Reduced game display area after depleting laptop battery - please help

[Runtheball]

While playing a game on a laptop last night, the battery ran out of power and shut the computer down. I plugged in the charger, rebooted, and restarted the game (Chariots of War, if anyone cares). The game runs, but it's in a reduced display size...roughly 1/2 the full-screen size that it used before the computer shut down. This was not a window, but a much smaller area of the display was being used. A very wide black border surrounded the active display area.

I tried FM2005 also, to see if the problem was only with the game I was playing when the computer shut-down, but FM2005 also ran in a small display size.

Why would the power managment functions have any effect on the display area size with games (and only with games) even after a reboot? And what can I do about it?

[Runtheball]

somebody....?

Anybody....?

[Eaglesfan27]

That is a very odd problem. I suspect the lack of response is due to people not having much to contribute. At least that is why I didn't respond earlier. Good luck figuring this problem out and hopefully someone else on here will be able to help you.

[jeff061]

This is what older laptops would do who's screen couldn't resize for various resolutions, if you ran something in a lower res it would just run it in a tiny window with a big black border.

I'm assuming this isn't your problem, but you may want to make sure the resolution of the game is at your laptops native resolution(probably the same as your desktop). Not really sure what it could be, maybe something didn't like the way your computer shut down and switcherd to a "safe mode". Just throwing things out there.

[Runtheball]

Originally Posted by jeff061

This is what older laptops would do who's screen couldn't resize for various resolutions, if you ran something in a lower res it would just run it in a tiny window with a big black border.

I'm assuming this isn't your problem, but you may want to make sure the resolution of the game is at your laptops native resolution(probably the same as your desktop). Not really sure what it could be, maybe something didn't like the way your computer shut down and switcherd to a "safe mode". Just throwing things out there.

Its a relatively new laptop (Dell inspiron 9100), but the "run it in a tiny window with a big black border" comment is right on. Except its not a "window", like the window that FOF runs in. Its the screen size.

Originally Posted by jeff061

maybe something didn't like the way your computer shut down and switcherd to a "safe mode". Just throwing things out there.

That sounds like a good suggestion. But how would I act on this? Also, since the problem is occurring in more than one game, I suspect its some general display setting common to all games that got messed-up.

Somebody please save me the $35 fee Microsoft wants to troubleshoot this problem! :o

[Runtheball]

bump

[moriarty]

To help people diagnose,

Rightclick on your desktop, hit properties, click on settings, and post your current screen size settings (to make sure your settings didnt' get set to an odd config).

[Runtheball]

Originally Posted by moriarty

To help people diagnose,

Rightclick on your desktop, hit properties, click on settings, and post your current screen size settings (to make sure your settings didnt' get set to an odd config).

Display is (Multiple Monitors) on ATI mobility Radeon 9700
Screen Resolution is 1920x1200
Color Quality is highest (32 bit)

I'm fairly certain that these are the original settings, or at least that these settings were not changed by the most recent problem.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by Runtheball

Display is (Multiple Monitors) on ATI mobility Radeon 9700
Screen Resolution is 1920x1200
Color Quality is highest (32 bit)

I'm fairly certain that these are the original settings, or at least that these settings were not changed by the most recent problem.

Well, just as a test you could try lowering it down to a resolution that say FM (or one of the games in question can run) say 1024x768 on one screen. Kick it off and see if it solves the problem. If it does, you've at least narrowed down the possibilites.

[cody8200]

Your screen res is 1920x1200? That seems much to high for a native resolution on a laptop...unles its a huge laptop screen. Try making 1024 x 768 like the previous user suggested. I would be highly suprised if 1920 was the native resolution.

[Eaglesfan27]

Also, with multimonitor abilities, you might try clicking on the "other" monitor display.

[Runtheball]

I set the display to 1920x1200 shortly after I bought the laptop to maximize the display. It's been working fine all these months. And yes it is a huge screen, about 8.5" high and about 13" wide. It was the best laptop screen Dell offered last summer.

But I'd be amazed if the resolution setting is the problem. All programs seem exactly as before, except for games.

As for the "other monitor" display, that does show a greatly reduced display size. But that would reduce everything I do on the computer, wouldnt it? I don't understand why the setting says Multiple Monitors anyways, as I've never connected this laptop ot any other display.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Runtheball

I set the display to 1920x1200 shortly after I bought the laptop to maximize the display. It's been working fine all these months. And yes it is a huge screen, about 8.5" high and about 13" wide. It was the best laptop screen Dell offered last summer.

But I'd be amazed if the resolution setting is the problem. All programs seem exactly as before, except for games.

As for the "other monitor" display, that does show a greatly reduced display size. But that would reduce everything I do on the computer, wouldnt it? I don't understand why the setting says Multiple Monitors anyways, as I've never connected this laptop ot any other display.

No. The "other monitor" display is a default option and I use it for power point presentations some times. However, I would think that it would reduce everything on the computer, but it is worth messing around with to see if that fixes your problem.

I also have the biggest Dell laptop screen possible, and I also have always used the 1920 * 1200 with no problems.