Monitor Calibration (For Free)

Valentia

I hadn't heard of "Godmode" in Windows before but if you open a folder and name it "GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}" ( without the inverted commas and it can be called anything. I just called mine Godmode)you will get a tool, similar to Control Panel, which gives you access to mostly anything that can be tampered with in Windows.

One of the options is to "Calibrate Display Colour". And it's pretty damn good!!

Having tested this extensively and comparing it with a commercial calibrator (Spyder II) I can vouch for it's usefulness. In fact I reckon it would be all that's needed by the majority of people. As someone who has always been slightly (well more than slightly) sceptical of those aforementioned commercial products it's just one more thing to save people being led astray.

I'm using Windows 7 64 bit and it is working fine but there have been a few people that have had it crash with Vista 64. Many other Vista 64 users have had no problems with it. It works fine with 32 bit systems. Give it a lash and let us know how you get on.

P.S. I have two monitors and it calibrates both with their own individual profiles which the cheaper commercial jobbies don't do either!!

dnme

Valentia wrote: »

I hadn't heard of "Godmode" in Windows before but if you open a folder and name it "GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}" ( without the inverted commas and it can be called anything. I just called mine Godmode)you will get a tool, similar to Control Panel, which gives you access to mostly anything that can be tampered with in Windows.

What do you mena by "open a folder"? do you mean create a folder?
What are we naming it? is it
1. GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
or 2. {ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

What version of Windows?

Where do you create the folder? Desktop? My Documents? In some other folder? In control panel ?

Many thanks

Leftyflip

Create a new folder and name it GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
You can make it on the desktop or where ever. It worked grand for me on Windows 7.

Kbeg3

I tried it, just create a new folder anywhere (e.g. desktop) and rename it GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}. It works, I'm using Windows 7 64 by the way. Handy to have everything in one place!

Chorcai

Dam didnt work on my vista x64, had an end less Explore erorr crash, to get around it you have to

- Open Task manager (using Cltrl+Alt+Delete)
- Click on menu File ->Open task
- Type regedit and Enter to open Registry Editor
- Search for the key word ED7BA470
- Delete this key and close Registry Editor
- Restart Windows Explorer and everything is back to normal

AnCatDubh

well it works (vista) in that it gives me a god like folder of stuff, but i can't find "Calibrate Display Colour"

I do have a colour management option but I think I had that anyway. duhhhhhhh.... lots for me to poke at anyhow

smelltheglove

I dont have callibrate either just the colour management:(

dnme

Doesn't seem to work on Windows XP (at least not for me)

nilhg

AnCatDubh wrote: »

well it works (vista) in that it gives me a god like folder of stuff, but i can't find "Calibrate Display Colour"

I do have a colour management option but I think I had that anyway. duhhhhhhh.... lots for me to poke at anyhow

smelltheglove wrote: »

I dont have callibrate either just the colour management:(

It's in the display section, not colour management, intuitive huh?

smelltheglove

nilhg wrote: »

It's in the display section, not colour management, intuitive huh?

Dont have a display section....

nilhg

See the attached screen grab

smelltheglove

nilhg wrote: »

See the attached screen grab

Strange but I dont have that in my folder. What are you using, I am on vista.

smelltheglove

here is my folder

superflyninja

works for me thanks

pullandbang

Doesn't work in XP :mad:

Valentia

My English is atrocious sometimes so sorry for any confusion

I also use an explorer alternative called Directory Opus since my Amiga days so my Windows never looks like it does to a lot of people.

Anyway, I'm sure the more computer literate have come across this before but my main point is that, as a calibration method this works just as well as many commercial products do.

For those on XP, well Windows 7 really is worth the upgrade for many more reasons than this. If you have a family member who is a student you can upgrade to Windows 7 for €50 so no excuses ;-) Try software4students or micromail.ie.

trooney

pullandbang wrote: »

Doesn't work in XP :mad:

Its not a function which is available in XP. As Danny says - 7 is worth the upgrade.

Valentia

betafrog wrote: »

Also for what it's worth most display drivers come with a utility for doing the same..

Really? Where?

