Tip: Full screen issues and a solution or two

[vyrago]

I had this EXACT same problem and have found a solution. Nvidia control panel has a setting for DSR (Dynamic Super Resolution) which I use in other games. I found that turning off all DSR multipliers, ie: turning OFF DSR worked. I can run SBMBT and SPWW2 at full screen again. This fix also worked for other games that I had this problem with. Give that a try and I hope this helps you out!

TL DR: ensure that all DSR multipliers are disabled in Global Settings of Nvidia Control Panel.

[cuckoo]

How did you come up with this!? It actually f*****g works! Thanks, man!

[DRG]

I am making this a sticky thread so others with the same problem can find it easily

[NanbanJim]

I had a slightly different issue with purchased version.

Every time I ran the game in Windowed mode with Screen/Window size as Desktop, I would get a window full width, but only (and exactly) half height.

I had locked taskbar, I had un-checked auto-hide, Borderless Gaming didn't help... I was baffled. Then I did something completely silly, using the sort of logic inspired by Vaughan's take on Alexander Pope's words: "To err is human; to really foul things up requires a computer."

I moved the perfectly-configured taskbar from monitor 1 on the left, used for my browser and chat and temperature gauges and such, to monitor 2 on the right, slightly closer to me, which I use for gaming (and thus an inappropriate place for the taskbar, given that windowed games may get confused by it, or at least may have their bottom dozen pixels covered up by said taskbar).

VOILA!! By moving the Taskbar to the same window as the game is intended to run on, it worked! Desktop sized window! Glory of glories, finally Steel Panthers covering my screen, allowing my to make war without squinting!!

As soon as the game window properly draws, I was able to unlock the taskbar, move it to the other window, and set it to auto-hide again. Also note, simply moving the "winSPWAW Game Options" window to Monitor 2 did not resolve the issue. The taskbar had to be moved to the monitor on which I expected the game to play on... even though 2 is identified by Windows as my Main Display. I can't fault any programmer here, some of this visual/display/etc API programming is like drinking a pan-galactic gargle blaster (and if you don't get that, for God's sake go read you some Hitchhiker's Guide).

So in short, in a multi-monitor setup, make sure the taskbar is locked, auto-hidden, and on the same monitor as you want to run the game on when you fire up the game! Then set it however the devil you want afterwards.

Hope this helps someone!

[Grimalken]

I have been playing CD version of WinSPWW2 with absolutely no problems, other than I cannot ALT+TAB while the game is running in full screen, desktop mode. I usually play at deskytop fullscreen, and when I'm selecting units to expand my core, or to start a new campaign, I'll select fullscreen and 800x600.

So I installed WinSPMBT today, installed the patches 6, 10 & 12 from here http://www.shrapnelgames.com/Camo_Wo.../MBT_page.html

I started the CD version of WinSPMBT with the exact same settings as WinSPWW2,and the game crashes immediately after the splash screen, or if disable the splash screen the game crashes almost immediately

SAL Error
IpDD->SetDisplayMode() failed, code 80004001

and

SAL Error
DirectDraw could not be initialized: Error code 800004001


I assumed that since WinSPWW2 worked, so would SPMBT.

[The_Think_Tanker]

Originally Posted by NanbanJim

I had a slightly different issue with purchased version.

Every time I ran the game in Windowed mode with Screen/Window size as Desktop, I would get a window full width, but only (and exactly) half height.

I had locked taskbar, I had un-checked auto-hide, Borderless Gaming didn't help... I was baffled. Then I did something completely silly, using the sort of logic inspired by Vaughan's take on Alexander Pope's words: "To err is human; to really foul things up requires a computer."

I moved the perfectly-configured taskbar from monitor 1 on the left, used for my browser and chat and temperature gauges and such, to monitor 2 on the right, slightly closer to me, which I use for gaming (and thus an inappropriate place for the taskbar, given that windowed games may get confused by it, or at least may have their bottom dozen pixels covered up by said taskbar).

