If you’re looking for the best way to maximize your desktop resolution for your Windows XP Eee PC while still being able to read and see everything, follow the guide below:

Before you continue any further, please make sure that you have access to your Windows XP install folder as you will need to install new fonts.

A. Installing The Drivers

1. Download the modified Eee PC Video Drivers
2. Unzip them into a folder on your primary hard drive.
3. Left click on START
4. Right click MY COMPUTER
5. Left click PROPERTIES
6. Select the HARDWARE TAB
7. Left click the DEVICE MANAGER BUTTON
8. Select DISPLAY ADAPTERS
9. Right click the first display adapter and select UPDATE DRIVER
10. Select the radio button titled “Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)” then click next
11. Select the radio button titled “Don’t search, I will choose the driver to install” then click next
12. Left click the HAVE DISK button
13. Navigate to the location of the drivers you downloaded and select them.
14. Left click NEXT
15. Left click FINISH
16. Follow steps 9-15 for the second display adapter
17. Restart your computer

B. Set Your DPI

1. Right click on your desktop and select PROPERTIES
2. Select the SCREENSAVER Tab
3. Click the POWER button
4. In the POWER SCHEMES tab, change “Turn off monitor” and “System standby” to NEVER
5. In the ADVANCED tab, change “When I close the lid of my portable computer” to DO NOTHING
6. Click APPLY then click OK
7. Back in the PROPERTIES window, select the SETTINGS TAB
8. Click the ADVANCED Button
9. Under the DISPLAY section in the GENERAL tab, there is a DPI SETTINGS drop down
10. Select CUSTOM SETTINGS and choose 150% (144 DPI) and click OK
11. You will be prompted to insert your XP install cd or flash drive. Browse to the I386 folder and select OK.
12. Follow the instructions to restart your computer

C. Setting Up Astray Plus

1. Download Astray Plus
2. Unzip Astray Plus in the same folder as your video drivers on your primary hard drive
3. Double click on the Astray.exe file to open the application
4. Right click on the Astray Plus icon and select CREATE SHORTCUT
5. Left click on START -> ALL PROGRAMS
6. Right click on the STARTUP folder
7. Select open and drag the Astray Plus shortcut into this folder
8. Left click on START -> RUN
9. Type in  MSCONFIG and click OK
10. Select the STARTUP TAB
11. Uncheck the AsTray Startup Item that is located in C:\Program Files\Asus\EeePC ACPI\
12. Click OK then click EXIT WITHOUT RESTART
13. Right click on the new Astray icon in your system tray
14. Click SETTINGS -> CONFIGURATION
15. In the Astray.ini application that loaded, under [SETTINGS] change alter your BaseMode line to the follow: BaseMode=1024,768,32,60
16. Close Astray.ini and click yes to save the file
17. Restart your system

It is necessary to turn off standby and any screen savers you use when in these modes as the Eee PC will not recover properly from them in these resolutions.

Now, you will be able to run at 1024×768 with a readable DPI on your Windows XP Eee PC. If you have any questions or comments, pleasee let us know.

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The PDair Leather Case for the Asus Eee PC adds a very sharp and sophisticated look to what otherwise comes across as a toy to most people. The case gives off the appearance that what you’re actually holding is a day planner rather than a laptop.

The case itself is a decent quality leather with a stitch finish that actually looks pretty sharp. The only real issue with the outside of the case is that it has a large PDair logo on the front of it. While this doesn’t detract too much from the overall appearance of the case, it could have been better placed to be less invasive.

Your Eee PC slides easily into the case touchpad side first, where it fits all the way up to the keyboard and keeps a decent grasp on it. Not a lot of warping occurs over time either as the support area that reaches between the touchpad and the keyboard. The ports for the audio jacks and SDHC memory card reader aren’t obstructed either when the case is fully closed. The back of the case leaves a about an inch on either edge to allow for the power cord to be plugged in regardless of the case being open or closed.

Both the top and bottom of the case is padded for both shock absorbing and feel. The bottom has plenty of air holes so the case breathes fairly well, but in the hot weather even with the fan on max, it still reached higher temperatures than it did outside of the case. The PDair Leather Case closes with a magnet latch that hangs down from the front.

Inside of the case, on the part that covers the top, is a memory card and business card holder. While anyone who has 4 SDHC flash memory cards probably has them installed internally, it still adds a nice place to store additional accessories. Unfortunately the case doesn’t have any way to hold onto any other accessories but business cards and memory cards.

When opened, the case doesn’t hold on to the top of the Eee PC whatsoever. This can be frustrating for people to use because it takes up twice the space that an uncased Eee PC would. You can however, effectively bend the top of the case under the bottom and create a stand of sorts, giving a decent angle, but remember you’re covering the air holes.

You can purchase the case directly through the manufacturer for $42 plus shipping, or you can find it for less than $40 with shipping included in the total.

The PDair case is available in Black, Black Snake, Black Crocodile, Brown, Brown Crocodile, Red, and Red Crocodile leather varieties for both the Eee PC 700, 701, 900, and 901.

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A Simple Guide Detailing How To Open Your Eee PC Case

CAUTION: Before opening your Eee PC, make sure to remove the battery and disconnect the system from it’s power source.

Click Pictures For Full-Size View

To get inside your Eee PC’s case for modding or repair purposes, start by removing the keyboard. To do so, you’ll have to press down on the tabs marked in the picture. This will release the keyboard and touchpad from your Eee PC case.

Make sure to be careful when removing your Eee PC’s keyboard and touchpad as they both have a very sensitive ribbon cable connecting them to the motherboard. By gently moving the sliders attached to the motherboard of your Eee PC as shown in the picture below, you can release the ribbon cable without damaging it.

Under your Eee PC’s keyboard, you’ll find a metal plate that has 9 identical screws that have to be removed. The under side of your Eee PC also has 6 identical screws that you’ll have to remove as well, allowing you to separate the case completely.

The best way to remove this part of your Eee PC’s case is to pry it up all around it’s edges with your fingernails. Make sure you do this on all sides of the case to avoid breaking it by using too much force.

Congratulations, you now should be staring at the exposed motherboard of your Eee PC. Most mods will require you to remove the motherboard from the Eee PC’s case to properly maneuver around it. To do this, you’ll either have to flip the motherboard over the screen (not recommended) or you’ll have to disconnect all the JST connectors. Follow the diagram below to remove them.

Before removing your Eee PC’s motherboard from the case, you should remove the plastic plug that sits in your modem slot to prevent resistance. When guiding the motherboard out, make sure to focus on keeping the audio jacks and the VGA connectors intact as they can be easily damaged due to how they stand out from the board.

Removing your Eee PC’s LCD screen bezel is very easy to do as well. Simply remove the 6 identical screws that hold it on to the screen, then use your fingernails on the edges to pry the bezel off of the case.

Examining the fully exposed motherboard of your Eee PC allows you to see where all the connectors are for future projects. Below is a diagram detailing out the parts of the Eee PC that can be used for modifications.

There’s two USB ports on the motherboard that you can take advantage of located in the WiFi mini PCI-Express and unused mini PCI-Express connectors. To solder to them, you’ll need to remove your Atheros WiFi card. The second picture shows you where these pins connect on the RAM door side of the motherboard.

You’ll need to get power to your mod and ground it as well, so use these two points on the Eee PC motherboard for those purposes. The +5V connection does not stay active when the system is off, however.

When you put your case back together, check that your power button can fully press down before you seal it. The white and black wire near the power button can easily get twisted up, hindering you from pushing the button down or even turning it off. I found this out the hard way.

Pictures and original guide written by ta2cba @ eeeuser.com

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