The ATI on my main machine doesn't and neither does the NVidia GeForce on my laptop. In fact I've never come across any video card s/ware that has it and I've had a few over the years and I've had dozens of different Catalyst drivers? There are tools to adjust colour and gamma and brightness etc. but not for calibrating a monitor.

The only other free app that I know is the Adobe one.

leinsterman

I'm getting the Windows 7 Pro Upgrade disk from Microsoft next week hopefully ...

The whole upgrade thing for me is simply in the hope that I can run videos from my 5DmkII ... which so far don't work very well on either Vista or XP ... with any player I've tried (VLC, Power DVD, Quicktime, WMP, others) ...

My understanding is you get both 32bit and 64bit versions of the OS so you can choose ... I'll try 64, makes sense given the redundant memory blade on my system (I have 4GB) ... and if it doesn't work for me I'll come looking for you with an angry expression on my face

I was thinking of keeping a dual boot with Vista (in fact tri-boot as I'm planning Ubuntu as well) ... not sure the upgrade allows you to do this but if it does I'll try it ... in fact I'll probably have a four OS options since Win7 Pro has an XP mode also ...

Valentia

Not sure the Pro version has both 32 and 64 on the one disk. I bought two pro upgrades and both had "64" written on the disk?? Will check when I get home later.

BTW Windows 7 is like a good referee. You don't really notice it. It just works and works well.

leinsterman

Valentia wrote: »

Not sure the Pro version has both 32 and 64 on the one disk. I bought two pro upgrades and both had "64" written on the disk?? Will check when I get home later.

BTW Windows 7 is like a good referee. You don't really notice it. It just works and works well.

Please do ... but the MS ordering system makes no mention of 64 or 32 bit ... I bought it through their Employee Purchase Program ...

Chorcai

leinsterman wrote: »

Please do ... but the MS ordering system makes no mention of 64 or 32 bit ... I bought it through their Employee Purchase Program ...

I can't see them doing 64+32bit on one disk, sure if you bought 64bit there are options to run in 32bit mode, you cant run somthing in 64bit on a 32bit bit system.

leinsterman

Chorcai wrote: »

I can't see them doing 64+32bit on one disk, sure if you bought 64bit there are options to run in 32bit mode, you cant run somthing in 64bit on a 32bit bit system.

Well I just double checked their ordering system and it does not say if it is one or the other ... so it has to be both ... doesn't it?

This article seems to suggest that both are shipped in retail versions -

64 v 32bit

But I'm guess your own experiences are different ... is this correct?

Tallon

pullandbang wrote: »

Doesn't work in XP :mad:

Nope, not here in work on XP

Ill try on Vista later

leinsterman

Hmnn ... well now ... I'll ask no questions where everyone is getting their version of the OS ...

But according to Amazon you get both in the box -

Win 7 Amazon

Chorcai

leinsterman wrote: »

Well I just double checked their ordering system and it does not say if it is one or the other ... so it has to be both ... doesn't it?

This article seems to suggest that both are shipped in retail versions -

64 v 32bit

But I'm guess your own experiences are different ... is this correct?

"Did you know?
Retail versions of Windows 7 will include both 32-bit & 64-bit discs on the box in case you are undecided or prefer to make the jump to the 64-bit version of the OS at a later time. "

Thats handy ! I was just going on how they sold vista x32/64 you bought either one or the other.

leinsterman

... forgot to add ... I now have a god mode folder on my Vista desktop ... thanks for the advice ...

Not to hijack your thread Valentia ... but you say you are sceptical about monitor calibration tools like Spyder .. I've been using the Pantone pro for some time now and like you I am not totally convinced it does anything you can't do in the OS S/W ...

Can you elaborate on the source of your scepticism?

PaulieC

I can confirm that all versions of Windows7 come on a DVD and contain both x86 and x64 versions. Setup will let you know what's possible e.g. enabling install of either version on a 64-bit box or just x86 on a 32-bit box

leinsterman

cambo_gueno wrote: »

I can confirm that all versions of Windows7 come on a DVD and contain both x86 and x64 versions. Setup will let you know what's possible e.g. enabling install of either version on a 64-bit box or just x86 on a 32-bit box

phew, this thread had me worried for a sec ... thanks!

