

I poked around on Apple's website for help on this, too. I don't know if this link will work, 'cause Apple seems to build URLs based on sessions and stuff. Anyway, if it works, the URL is http://discussions.info.apple.com/We...8^[email protected]/8 -- if it doesn't work, go to http://discussions.info.apple.com and click on "iBook" then click on "LCD\Displays" then click on "iBook SE Intial Startup at Wrong Resolution" for a similar discussion. They suggest resetting the Power Manager and then, if that doesn't work, contacting support for a hardware repair.

ethan79 · Jan 24, 2001, 04:24 PM

Well ... i experience this problem also ....

i believe it should be a bug that happens only to ibook, since so far only ibook owners seems to face this problem. Think need a patch or updater from Apple to fix the problem if it lies with the software. And if the problem lies with the hardware ... then HARE-LE-LU-YA.

the last time i experience the problem was bout 3 - 4 weeks ago.
so far i have been logging onto my ibook everyday for bout 2-3 times a day ..... free of that problem.

WebRats · Feb 9, 2001, 05:55 PM

I have a similar but different situation, using Virtual PC 4.01:

I use 800x600 in Mac mode, but when my Win98 session boots, it of course forces the screen to the fuzzy-stretch-mode of 640x400 that is the hallmark of legacy PC VGA nonsense. The problem is that is switches the Mac video to 640x480, and can also screw up my icon placement IF I don't correct the video on the OS 9.04 control strip BEFORE the Win98 session finishes booting.

I know the stupidity of the PC is starting to leak over to the Mac side, but jeez, shouldn't Connectix be able to stop this mode switch?

--WebRat

iKevin · Feb 9, 2001, 10:08 PM

I think there may just be some sorta glitch in the iBook's video works. I have switched to a PowerBook and i haven't had any problems at all with the resolution changing or anything of the like. I run Virtual PC 4 on it too, at 800x600, while my PowerBook is running at 1024x768 and i don't have any problems.

Feb 10, 2001, 02:19 PM

Just put the iBook to sleep (instead of restart) and BAM---> Resolution restored. Now send me your money.