VOILA!! By moving the Taskbar to the same window as the game is intended to run on, it worked! Desktop sized window! Glory of glories, finally Steel Panthers covering my screen, allowing my to make war without squinting!!

As soon as the game window properly draws, I was able to unlock the taskbar, move it to the other window, and set it to auto-hide again. Also note, simply moving the "winSPWAW Game Options" window to Monitor 2 did not resolve the issue. The taskbar had to be moved to the monitor on which I expected the game to play on... even though 2 is identified by Windows as my Main Display. I can't fault any programmer here, some of this visual/display/etc API programming is like drinking a pan-galactic gargle blaster (and if you don't get that, for God's sake go read you some Hitchhiker's Guide).

So in short, in a multi-monitor setup, make sure the taskbar is locked, auto-hidden, and on the same monitor as you want to run the game on when you fire up the game! Then set it however the devil you want afterwards.

Hope this helps someone!

Sir, I must vigorously thank you for your insight!

I don't have a multi-monitor setup, but I did have an adjusted 'right-side' taskbar along the right side of my screen. I encountered a very similar issue to what you discussed.

My native display resolution is 2560x1440, and I was noticing that both the Windowed-Desktop resolution setting and the 1600x1280 windowed option were unusable. I now believe this is because the taskbar itself is interfering somehow with the game when in a non-standard location, and causes the compression as you've described.

For anyone else with non-standard taskbar positions...beware! WinSPMBT does not play nicely with these, and it may render your game unusable until you change the taskbar back. Though, for me the windowed 1280x1024 setting worked in all conditions.

http://imgur.com/a/i70cYTm

Attached are three images, two of the right-taskbar 'unusable' display and one of the fixed bottom-taskbar display. So if you run across similar issues...set your taskbar to 'bottom' or 'top' on your WinSPMBT screen and try again!

Many thanks for your fix, I was beating my head against the wall trying to figure out what the issue was.

[Mobhack]

Which is telling you that you are trying to drive the screen at a resolution your graphics card will not support. 800x600 support, as I have stated in the above posts, is not something that can be relied on by modern drivers. Perhaps you have had a driver update put in by windows updates?.

Try another, larger windows 4:3 resolution should you want to continue with full-screen modes. Perhaps 1024x768 will work?.

The 2 games should behave exactly the same since the graphics engine is the same - so if there is a difference, then something in your set-up between the 2 installations is likely to be different. You will have to find out what that is, if any. (You may have used Windows compatibility mode on the one EXE but not the other?).

If the game runs fine in windowed mode at desktop resolution - fine, that is the supported mode. As we have said before, the windowed 256 colour full-screen mode is now an unsupported mode which is only there because it's inherited from legacy DOS and early Windows 98/XP and it cannot be guaranteed to work from Windows 7 onwards.

[DRG]

What you have "discovered" is info we put into the game guide years ago





That info is what would be the first or second page of the game guide.The title flashes on an off. Note the main topic is autohide but it also says

As well, you should also ONLY run the taskbar from the bottom of your screen while playing in WINDOWED MODE. DO NOT run it from the side or top of the screen.

[The_Think_Tanker]

Originally Posted by DRG

What you have "discovered" is info we put into the game guide years ago





That info is what would be the first or second page of the game guide.The title flashes on an off. Note the main topic is autohide but it also says

Discovered or not, I was simply glad to have the issue fixed. I would note, however, it seems to have no issues with a top taskbar on my end--for whatever reason.

Of course this just goes to show that there is rarely a new bug under the sun...especially for a game with this long of a support trail. Though admittedly the manual wasn't where my first instinct was to look for technical issues...but in the future I'll definitely keep a keener eye to it!

Thanks!

[DRG]

Never tried the top before. Didn't work for me the first time I tried but it did the second time but every system is a little different.....to me it's feels weird at the top