8.10: Screen resolution set too high - black screen now - what now?

**flameproof** · October 31st, 2008

Hi,

more first day trouble:

I set the screen resolution too high and the screen went black - and stayed black after restart.

How I get it back to 1024 x 768?

**HermanAB** · October 31st, 2008

I cannot give you specific instructions - maybe someone else or some Googling can, but here is the general idea, which may be enough for you to figure it out:

One way to fix this kind of trouble, is to boot off the CDROM and do an upgrade install. It won't find anything to upgrade, but it will fix the screen problem in the process.

Another way is to boot off the CDROM and mount the hard disk, then edit file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.

**Pconfig** · October 31st, 2008

There should be a failsafe configuration in the X11 directory.

Just type in console (if no console shows up press ctrl + alt + f3)

Code:

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf.failsafe /etc/X11/xorg.conf

And reboot

**flameproof** · October 31st, 2008

Originally Posted by Pconfig

There should be a failsafe configuration in the X11 directory.

Just type in console (if no console shows up press ctrl + alt + f3)

Code:

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf.failsafe /etc/X11/xorg.conf

And reboot

That give me an "no such file" error.

**Pconfig** · October 31st, 2008

Alright, I see you have an nvidia graphics card. If you installed the restricted drivers you could try

sudo nvidia-xconfig

**flameproof** · October 31st, 2008

Originally Posted by Pconfig

Alright, I see you have an nvidia graphics card. If you installed the restricted drivers you could try

sudo nvidia-xconfig

I did that from command line. What is it supposed to do? I am still here with a black screen after system start.

**Pconfig** · October 31st, 2008

It should give you a new xorg.conf file.

What error are you getting when type

sudo startx

**flameproof** · October 31st, 2008

Originally Posted by Pconfig

It should give you a new xorg.conf file.

What error are you getting when type

sudo startx

X: warning: process set to priority -1 instead of requested priority 0

Fatal server error:
Server is already active for display 0
If this server is no longer running, remove /tmp/.X0-lock and start again

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I have no idea what that means.

PS: it's really frustrating that such a little error and so difficult to get out. In Xp a new screen resolution will last only for 10 Seconds or so and then go back to as before if you don't confirm it.