Can't adjust resolution, which results in the "start game" button being offscreen D<

After moving into the middle of nowhere (That means Montana, by the way XD) I got myself a laptop so I could still play Sins, even after I had to leave my desktop behind.

However, I ran into this really annoying problem- the bottom half of the screen is cut off! This includeds the "start game" button. >_> 

RAGE RAGE RAGE RAGE RAGE

The screen inside of Sins where I set my resolution doesn't show any resolutions to pick from, and running Sins after right-clicking the icon on the desktop and doing the "run in 400-something and 600-something resolution", those numbers exactly, of course, doesn't seem to change a thing.

I don't know how to fix this problem. Normally I'd just pick a resolution that best fits my computer, 1024X864, I'm fairly certain of the 800 number this time. Because I'm in the middle of nowhere, I can't easily try downloading a patch- (our internet only works really late at night, and it's so slow and works for such a short time that I think I won't be able to get the latest patch. (after 2 hours, the extent of our window for internet, 3% of a 1.2 GB file downloaded the other night) So I'm using v1. The good ol' fassion way- putting the disk in.

Can anybody give me some insight here? Is there a way I can force a program to run in the resolution I want (In windows XP), a way I can somehow hit the start game button with it being off screen(and do the same for the buttons controlling my planets), a way I can force the program to run in windowed mode so I can adjust it to the size I want, (and then a way to make the blue bars disappear if that's possible, and you please), or any way you see I can get around the problem in my situation? I'd really appreciate it, and would refrain from bombarding your planet. I'll even offer a trade alliance with you if you can answer in the sacred dialect of Mr. T. Foo.