Reset Video Settings and Force a Video Mode

Reset Video Settings and Force a Video Mode
Question

I'm having video and display problems in a Valve/Source game, how do I change my video and display settings during launch?

* How do I set the autoconfig launch option?
* How do I force a working video mode?

Answer
Note:

The following processes are suggested only for Valve games. These options may have no effect when launching other Steam games



If you have not recently changed your video settings and you are experiencing video and display problems, please ensure your video drivers and DirectX are updated before proceeding:

Troubleshooting Video Errors

How do I set the autoconfig launch option?

The -autoconfig launch option will allow Steam to configure a Valve/Source game with the best settings for use on your machine.

1. Open Steam
2. Go to the "My Games" tab
3. Right-click the game which needs to be reconfigured
4. Select "Properties" from the menu
5. Click the "Set launch options..." button
6. Add -autoconfig at the end of the line, be sure to include a space before the " - " and anything before it.

How do I force a working DirectX level and video mode?

If the Valve/Source game fails to load with the default settings, you will need to test for a working DirectX level and video mode.


Force a DirectX level

This process may help with some older video cards - some users report the game will run faster, as well:

1. Open Steam
2. Go to the "My Games" tab
3. Right-click the game which needs to be reconfigured
4. Select "Properties" from the menu
5. Click the "Set launch options..." button
6. Add one of the DirectX level launch options specified below - be sure to include a space before the " - " and anything before it.

DirectX Level Launch Options

* -dxlevel 90 (DirectX v9.0)
* -dxlevel 81 (DirectX v8.1)
* -dxlevel 80 (DirectX v8.0)
* -dxlevel 70 (DirectX v7.0)


Force a Video Mode

Follow these instructions to configure your video mode and resolution before launching a game:
Important:

If you are forcing a refresh rate on your system (this is not recommended), you will need to ensure that you specify the forced refresh rate in the launch options.

1. Open Steam
2. Go to the "My Games" tab
3. Right-click the game which needs to be reconfigured
4. Select "Properties" from the menu
5. Click the "Set launch options..." button
6. Add -gl at the end of the line, be sure to include a space before the " - " and anything before it.
7. Specify the appropriate Video Mode and Video Option switches from the lists below


Video Mode Launch Options

Use the -w # switch (where " # " is a number from the list below) to specify the display resolution:

* 640 (640x480) GoldSource Only
* 720 (720x576)
* 800 (800x600)
* 1024 (1024x768) - This mode offers the best performance for most cards
* 1152 (1152x864)
* 1280 (1280x1024) - This mode is optimal for high-end cards
* 1600 (1600x1200) - This mode requires a high-end monitor and a high-performance card


Notes on Display Resolution Settings

Higher resolutions will affect the Frames Per Second which your machine can display (800x600 & up)

640x480 resolution may run slower than 800x600 resolution on newer video cards.


Supported Video Options

* -d3d use the Direct3D engine GoldSource Only
* -gl use the OpenGL engine GoldSource Only
* -soft use the Software engine
* -width # (where " # " is the width in pixels of desired video mode) sets the video mode width
* -w # (see the Supported Video Modes list above)
* -fullscreen or -full use Full Screen mode (default)
* -startwindowed / -sw / -windowed / -window / -win use the Window display mode (game appears as a window on the desktop)