SBS: Non-Detected Video Adapter Defaults to 640 x 480

During the installation of Small Business Server (SBS), if Ntdetect.com fails to automatically detect the proper video adapter, the display settings will default to standard VGA mode (640 x 480 at 16 colors).

The user will get a warning during server setup that he or she needs to change the display settings. This warning can be dismissed without changes to the display settings; however, the warning will re-appear with the Display Properties dialog box every time you start the server.

The user will also have the opportunity to change settings on the Hardware Confirmation page.

Selecting the video adapter and clicking Change will bring up Display Properties in Control Panel.

If the user clicks Next without setting the video mode to at least 800 x 600 x 16 colors, he or she will get the following error message:
Pressing Cancel will return the user to the Hardware Confirmation dialog box.

Indication of whether the card is running in the correct resolution will display as follows:

Failure to change the above settings will make it difficult to read the Small Business Server Console and To Do List.

To work around this problem, install the appropriate video driver for your adapter and change your display settings to 800x600 and 256 colors (or greater).

For additional information, see the following article or articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: