Vista 64 stumped by 320x200 and 640x480 resolutions

[JoelCBarker]

Using Vista 64, I can't run my work through the editor in or out of debug mode, full screen or in a window at 640x480 or of course 320x200. I can build the .exe, but I can't run that either. Winsetup hasn't helped so far but I may be missing something! Searched the forums, but can't solve it except to see that this has been a problem for other folks in the past, so feel free to delete this post-- but not before redirecting me to a fix! Thanks a billion

Joelcbarker@yahoo.com

Nor can I run the demo game in any way shape or form <-- I can run the demo game and I assume others in those windowed resolutions, but not in fullscreen, and not completely. I have to click and hold the window (as if to move it around) and then when I do move it around, the animated background runs, sound works great, but I still can't "enter" the game or otherwise manipulate anything in the screen since the cursor doesn't draw within the window. Any attempt to run in full screen gets a mostly black screen with a pixel cancer red-blue-cup and some actually blue pencil borders around the sides. Is this a Gfx card thing?

Okay update, I downloaded a 640x480 game and I can run it in a window only, and I can manipulate things in the game but I can never see the mouse cursor so I have to guess what I'm doing blindly, and I have to click and hold the window and shake it around to see the result of my attempts with the mouse. When the window sits still, the gamestate won't update.

[subspark]

Unfortunately, bad news, Joel. Graphics drivers for Windows Vista and above do not allow resolutions lower than 800x600 anymore. This was a decision likely made because of the little demand for it these days with a variety of HD displays readily available for practically any consumer.

Great for the PC market, not so good for nostalgia, as the way things go.
Anyway I had a look into your mouse issue and (others please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) its likely to do with your version of DirectX. Have you recently upgraded to DirectX 11?

I had a similar or possibly the identical issue where my AGS games would freeze up and only 'play' if I clicked outside of the window (they actually ran in the background yes! - but after an upgrade I could not re-create the bug :'() and this turned out to be due to having an older DirectX version running on the latest Nvidia drivers. Don't know why there.

Good luck in finding a solution. When all else fails, I usually just go and run as many graphics/Windows updates as I can.

Cheers,
Sparky.

[Snarky]

This is not true. I'm running Windows 7, and can switch into 320x200 resolution (though I've had problems with Windows messing up the colors in 256-color games).

Some manufacturers may not provide (or more likely, not expose) support for traditional VGA modes/resolutions, but this is not some universal restriction of post-XP versions of Windows.

[subspark]

Ahh thanks for clearing that up, Snarky. Good to know man thanks.

Cheers,
Sparky.

[Radiant]

Unfortunately, bad news, Joel. Graphics drivers for Windows Vista and above do not allow resolutions lower than 800x600 anymore.

But then it should still work windowed, yes? Because the OP states that doesn't work for him either.

[JoelCBarker]

Hey guys! Sorry I took a day off-- Actually I ended up switching to my laptop which is still Windows Vista, but not that 64 bit business. It works! I think the issue may be isolated to Windows Vista 64? Thanks for all the help guys