Have a display issue on XP.

[Jh316]

So, I'm firing up my UFO Defense CE again, using the fix to get rid of the scrambled graphics, but it only displays the top third of the screen.

 

XP service pack 2

Ge Force 6100

1 GB RAM

AMD 2800+

[Bomb Bloke]

What sort of monitor, and what's your refresh rate?

[Jh316]

I have an LCD monitor at 60hz, but that's certainly not the problem. I've played using this monitor before perfectly fine. It's only started doing this after getting a new processor and graphics card. I used to use a P4 processor with a Radeon x300 SE, and UFO and TFTD only had the problem with the gargled graphics which the fix handled.

 

In fact, about a year ago, I had a problem where I would only get a black screen, but that was because my LCD was set to 75hz instead of 60, and switching it made it run perfectly.

[Bomb Bloke]

So you've checked you're still running in 60hz after the upgrade?

 

In another thread, Pete mentioned a program called QRes, which lets you dictate resolution modes to programs. Might be worth a shot.

[DeepOne]

I think the LCD monitor is part of the problem.

 

Go to Control Panel / Display / Settings / Advanced. Select the tab for your video card, and open the Additional Properties (if they aren't already open). Select the Digital Flat Panel Settings. I have four options here, and I think "Display adapter scaling" is the one that works best for X-COM 1&2. The image ends up slightly stretched vertically, but I don't really notice it except when viewing the geoscape while zoomed out (the earth is sort of egg shaped). I usually use "Fixed aspect ratio scaling", but I think the X-COM games give me the problem you describe when I use that.

[Jh316]

I don't have a "Digital Flat Panel Settings" option. I have Screen Adjustment, Display Mode Timing, Performance & Quality Settings, Color Correction, Video Overlay Settings, Tools, NVRotate, Screen Resolutions & Refresh Rates, Display Settings, Color Settings, Size and Position, Desktop Management. None of them have anything about scaling.

 

And yes, still running 60hz.

[Jh316]

Oh, and Qres doesn't work. It's just an exe that does nothing when I run it. Pete said he'd link to a version with a windows interface two days ago but never did.

[Jh316]

Well, I finally figured out how to get Qres to work, and I've got to say, it does an amazing job. Now instead of just displaying the top third of the screen, it displays nothing but a black screen.

 

Well, it only goes to a black screen if I set the Qres to anything but 640x480. If I set it to that, then it just displays the top third of the screen again.

 

Okay, I'm able to get it to work by disabling my video card. It'd be nice if there was a better solution though.

[Bomb Bloke]

If memory serves, the Nvidia control panel has some option to force video modes on programs. I'd advise trying a few different driver packs if that fails, they've released a few million of 'em and some work better then others.

[Jh316]

Alright, I'll try getting different driver packs. I don't see anything about video modes, just Display Mode Timing. Trying to force different display modes either did nothing, or gave me a black screen

[DeepOne]

I don't have a "Digital Flat Panel Settings" option.

Hmmm... I have a GeForce 6800, and I'm using version 77.77 of Nvidia's Forceware.

 

I have a ViewSonic monitor. I have it connected to the card's DVI output if that matters. I installed drivers for it which i downloaded from the manufacturer's website. Have you done that for your monitor?

[Jh316]

No, I've never had a reason to download drivers for my monitor. Hell, I don't even know what model it is. It's just a gateway plug and play monitor.

 

And my card is a 6100. There's probably a difference in what it displays.

 

 

Regardless, the problem isn't with the monitor, as the game displays perfectly when I disable the graphics card. Well, mostly perfectly, it seems the vertical is stretched a bit because the geoscape looks a little more egg-shaped than I remember.