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Geek Culture / problems changing screen resolution on my laptop

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Green Gandalf
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Posted: 4th Mar 2014 14:27 Edited at: 4th Mar 2014 14:39
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Whenever I change the screen resolution on my laptop to a smaller than recommended size the new desktop is shown in a small rectangular subset of the screen. For example, the native resolution is 1600x900 and that fills the screen as it should. But if I change it to 800x600 it only fills that segment of the main screen. I need to be able to use the lower resolutions with the entire screen area for certain older software.

Strangely, DBPro uses the whole available screen area when I use a lower resolution such as 640x480. If DBPro can do it why can't Windows?

Is there a setting somewhere in Control Panel that needs to be checked?

Edit Just done some testing in DBPro and DBPro uses the whole screen area if I use FullDesktop (my usual setting) but does the same as windows if I use Fullscreen in the project settings, i.e. a lower resolution is displayed as a smaller rectangle in the middle of the screen. So perhaps there's a setting somewhere which forces Windows to do what the DBPro Fulldesktop setting does? Any ideas where to look?



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Lukas W
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Posted: 4th Mar 2014 16:32
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With an nvidia graphicscard you can change the scaling of your screen when a lower resolution is used. That can be accessed in nvidia controlpanel.

IS that a game, a program, or 3 year old drawing.
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nonZero
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Posted: 4th Mar 2014 16:45
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DBP uses a boderless window for what I call "emulated full-screen". Essentially:
SET WINDOW ON
SET WINDOW LAYOUT 0,0,0
SET DISPLAY MODE 1600, 900, 32 // In your case.
This is merely an undecorated window. Onto fs(full-screen)...

When you enter fs, the monitor itself will:
1. Scale to fit - the image is up- or down-scaled to fill the monitor's native resolution either by x or y, whichever is appropriate based on the AR.
2. Do nothing. Display the image pixel-fo-pixel, centered and surrounded by black.
3. Simply stretch the image to fit.

There is usually a choice in the monitor settings on what to do. Certain graphics cards can also control this. For either in a laptop, the settings are usually in the bios. I know AMD/ATI chipsets can be controlled from the Catalyst Control Center in Windows IF this feature is supported. You'll have to just look and see.

ver 7.5 /// int 145 /// str 45 /// dex 85 /// end 200 /// mat 3
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Green Gandalf
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Posted: 4th Mar 2014 18:31 Edited at: 4th Mar 2014 19:21
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Quote: "That can be accessed in nvidia controlpanel."


Thanks - someone else on another forum suggested the same solution - unfortunately I can't find the relevant page in the Nvidia Control Panel. This is what the NCP Help file says:

Quote: "Display Scaling
The flat panel scaling controls are now located in the NVIDIA Control Panel Adjust Desktop Size and Position page. Use the settings on that page to change how lower resolution images are scaled to fit your flat panel display."


What it doesn't tell you is how to find that page.

Elsewhere in the NCP Help file it tells you this:

Quote: "To scale my desktop - Windows Vista and later

From the NVIDIA Control Panel navigation tree pane, under Display, click Adjust Desktop Size and Position to open the page."


Where is this navigation pane? I'm getting rather frustrated with this.

There is one more place I can look. Sounds like the right fix - just locating the damn place to fix it is the problem.



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Lukas W
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Posted: 4th Mar 2014 19:10
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It should look like this - and if it does not then I dunno how to help you, sorry.

IS that a game, a program, or 3 year old drawing.

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Green Gandalf
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Posted: 4th Mar 2014 19:29
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Seems like the option isn't available for me then. This is what I see (attached).

The other option is to tinker with the BIOS - and I have no idea how to safely do that.



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Lukas W
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Posted: 4th Mar 2014 20:34
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My version is 7.5.780.0 and I am sure in the past there was a function to "Enable settings for advanced users". But in this version I can not find that checkbox - so maybe that is enabled by default (unless, of course, you are running the same version).

IS that a game, a program, or 3 year old drawing.
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nonZero
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Posted: 4th Mar 2014 21:25
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Okay, so you're on nvidia. Haven't used one in years so I can't help with the settings but I can tell you that it is safe to modify display settings in your BIOS be they present (within reason). Laptops have restricted settings anyway so a lot less can be mucked up. Also, why I think it may be the monitor is most video chipsets up- or down-scale by default in my experience. Try it connected to an external monitor that's worked in the past and see what happens. That should confirm it. Hope that's a little helpful.

ver 7.5 /// int 145 /// str 45 /// dex 85 /// end 200 /// mat 3
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Green Gandalf
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Posted: 4th Mar 2014 21:31 Edited at: 4th Mar 2014 22:38
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Quote: "My version is 7.5.780.0"


[Edit: added above quote for clarity. I take too long to write my posts.]

That is the version I'm running.

Perhaps I should install the latest driver (there was one a couple of weeks ago or so that I didn't install)? I'll try that and report back. Or uninstall the NCP and reinstall it (but I'd better find out how to do that first ).

It's been one of those days - had 31 Windows updates to wade through. On a slow BB line that ain't fun.



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Green Gandalf
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Posted: 4th Mar 2014 22:35
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Well.

Just installed the latest driver and I now have a brand new version of the Nvidia Control Panel. Now version 7.6.730.0. Yippee!

But wait a minute, I still have only the two pages 3D settings and Video and no sign of the Display page.

No idea what's going on here.



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Green Gandalf
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Posted: 5th Mar 2014 14:02
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A quick update on this.

The following solution was suggested on another forum and worked.

Quote: "Alright, since the Nvidia settings are missing the Display options, it means that scaling is controlled exclusively by the Intel settings (even if the game graphics are processed by the Nvidia card). In the Intel settings, you might only see one scaling option, but try to do this: Change the resolution in Windows to 800x600. Your desktop is now just a small area in the center of your laptop's screen, right? Now, open the Intel settings. In the Display options, you should find that there are now two or three scaling options ... Given the scaling behavior you described, the current setting should be "Center Image". You should be able to change it to "Scale Full Screen". This makes any fullscreen application fill the whole screen. If you also see a third option called "Maintain Aspect Ratio", choose this instead, as it will make BG stretch to the screen's edge without distorting the game's 4:3 aspect ratio. When you save the changed setting, your desktop should stretch accordingly. You can then change your desktop's resolution back to 1600x900, then start the game (in fullscreen mode) and it should stretch. If the game is still as small as before, you can try setting your desktop's resolution to 640x480 before you start the game."


["BG" refers to Baldur's Gate - an old game from 1998/9 that I was trying to get running on my 64bit W7 laptop.]

The Intel settings can be accessed directly by right-clicking the desktop and choosing Graphics Properties which then opens the Intel Graphics and Media Control Panel. The same fix also works for the DBPro "FullScreen" project setting. So good news all round.



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MrValentine
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Posted: 5th Mar 2014 16:36
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I just want to add here

This thread made my day

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