Windowed Mode Doesnt Work/Black Side screens?

I've tried clicking the windowed mode button and browseing the forums but it just doesnt seem to actually do anything? it just loads up the game the same way and refuses to run in windowed =/, I like to normally run calls(/chat on msn) with a few friends over skype to play the game but if your the host it then tabs me out when someone quits and dc's me from the game, however when someone else hosts and they leave it does exsactly the same so its quite irritating to be dc'd roughly 8 times during a day because the mode doesnt work =/ I've browsed the forums and heard about windower but I honestly cant be bothered to get banned because the mods are a bit iffy about it being a outside program. Although someone in my linkshell has apparently got it working so I've asked them how but they just mentioned they messed about with the config file a little?

on the windower note I would use it only for windowed mode, mainly because I'm to lazy to set up stuff and macros arnt my specialty~

Dureing full screen however I get these lovely black lines like I'm at a cinema, I've tried messing about with the options turning on "Full Screen" in the launcher config, nothing is this due to the resolution of my laptop? (1366 x 768)

I'm running it of a windows 7 laptop Dell XPS The same laptop that has the grahpics card issues so I've had to turn it of, THAT might be the issue but then if I re-enable it the game crashs =/ so I'm at a dead end there.

Any help with this would be amazing.
-Thanks.

TLDR: Windowed mode doesnt work. Full screen gives me black sides to the screen like a cinema. Advise?

Enyaron,

We apologize for the problems that you are experiencing, and would like to offer assistance. However, there are some points that we are not clear on.

You had mentioned ‘clicking the windowed mode button,’ which is the point we’re not clear on. Windowed mode for FINAL FANTASY XI is enabled by opening the FINAL FANTASY XI Config tool and checking the box for ‘Windowed Mode.’ Please be aware that Windowed mode for FINAL FANTASY XI is activated separate from the PlayOnline Viewer, as they are two separate programs.

Please also be aware that the above method is the only approved method of enabling Windowed mode for FINAL FANTASY XI, and we do not condone the use of any config file edits or third party programs.