the PC gaming help thread

[noiseredux]

figured it'd be easier to have one thread for any ongoing issues I run into.

So first question: I installed Layer Section which is a Win98 game. It actually installed no problem (to my surprise), and booted up and works with my arcade stick. BUT here's the thing. The game seems to think that my screen is about 5" x 7". So most of my monitor is black with a smallish actual viewable screen in the middle. Any ideas how to trick the program into realizing the monitor is actually much bigger?

[ZenErik]

figured it'd be easier to have one thread for any ongoing issues I run into.

So first question: I installed Layer Section which is a Win98 game. It actually installed no problem (to my surprise), and booted up and works with my arcade stick. BUT here's the thing. The game seems to think that my screen is about 5" x 7". So most of my monitor is black with a smallish actual viewable screen in the middle. Any ideas how to trick the program into realizing the monitor is actually much bigger?

No setting to full screen? None of my PC shmups are THAT old to be Win 98.. Wish I could help out more.

[Hobie-wan]

Maybe not since you're using an LCD. The game is low res and where a CRT would simply run the 640x480 or whatever in a mode that still more or less filled the screen, your LCD is confused, so you're getting that sized window in the middle. You might be lucky you're getting a picture at all instead of 'signal out of range' or 'check cable'. Run through the monitor settings and see if there's an option to tell it to scale instead of letterboxing. Beware you could get ugly jaggies or blurriness depending on how good a job your monitor does at scaling.

[noiseredux]

no there's no setting in the options menu. Thing is I think it THINKS it is full screen. It just didn't know in 98 how much bigger screen resolutions would get.

[ZenErik]

You could try setting your LCD to 640 x 480 before starting the game? Let me know if that helps at all.

[Hobie-wan]

Remember that a lot of old DOS games were 320x240 like the range of old 8 and 16 bit console games. Windows 95/98 itself would let you set the resolution down to 640x480 or perhaps even 640x400.

Yup, these are 640x480 screenshots.
http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/g ... Id,480333/

[noiseredux]

so that means what, Hobes? I have to just live with it like this?

[Hobie-wan]

You could try setting your LCD to 640 x 480 before starting the game? Let me know if that helps at all.

Some LCDs won't even take 640x480. As of a few years ago many were minimum 800x600. That's why running a DC VGA box on an LCD monitor is sometimes a crap shoot. Noise's is compensating as best it can currently by using the middle 640x480 section and the rest around is just wasted black. If there's no scaling option in the monitor setup and no way to change the game, which there probably isn't on an older game like that, might just be stuck.

A CRT it would just work.

[CRTGAMER]

figured it'd be easier to have one thread for any ongoing issues I run into.

So first question: I installed Layer Section which is a Win98 game. It actually installed no problem (to my surprise), and booted up and works with my arcade stick. BUT here's the thing. The game seems to think that my screen is about 5" x 7". So most of my monitor is black with a smallish actual viewable screen in the middle. Any ideas how to trick the program into realizing the monitor is actually much bigger?

My guess from your description is that you are already in Full screen mode. Be sure the game is set to Win98 compatibility mode with the 640x480 box checked on.

Go to screen settings, buried in the Advance Tab somewhere is a List All Modes option. Temporarily set the screen to 640x480 32 bit or 16 bit, then go to the Video Card Setting screen that is specific to your card and not just the Windows display setting screen. Select the Full option, important to do this AFTER setting the PC to the lower resolution.

After all that is done, go ahead and set the display back to the higher resolution. Try running the game and see if it works.

[Valkyrie-Favor]

Bah, a Windows 98 PC can output 1080p easy. The games weren't ready, but it can happen. I still use a '98 PC for gaming so I never have to deal with this stuff

Try setting it to run in 640x480 every time you run it. Then the screen should be the right size whenever the program starts up.


If that doesn't work, try messing with your monitor's settings. Some LCDs will show any resolution at "actual size" but you should be able to stretch it out if that's the case.