Suddenly down sized & how to lock desktop icons

I was all set to add a very positive post to Franks review of Vista, in the computer Forum, because I have been using Vista for 9 months, and it hasn't crashed yet, knock wood. I have gotten used to the little inconveniences of the extra clicks to get some things done. I actually like it. However a few days ago I let it upload some updates, and since then, everything is different. The programs all are on 2/3rds of the screen, and much smaller. It's hard enough for me to read the normal print, but know it's all 1/3 smaller. Even GardenStew. I need to get some much stronger Walgreen's reading glasses. I have spent, over the last three day, hours looking for some kind of control to switch it back, but to no avail. I wonder if anyone out there has experience with this, and can give me some Help. HELP!
Tom

 

Thanks Frank, I tried what they suggested, but it didn't work. I took a picture of my screen with Gardenstew on it, maybe seeing it you might get an idea. I'm using Firefox, I loaded Gardenstew with Internet Explorer and no differance. But, the Microsoft web sight was full screen.
Tom

 

Hi again Frank,
Up until a few days ago, the Gardenstew screen filled the entire screen, and the add for Ride search was off the screen on the right. and not white area to the right. Your right I found in the "View tab an increase button. That didn't expand anything to the right, it all adjusted to fit the narrow area that the text is within. Also, I have the Screen Resolution set for 1280 X 960. I found that anything less than 960 leaves a black area top and bottom. There is one setting higher than that, 1280 X 1024, but I chose the former as it fit the screen best, I thought. Also look at the Gardenstew tool bar, It used to go all the way across the screen, with the weather button to the far right side of the screen. I guess that I can live with it, if this is the way it is supposed to be, just don't understand the changes. Even the windows that pop up are smaller, smaller text, smaller boxes. Desk to icons also changed.
Tom

 

Thanks Frank, problem solved. You are exactly right, I switched back to 800 X 600, and found what I had been used to seeing. Know that I now what happened, I think that I'll stay at 1280 X 960 for a while and see how it works. I may just get stronger glasses to work at the computer. Thanks again.
Tom

 

I was going to suggest using System Restore and go back to a date before the updates took place! Glad it is fixed

 

Well, I'm not sure that every thing is settled yet. Last night I turned the computer off, not just to sleep, but off. This morning when I turned it on, for some reason, Magnifier loaded and was on. Messing up all the icons on the desk top. I turned off Magnifier, and as I rearranged the Icons, I realized that the icons, the font, and the space around each Icon had gotten bigger. I right clicked and went to view, and the icons were set at medium, I reset them to Classic. That helped some, but they were still larger than they were last night. When I left it last night I had the icons in a grid, I didn't count, but it seems like there were 14 or 15 places vertically to locate an icon. Now, there are 9 spaces. I have 51 icons in the desktop screen, and I like them in a particular order. I had to turn off the grid, and overlap them to get them back where I wanted them. Also since the start up this morning, all the fonts are larger, the bottom tool bar has a lot of items that don't show now. Even with in programs, the fonts are larger. I checked the resolution, and it had not changed. I think that I have a ghost in here, messing with me. Any ideas??

 

No Frank, but I've sort of decided to live with it, as it is only the desk top that I find very troubling. Without the grid turned on, it appears somewhat disorganized. Do you know of a way to lock the Icons in place on the desktop, so no matter what else occurs, they will always appear in the same place?? I've found that if I remove, or add icons, sometimes they automatically rearrange, and that is most annoying. I'm a creature of habit, and look for an icon (Gardenstew as an example) in a particular place, and expect to find it there. I grew to like the smaller font size, more fit on the screen, but what I have will do, if it doesn't decide to change on it's own again. Also, the Icons used to have cute little pictures of what the short cut led to, but now they all are very generic. I imagine that someday I'll find the answers, until then I'll live with what I have. Thanks for trying, the resolution information was a help, and I learned some things.

Tom