A game opens in the wrong resolution
How do I fix a game that opens in the wrong resolution on my laptop?
Written by The CommonFixes team · fact checked by CommonFixes review desk
Last updated
Short answer
Games remember a resolution in their own config file. If that file was written while a monitor was plugged in, while Windows scaling was different, or a driver update reset your display, the game keeps asking for a size your laptop screen cannot show. The quickest thing to try first: force the right size from the shortcut — Right click the game's shortcut, choose Properties, and in the Target box add a space then -w 1920 -h 1080 (use your own screen size). Most engines, including Source, Unreal and Unity titles, obey this and it overrides whatever the config file says. Most people are done in about 10 minutes.
Full walkthrough below: 6 steps for Windows, rated easy.
Sounds like this
- •The game is squashed, stretched or spills off the screen
- •Menus are cut off so you cannot reach the settings
- •It looked fine yesterday, then changed after an update
Why it happens
Games remember a resolution in their own config file. If that file was written while a monitor was plugged in, while Windows scaling was different, or a driver update reset your display, the game keeps asking for a size your laptop screen cannot show.
Work through these in order
0% done- 1
Force the right size from the shortcut
Right click the game's shortcut, choose Properties, and in the Target box add a space then -w 1920 -h 1080 (use your own screen size). Most engines, including Source, Unreal and Unity titles, obey this and it overrides whatever the config file says.
- 2
Use Steam launch options
In Steam, right click the game, Properties, General, Launch Options, and type -windowed -noborder. Starting windowed always fits on the screen, and from there you can open the game's video settings and pick the correct resolution, then go back to full screen.
- 3
Delete or edit the game's settings file
Look in Documents\My Games\<game> or %LOCALAPPDATA%\<game>\Saved\Config for a file such as GameUserSettings.ini or settings.cfg. Rename it to add .old and start the game; it rebuilds the file using your current screen. Only rename, never delete, so you can put it back.
- 4
Match Windows scaling before you launch
Settings, System, Display. Note the Scale value (often 125 or 150 percent on laptops). Older games ignore scaling and get confused by it, so right click the game .exe, Properties, Compatibility, Change high DPI settings, and tick Override high DPI scaling behaviour, set to Application.
- 5
Set the display back to its native resolution
Some games change the desktop resolution and fail to put it back after a crash. In Settings, System, Display, choose the resolution marked (Recommended). Then start the game again.
- 6
Check the laptop is using the right screen
If you sometimes dock the laptop, unplug the external monitor, restart the game, set the resolution, then quit the game properly with the menu rather than Alt+F4. Games save the resolution on a clean exit.
If none of that worked
If the menus are off screen and you cannot click anything, press Alt+Space then M and use the arrow keys to drag the window back into view, or press Alt+Enter to toggle windowed mode.
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Who wrote this and how we checked it
The CommonFixes team
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We are a small group of people who spend our days repairing laptops and desktops for family, friends and small offices. Every guide here starts with a problem someone actually brought to us, and we only write down the steps that put the machine right.
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CommonFixes review desk
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This guide was last updated on 10 August 2026. If a step no longer matches what you see on screen, tell us on the contact page and we will test it again.
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