Resalution issues

**JustJoey** · 05-01-2010, 22:57

Been a long time since I played MTW, but I love it and installed it again. Installed fine, go into video settings and I can't get any higher than 640x480, my native res is 1920x1080 so it looks terrible.

Is there some way I can force the res? I tried to patch it to 2.1 or something but I'm missing a .dll, I tried installing the .dll but its not comparable.

I'm running a ATI 4890 1GB card and a Phenom II X4 955 BE 3.2 GHz and 4GB RAM and Win 7 64 bit OS.

Thanks for any help.

**Raz** · 05-02-2010, 08:30

Hi there JustJoey.

Unfortunately, from my understanding, this is a universal problem with Windows 7 (at least when using 64-bit). You might be able to find some info about the issue in these threads, but it's not looking good for actually solving it.

Some other threads regarding the issue:

Link
Link
Link
Link

**JustJoey** · 05-02-2010, 12:48

Oh dear... Thanks for the links, guess I'll have to play at 640x480.. Ah well.

Thanks for the help :)

**Just Learnin** · 05-12-2010, 03:27

I had the same problem in both Vista and Win 7 of only having 800 x 600 in the Strategy map and 640 x 480 in the Battle map.

A fix I found that worked with a GTX 280, GTX 295 and an HD 4870 X2 is:

Got to All Programs open the Accessories folder click on Run type MSCONFIG in the pop up window and click OK. If Windows asks for permission click Continue. In the new pop up window select the Boot tab and click on the Advanced options... button and in the new little pop up window click the tiny box by Maximum memory: Whatever the number in the box here change it to 2560 then click OK. Click Apply on the remaining window then a small pop up asking you to restart PC should remain, click Yes. You should now be able to play both Shogun Total War and Medieval Total War with all resolutions available.

To revert your system to normal you have to uncheck the box in the Advanced options... , Maximum Memory: click OK then select the General tab and click the little round button beside Normal startup Load all device drivers and services then click Apply and then click Yes when asked to restart the system.

What you are doing here is only allowing the system to let the games software see an amount of RAM it is programmed to understand, or so I believe, thus preventing it from defaulting to minimum specs. If the number 2560 does not work for you in the Maximum memory box try 2048. I just found on my rigs 2560 was the highest amount I could go and still get all the resolutions.

Good Luck!

**caravel** · 05-12-2010, 11:27

Welcome Just Learnin,

That's a very useful bit of information, thanks for sharing it. Those with the resolution issues should definitely try this.

**Just Learnin** · 05-12-2010, 15:19

Thanks for the welcome! Hope it helps others as I could find no solution elsewhere after much searching.

I should mention that I also had to disable AI in the Catalyst Control Center for the HD 4870 X2 or else I was getting a split screen effect. I also used the "button fix" with Medieval Total War to get around the well known CTD issue. I have a son that should be thanked for this"fix" though as he is obsessed with the games and prefers the ages played out in the early ones. He tortur... erm implored me to make it work.

**caravel** · 05-12-2010, 16:20

Originally Posted by Just Learnin

I also had to disable AI in the Catalyst Control Center for the HD 4870 X2 or else I was getting a split screen effect.

That's interesting, I've never seen any improvements in MTW from changing Catalyst AI settings. Where did the splitscreen effect occur? Was it vertical or horizontal? Garbled colours?

**Just Learnin** · 05-12-2010, 18:16

Originally Posted by Asai Nagamasa

That's interesting, I've never seen any improvements in MTW from changing Catalyst AI settings. Where did the splitscreen effect occur? Was it vertical or horizontal? Garbled colours?

I was getting 2 identical images a little apart from each other which would shimmer/flicker and yes they were distorted or as you say garbled. Someone suggested it may be due to the 4870 X2 being a dual GPU card and they said disabling AI disables Crossfire/Multi GPU??? No idea really why it worked but in this case it did, I didn't have to disable Multi-GPU with the GTX 295 though.

I also tried to run Medieval and Shogun Total War on a 9800GX2 graphics card but was unsuccessful.

**Just Learnin** · 05-13-2010, 15:48

Sorry Asai Nagamasa I meant to say the images were side by side not above and below each other with the HD 4870 X2 before I disabled AI in the Catalyst Control Center.

**Raz** · 05-13-2010, 15:52

Your advice works for me on my system, Just Learnin. It should be noted that I didn't have to disable Catalyst CC or use the Button-Fix for it to work, only the fiddling under the Boot section in MS Config.

I can only tell you that my thanks to you, Just Learnin, stretch infinitely.

**Just Learnin** · 05-13-2010, 17:05

Originally Posted by Raz

Your advice works for me on my system, Just Learnin. It should be noted that I didn't have to disable Catalyst CC or use the Button-Fix for it to work, only the fiddling under the Boot section in MS Config.

I can only tell you that my thanks to you, Just Learnin, stretch infinitely.

Excellent! So glad to hear I didn't beat my head against the wall for naught.

Thanks for the feedback Raz, may you too go forth and prosper.

May I ask what video card are you using?

Has anyone actually tried just yanking sticks of RAM from their PC and running it with only 2GB installed in Vista or Win7?