SCREENRES executed by SCREENMONITOR fails

[Steve Fabian]

I often use different screen resolutions, nowadays controlled exclusively by the SCREENRES command in Charles' UISTUFF plugin. To standardize the screen's "look and feel" Rex provided the SCREENMONITOR command, which executes screenres /q /x1280 /y:1024 - but it displays Display change failed: The display driver failed the specified graphics mode. Note the same command from the keyboard works.

 

[Charles Dye]

I often use different screen resolutions, nowadays controlled exclusively by the SCREENRES command in Charles' UISTUFF plugin. To standardize the screen's "look and feel" Rex provided the SCREENMONITOR command, which executes screenres /q /x1280 /y:1024 - but it displays Display change failed: The display driver failed the specified graphics mode. Note the same command from the keyboard works.

While the screen saver is running? You could test by setting the screen saver timeout to one minute, then

delay 70 & screenres /q /x:1280 /y:1024

 

[Steve Fabian]

Yes, the screensaver was already running when screenres was executed - sstext3d (time) was displaying; pressed the Esc key to terminate it, and the TCC screen had the error message.

I just tried your suggestion, using my standard "instant" screen saver (actually 15s), and from the command line a delay and resolution change. Same thing - once I see the TCC window the same error message. I wonder if the issue is that WinXP does not permit screen attribute changes when screen saver is running. I'll try it next on Win7.

 

[Charles Dye]

I just tried your suggestion, using my standard "instant" screen saver (actually 15s), and from the command line a delay and resolution change. Same thing - once I see the TCC window the same error message. I wonder if the issue is that WinXP does not permit screen attribute changes when screen saver is running.

I wouldn't be surprised. Since a screen saver program controls the whole screen, unexpected resolution changes could be Bad.

 

[Steve Fabian]

In a post that died on the vine I reported that in both WinXP and Win7 the critical screen saver attribute is secure - if it is secure, screenres fails, but if unsecure it works. This allows a work-around. Make the actual scrnsaver command unsecure, and the command executed by screenmonitor test a flag (e.g. a registry variable) and if indicated change the screen saver to secure after performing whatever other actions are desired, including screenres.