L4D2 keeps resetting my video settings?

**bravo22** · March 27th, 2010 01:36 PM

Hi,

I have no idea whether it's the result of a steam autoupdate or a Nvidia driver update, but something strange has been happening with my L4D2 lately.

Every time I launch the game the video settings keep getting reset to 640x480 on lowest settings. I know for sure my laptop can run it at 1280x800 on medium settings, and when I manually set the video settings to those, I can get the game to look and run very well for the duration of my playthrough (unless I am trying to take a video with FRAPS, in which case I usually lower it to 720x480).

But after as I exit to Windows, my 1280x800 on medium is not saved. The next time I launch the game it forces itself back into 640x480 on lowest and I have no choice but to go into the menu and manually raise the settings before I start a campaign. It is getting annoying to have to keep redoing my video settings every time I start the game.

My other Source games like Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike Source do not have this problem at all - the settings stay the way I set them after I exit the game.

Anyone else have this problem? Help is appreciated.

If providing my specs is any help, I am using the 13 inch Macbook Pro with 2.26 Ghz Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM, and Nvidia Geforce 9400 M which steals 512 MB off my main RAM. I am using the 195.62 drivers for Nvidia. My operating system is Windows 7 Professional x86. (not an ideal gaming machine I know, but I don't want to transport my awesome desktop computer to university all the way from Abu Dhabi and then have to drag it back every summer, it means another 2 huge items to bring onto the plane and I only have 2 hands!).

**annihilation** · March 27th, 2010 02:53 PM

Did you update your Nvidia drivers recently?
Do you switch your color modes after your done playing?

**bravo22** · March 27th, 2010 02:57 PM

I last updated my drivers a month ago to 195.62.

No I don't think I change color modes before/after playing L4D2. I leave everything at the default configuration under windows 7.

**flibitijibibo** · March 27th, 2010 03:08 PM

Do you have anything in the launch parameters? Most modifications to that force it to default settings (usually stuff like -dx8).

**annihilation** · March 27th, 2010 03:11 PM

Try rolling back your drivers.
I know a couple people who are expereincing problems with 195.62.

**bravo22** · March 27th, 2010 03:43 PM

I actually tried rolling back the Nvidia drivers using the rollback button in windows, but then it crashed and corrupted the drivers completely, resulting in the display getting screwed up (DESKTOP resolution went to 640x480 at lowest color settings and locked there), forcing me to reinstall 195.62 to get back to normal.

No I did not change the launch parameters (you're talking about editing the command line in the desktop shortcut properties right?).

**Jelly** · March 27th, 2010 05:25 PM

The launch parameters can also be edited in the steam games list. Right click L4D2, go to properties, set launch options and check you've not got any launch options like -dxlevel or -autoconfig

**bravo22** · March 27th, 2010 05:51 PM

Thanks Jelly, you solved my problem!

I went to check the launch options in Steam and someone had added the command "-w 960 -h 600" in there. I think it happened when I let my friend play on my laptop while I was away at a tutorial. I don't know why he wanted to force a 960x600 resolution but evidently that caused the constant reset for the video settings (which are working fine now!)