Non-traditional screen resolution?

**Lincolnman** · 11-21-2008, 08:55 PM

Alright, I am not sure how to start explaining this, but here goes.
I need to know if I can make the vertical resolution of my screen (future purchase) shrink by 1/4"?
To wit - I am looking at the purchase of an Asus eeePC to use as a base for my carputer. Specifically the model 900HA as seen here - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834220441 . The problem arises in the fact that the screen's viewable portion is just BARELY smaller than the hole I have for it. Making the hole larger is not an option. The hole fits the screen's horizontal viewable portion PERFECTLY, but the vertical is 1/4" too tall. Argh.
So - what I need is a program, hack, or advice on how to basically ELIMINATE that 1/4" of the screen and have the rest of it squish into a smaller space. I don't mind if I wind up with a resolution of 900X600 instead of 1024X600 or something like that. The only real workable suggestion I have found so far is to just put it in and let it cover up the top bar of the windows, then right click from the taskbar to minimize, maximize, or close. I don't like that option and on top of that it will mean that if I watch a video or the like full screen it cuts off that much of the action. So - I am not even sure how to go about this. I just need to effectively make the screen 1/4" smaller vertically.
Help?
Thanks in advance,
Lincolnman

**Lincolnman** · 11-22-2008, 10:08 AM

Found an old picture of basically what I am thinking. I 'shopped this image some time ago. In this picture the radio has been replaced with the screen, but in practice I have decided that it makes more sense to place the screen in the spot above it where the heater vent, wiper switch, lighter, and idiot lights are. The wiper switch will be relocated, the lighter eliminated, the vent blocked off so it just relies more on the other three in the dash, and the idiot lights will be incorporated into the OBDII conversion.
The radio will then be gutted and changed out to knobs only so that if I choose to run the carputer blind for music as though it were a regular radio I can. Left knob volume, right knob tuning/track, etcetera.
Anyway, this hole (the top one) is just shy of being 4.5 inches tall (required for full viewable area of the eee PC's 8.9" display), but dead on for width. I just need to know a way to convince the PC that it has a smaller height, wider ratio screen.
Also, hopefully it is now obvious why I will not cut the hole larger.

**Lincolnman** · 11-22-2008, 10:15 AM

Oops, see image.

**Haystack** · 11-25-2008, 01:22 AM

why not just adjust it by narrowing it just like a regular old school crt?

**Lincolnman** · 11-25-2008, 01:50 PM

Perhaps I have not made clear that I am using the screen from the eee PC, not an aftermarket screen.
The eee PC (as they come) does not offer me the option of adjusting the screen beyond making the resolution worse. I can have the normal resolution or lower resolution, both completely filling the available screen space. I actually need it to not use the top (or bottom, either way) 1/4" of the display. They never made them to do this because they knew (or at least thought they did) that the screen would not ever be partly covered, so knowing what screen they would use the adjustment was apparently deemed unnecessary.
I read about making the screen a custom resolution somewhere through windows, but it was not suggested as it can cause problems, and I think that the method would just "stretch" the image back out to fit the screen rather than eliminating a section of the screen like I need.
Hence why I asked here - if it were just a straight adjustment I would not have bothered anyone.

**Lincolnman** · 12-01-2008, 06:24 PM

TO PUT THINGS MORE SIMPLY
I need to "window" all of my OS so that I am not using the top (or bottom, either way) 1/4" of the screen at all.
Does anyone have any idea how this ought to be done?

**hailrazer** · 12-02-2008, 12:27 AM

Look up a program called PowerStrip.

It should do what you want.

**Lincolnman** · 12-03-2008, 11:43 AM

Thank you, that looks as though it would do quite nicely.
I knew there had to be something, but I must have been searching for the wrong terms or some such. Thanks again!

**Lincolnman** · 01-21-2010, 05:02 AM

Yeah, I know. I'm old post digging again. Why start new threads for old subjects, right?
Anyway, the point is I am finally running again for this project (hardware got stepped on, long story...) and I am still wondering about a program to make this happen. It did appear for a while that Powerstrip would do the trick for me, but since then I have toyed with it on a limited level and been unable to make it do what I need (or anything that looked to make a change at all). This is not to say that it cannot be done, but so far I have not been able to figure it out. My go-to techy hates the program ever since he tried to use it years ago for something and failed, and the information available on the net that I have found is all geared toward gamers and people using incorrect monitors/televisions for their application.
So I am back here and old post digging in order to humbly request further help with my issue. If Powerstrip will work for this, how do I do it; if not, what next?
Thanks for your patience,
Chris

**Lincolnman** · 02-02-2010, 09:43 AM

So - is there nothing other than Powerstrip and no one is willing to point me in the right direction on how to make Powerstrip actually work?
Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?