Valentia

betafrog wrote: »

Here's the nVidia one, can't remember where it is in the ATI ones been a while since I used an ATI card

Those settings don't help you calibrate your monitor. They just allow you to change settings which is not the same.

eas

I may be confused here, but I don't see how this replaces a hardware + software calibration system?

From the screen shots above all your doing is calibrating your screen to look OK to your own eyes, as in there's no set benchmark or default to compare what you have to what you should have.

For example, if you're used to looking at a screen with a colour temperature that's much too warm, chances are the right colour temperature is going to look WAY too cold, so you're never going to eyeball it correctly.

In a nutshell (to quote a nutbar) we have knowns and unknowns and unknown unkowns.

?

Valentia

betafrog wrote: »

They let you adjust exactly the same set of options as the windows one, the only difference is that the windows one gives you a guide to set it against. Which means that you are relying on somebody else's interpretation of how an image should look. As a photographer that would be bad practice as you should be setting your monitor to match either your camera or your printer otherwise you're gonna end up getting images that look nothing like they did on the screen.

Sorry but that's total nonsense!! A very silly thing to say in fact. Monitor calibration has nothing to do with "interpretation". It has to do with setting your monitor up so that it reflects the true colour space that you are working in. You really should read up before you say any more.

Valentia

eas wrote: »

I may be confused here, but I don't see how this replaces a hardware + software calibration system?

From the screen shots above all your doing is calibrating your screen to look OK to your own eyes, as in there's no benchmark or default to compare what you have to what you should have.

For example, if you're used to looking at a screen with a colour temperature that's much too warm, chances are the right colour temperature is going to look WAY too cold, so you're never going to eyeball it correctly.

In a nutshell (to quote a nutbar) we have knowns and unknowns and unknown unkowns.

?

The screen shots above are not from the calibrating process. The process itself sets guides to adjust gamma, brightness and colour etc. As I've said it compares very favourably (in fact I'd trust it more) with the Spyder II calibration system that I use. It also allows you to profile two monitors and stores two profiles. Most commercial calibration systems, except the high end ones, will not allow you to do that without hacking.

eas

Valentia wrote: »

The screen shots above are not from the calibrating process. The process itself sets guides to adjust gamma, brightness and colour etc. As I've said it compares very favourably (in fact I'd trust it more) with the Spyder II calibration system that I use. It also allows you to profile two monitors and stores two profiles. Most commercial calibration systems, except the high end ones, will not allow you to do that without hacking.

I'm still a bit skeptical, but trust your opinion. I'm on a mac so can't really try it out myself. I just can't see how you can eyeball calibration based on what you see on an uncalibrated monitor.

I use a low end gretagmacbeth eye 1 - it lets me calibrate one Laptop screen and one external monitor with separate profiles... would that be different than two independent monitors?

Valentia

betafrog wrote: »

yes but the colour space you're calibrating the monitor to using the built in tool is different to the one the picture was recorded in and the one it will be printed in...

?? So how do you calibrate a monitor so? A monitor needs to be calibrated so that you see an accurate representation of the colour space you are working in.You posted screen shots that will allow settings to be changed without any references. . This cannot be done without reference to something. That's what proper calibrating does.

stcstc

calibartion is not about the look of the screen


the process of proper calibration is about bringing your monitor into line with a given international standard


Its not about if it looks right etc, as most of the time is wont quite. but it will be displaying accurate colours, which not many people would be able to do by eye

Valentia

eas wrote: »

I'm still a bit skeptical, but trust your opinion. I'm on a mac so can't really try it out myself. I just can't see how you can eyeball calibration based on what you see on an uncalibrated monitor.

I use a low end gretagmacbeth eye 1 - it lets me calibrate one Laptop screen and one external monitor with separate profiles... would that be different than two independent monitors?

I agree that generally a "mechanical" calibrating method should beat an "eye" method. I've always distrusted the Spyder though.

It's just that I was amazed how easy the windows method was. I never knew that that facility was there. That's why I posted. It's obvious from the random thread that quite a few people have non calibrated monitors.

That's cool that the gretagmacbeth eye 1 does a dual monitor calibration. From another thread going back ages some had problems getting a dual system set up.