NEW USER set-up assistance

["Jacob W Tennant" <k8jwt@adelphia.net>]

I need some help in setting up my newly installed debian system. It is a net 
install system with all of the latest packages running Gnome desktop.

My problems are,

1. The video display will only let me use up to 800x600 size whereas the 
same monitor under WinXP would work at 1024x768. So how would I go about 
correctly setting this in the base config?

2. SOUNDCARD - When I activate sounds in Gnome desktop all I get is a 
pulsating growl. Sometimes I get no sound at all except a faint beep. I use 
the soundcard heavily as a ham radio operator to decode and transmit RTTY 
signals.

Any help would be really great as I am a complete idiot to linux even after 
reading some books on it this is my first attempt at using it exclusively.

Jacob Tennant - K8JWT