Adjusting screen resolution on Ubuntu 10.10 booted from disk

Jzkqm · 12-16-2010, 02:11 AM

Hello all,

I just booted ubuntu from a disk that I burned to try and salvage some files off a hard drive with a failed boot sector (maybe. not sure what the problem is, haha).

Anyway, I can see the files, and I have a large portable hard drive that I can use (a MyPassport 320gig, if I recall correctly). I'm having trouble accessing the drive, and I think it might be because there's something popping up in the task bar that I can't see.

Unfortunately, I can't see the task bar! My screen's resolution is off, and I'm having trouble adjusting it. I browsed the various settings and I couldn't figure out any way to change it.

Is there anything I can do?

EDIT: Oops! I didn't look into the Monitors options... how embarrassing.

EDIT2: Okay, looks like I can mess about with the resolutions, but all of them still deny me access to the full screen - still can't see the task bar. Any tips?

jefro · 12-16-2010, 03:36 PM

right click on blank part of screen with mouse. Then use arrow down key. It may scroll to bottom if that is the problem.

thorkelljarl · 12-16-2010, 05:07 PM

Double post...

thorkelljarl · 12-16-2010, 05:07 PM

Or, if the problem isn't so simple...

If you use the Ubuntu live-cd to install Ubuntu on a USB flash drive that has more capacity than Ubuntu requires, you can reserve the remainder of the drive for additions to and changes in Ubuntu. Ubuntu should be installed as persistent, that is so that changes to Ubuntu on the USB can be made permanent.

Thereafter, you can modify what you need on Ubuntu on the USB; install a Nvidia or ATI driver, change the screen settings through the desktop GUI, use the command "xrandr" to set the screen resolution, or any combination of the above that will produce a screen resolution that is to read.

If you don't have any luck the first time, boot the Ubuntu live-cd, mount the USB flash drive, erase its Ubuntu files, install Ubuntu again on the flash drive and try again.

There are other live-cds that you could use. I use a PCLinuxOS live-cd to copy files because of the KDE desktop I'm accustomed to. The advantage for you is that PCLinuxOs is not based on Ubuntu and should configure your screen differently.