image stretched on widescreen monitor

AHAR

Sounds like it may be outputting a mode your monitor can't handle.
Are you hitting F8 before Windows starts to load? That should bring up a menu - try "Enable VGA Mode" from that which should start at low resolution. Then go into the Display control panel and fix the resolution setting.
I'm not sure where you're getting the Recovery Console from. You don't have a CD in the drive do you?

AHAR

Have you tried the latest driver available for your system from the Dell support site?

blackswan2

I can never get the Dell site to work, I sign in, select a driver and add to list, click on download, save downlaod file then run it and it alwyas says the list is empty.

Just getting the driver off the Dell resource cd now ...

Got it and restarting computer (yes there was a CD in the drive) ... looking promising ...

blackswan2

phew - back up and running - still stretched though, have set resolution to 1280x768 for now ...

AHAR

The driver I can see on the Dell site is from 2004... You could try it though. Don't you get a direct download button rather than having to add it to the list first?
I have known some devices in Dell systems to not work with drivers which come direct from the hardware manufacturer (as you may have just found out!)
If you're brave enough to give it another go with Nvidia's driver you could try http://www.nvidia.co.uk/object/winxp_2k_93.71_uk.html which is older than the previous one I gave you but should work with a normal FX5200 and does list 1920 x 1080 resolution in the notes.
Check your system restore is on and working beforehand though!

blackswan2

sorted, that driver has done the trick! Thanks very much for all your help :-)