Selecting Video Settings

Selecting Video Settings

Getting 256 colors from Modern Video Cards

Quick changing Video Mode settings at DOS

Changing Setting at DOS

If you get a wrong setting for the Video in Windows, Windows may not run or the Video will be unviewable. You can set the video at DOS, either to recover from a bad setting, or to change the settings outside of Windows.

Type:
CD c:\windows
setup
A display will open up showing current system settings. Move to the Display line.

Windows For workgroups 3.11 Setup =========================
	system Information
		Computer:	MS-DOS System
		Display:	VGA
		Mouse:	Microsoft, or IBM PS2
		Keyboard:	Enhanced 202 or 102 key US and non US keyboards
		Keyboard Layout:	US
		Language:	English (American)
		Codepage:	English (437)
			To accept this list, press ENTER
	If one or more item are incorrect:
		Press the Up or DOWN ARROW key to highlight the item
		Then press Enter to view other choices.

Enter=Continue F1=Help F3=Exit

When you press enter you will get another screen:

Windows For workgroups 3.11 Setup
=========================

To change your display,select from the following list:

Press

the Up or DOWN ARROW key to highlight the item
Then press ENTER.

continue Setup without changing your display,
press ESC.

Video 7 (1Mb, 1024x768 256 colors, large fonts)
Video 7 (1Mb, 1024x768 256 colors, small fonts)
Video 7 (512k, 640x480 256 colors)
Video 7 (512k, 720x512 256 colors)
XGA (640x480, 16 colors)
XGA (640x480, 256 colors)
XGA (large fonts)
XGA (small fonts)

Other (requires disk provided by a hardware manufacturers)

(To see more of the list press the UP arrow key)

Enter=Continue F1=Help F3=Exit

You will be asked to insert the Manufacturer's Drivers Disk and/or Windows Install disks if the drivers have not already been installed.

Batch file for changing Video Resolution Setting at Windows startup.

When you have to change the Windows Screen Resolution from one mode to the other, you must go through the control panel settings, then reboot Windows for the changes to take effect. These changes may be for changing from 16 color mode to 256 color or 24 bit high color mode. Or you may be changing from 640x480 resolution to 800x600 resolution. You also may need to change the settings if, on a Noteboot computer, you change from the LCD Driver to an external monitor with the high color settings.

Since the GRP files are matched to the mode you are running in, you must have a set of these for each mode. I created a windows sub-directory for each video mode. In my case I had 16 color, 256 color and 16 bit high color.

Make a Batch file which has the choices for each one. While you are in one mode, copy all the GRP files, WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI, PROGMAN.INI and (I believe) CONTROL.INI into the directory for that mode.

Now change over to the other mode and copy the same files into its co-responding directory.

Edit the PROGMAN.INI You will see lines:

c:\windows\main.grp
c:\windows\accessor.grp
c:\windows\applicat.grp
c:\windows\startup.grp

Change these to:

c:\windows\mode1\main.grp
c:\windows\mode1\accessor.grp
c:\windows\mode1\applicat.grp
c:\windows\mode1\startup.grp

Do this for all of the listed GRP files. the mode1\ should be the name you have assigned for each directory. Save this file.

Do the same for the other mode directory. This will allow you to modify each mode with changes. When you load each mode, only the SYSTEM.INI, PROGRMAN.INI, WIN.INI and CONTROL.INI are copied toe the c:\windows\ directory.

For the batch file you can have:

echo off
cls
echo.
echo. Press A to load MODE one.
echo.
echo. Press B to load MODE two.
echo.
echo. Press Q to quit this batch.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
choice /c:ABQ /n Type the letter of your choice
if errorlevel 3 goto end
if errorlevel 2 goto mode2
if errorlevel 1 goto mode1

:mode1
copy c:\windows\mode1\win.ini c:\windows\win.ini
copy c:\windows\mode1\system.ini c:\windows\system.ini
copy c:\windows\mode1\control.ini c:\windows\control.ini
copy c:\windows\mode1\progman.ini c:\windows\progman.ini
win
goto end

:mode2
copy c:\windows\mode2\win.ini c:\windows\win.ini
copy c:\windows\mode2\system.ini c:\windows\system.ini
copy c:\windows\mode2\control.ini c:\windows\control.ini
copy c:\windows\mode2\progman.ini c:\windows\progman.ini
win
goto end

:end

Name this batch what you want (win-mode.bat) and save it in a location that is in path.

Keep in mind that if you add an icon or make any menu changes, you must duplicate that in the other mode. The two sets of groups are independant.

Getting High Video Setting with Modern Cards

What's the maximum display resolution in Win3.11 without oem graphics driver? (Virtual Dr.)

S3 produces the Savage3D. Check the locations:
Driverguide.Com for windows 3.x drivers and S3 support site link.

www.s3graphics.com has the Win3.1 (and all the other) drivers for the S3 Savage-4.

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Updated February 21, 2001