For different video games, changing the graphics display settings is done differently. Most modern 3D graphics applications run on the entire monitor by default. Older 2D games may open in a window. They can be expanded to full size through the shortcut properties, changing the Windows resolution or settings of the application itself.
This method is applicable for most older games that open in a separate window. To make it full screen, find the app shortcut. It is usually located on the desktop. If it is not there, use the search in the upper right corner of Windows Explorer. You can also create a program icon through the context menu of the executable file.
Standard location path: “C:\Program Files\[name]”. Create a shortcut, right-click on it and go to the second tab.
In the “Window” drop-down list, three methods for launching the program will be available:
Select the last item and save the configuration by clicking the “OK” button.
Advice! In the future, launch using the created shortcut so that the program opens in full screen.
Some game programs have a start menu in which you can specify the launch configuration. As a rule, graphics parameters are set here, as well as the control method (keyboard or joystick). In addition, in the initial menu you can reassign control keys. Go to the graphic properties tab. If there is a “Fullscreen” or “Full screen” item, check it.
Advice! If the "Windowed" or "Run in Window" setting is available instead of activating full screen mode, clear this checkbox. The game will open on the entire monitor.
Some games do not have a built-in full-screen mode. Difficulties may also arise with older programs that have a limited maximum number of horizontal and vertical points. In this case, changing the Windows resolution helps. When it is reduced, all interface elements become larger.
Selecting the same resolution as the maximum size of the game window will allow it to run on the entire monitor. To change this property, right-click on the desktop. The click should be made on a free space, not on the icons. To open the desired menu, select the “Screen resolution” line.
From the drop-down list marked in the screenshot, select the required value. For the game to open in full screen, the resolution must match the size of the window in which the application is running. To clarify them, create a picture using the keyboard shortcut “Alt + PrintScreen”, and then paste the picture into Paint. The dimensions will be displayed at the bottom of the utility.
Important! By reducing the number of dots on the monitor, the size of all interface components will increase. For comfortable work on the computer, return to the previous settings after finishing the game.
New games allow you to change the display through their interface. Typically this is done in the graphics configuration. For example, when using Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, go to Options -> Video Settings. In the “Display Mode” line, select “Fullscreen” to maximize the window to fill the entire monitor.
Modern programs, as a rule, automatically adjust to the display resolution - however, those who like to play old action games or arcade games may have a question about how to make the game full screen.
Because an application created 10, 15 or even 25 years ago may only be partially displayed on a modern monitor.
Sometimes this question arises when launching modern games.
Game running in windowed mode
There are a number of reasons why this happens, as well as several ways to get everything back to normal and play in full screen mode.
Quite often, you can switch a game or any other application to full screen by just pressing 2 keys – “Alt” and “Enter”.
The method helps not only in old games, but also in modern ones - for example, in WoT.
The same key combination will return windowed mode back if necessary.
Sometimes it happens, especially if you play on someone else’s computer, that the game starts in windowed mode due to the “-window” parameter set in the shortcut properties.
It can be written in the “Object” line of the game shortcut properties.
By removing this inscription, you can restore the standard launch to the entire monitor.
A launch problem also occurs if the game is incompatible with this operating system.
In this case, you should select the “Compatibility” tab in the properties of the shortcut or the application itself and select the operating system.
However, most often the list of OSes ends with Windows Vista, and this method will not help the owner of a modern OS, for example, Windows 10.
Running the game in compatibility mode for Windows XP
In some cases, outdated video card drivers prevent you from running games in full screen. The issue can be resolved by updating them or completely reinstalling them.
Each manufacturer's video card setup menu looks different.
For example, for Nvidia products, the user will have to open the Start menu/Control Panel.
Here select the nVidia Control Panel and select the scaling adjustment there. When you turn it on, the game should expand to fit the screen.
Changing scaling for Nvidia graphics card
ATI brand video cards require the Catalyst Control Center application to be running.
And for integrated Intel Graphics cards, often installed on laptops, you will need to perform a number of steps described separately.
Some games on modern operating systems, such as Windows 8, allow you to set full-screen or windowed mode in their graphics settings.
This possibility can be detected by launching a game that for some reason runs in a window, that is, not in full screen.
Solution to the problem:
Sometimes after changing the settings the game has to be restarted. In this case, it usually doesn’t matter what the operating system is or the screen resolution.
Setting full screen mode for Minecraft
If all of the above did not help bring the game resolution to normal, the game may be old enough to run in full screen on Windows 7.
Sometimes in this case the picture looks blurry.
And there is only one way to fix the problem - change the resolution of your screen.
After this, however, other programs, more modern and designed for normal parameters, will no longer run.
Therefore, after playing the game, you need to return the monitor to its normal resolution.
Adjusting the monitor resolution to match the game parameters
If the game requires a resolution of 640x480, but the monitor does not support it, there is another option. It is selected in the shortcut properties on the compatibility tab.
Important! It is worth noting that this function allows you to automatically return to normal resolution after exiting the game.
Selecting screen resolution for older games
If a problem with an application that does not open to the full height or width of the screen occurs on a Windows laptop, it may be due to incorrectly set parameters of the built-in Intel Graphics card.
To fix it you will need:
Changing Resolution in Intel Graphics Control Panel
By reducing the resolution, you can change the screen parameters.
By closing the Intel panel, you can launch all the necessary applications, which will now stretch across the entire display area.
Sometimes this may reduce the clarity of the original image.
Therefore, after the game, you should disable scaling and use it only for this specific program.
Knowing how to open games and programs in full screen mode can significantly simplify the process of working and playing. Typically, all of these methods require little action.
And some of them allow you, after spending a little time right away, to no longer worry about games that do not open in full screen.
Many players and PC users are often faced with the fact that they do not know how to expand the game to full screen. There may be several reasons for this problem - from launch parameters to the year the game was released. This article discusses several ways to resolve this issue.
This problem mainly appears when trying to launch old games or casual indie projects. Also, the reason may lie in the incompatibility of the latest operating systems with old games. In addition to everything, it is worth adding outdated drivers on video cards, which can also prevent the program from running in full screen mode. Let's figure out how to expand the game to full screen in several ways.
If you have a window with a game open in a frame, then most likely it will help you, which allows you to expand all system windows to full screen mode. On your keyboard, hold down the Alt and Enter keys at the same time and watch the game react. If this does not help, then move on to another method.
After launching the game in windowed mode, do not rush into system settings. First, try to find a mode change in the settings of the game itself. Go to the menu, then go to Settings. It should have a “Graphics” or “Screen” column (depending on the game, the names may change, but the essence remains the same). Select and apply changes. In most cases, you won't even need to restart - the system will automatically expand the game to full screen.
If the methods described above did not help, then use the third method. Sometimes parameters are written into launches. The window prefix is responsible for launching in a window. Go to the shortcut properties and check if it is added to the "Object" field. Next, pay attention to the “Window” item. It should say “Full screen”. Now you know how to remove the small screen in games using the property settings.
Perhaps the game you need runs in a low resolution, which does not allow it to stretch across the entire monitor area. In this case, let's turn to the in-game settings again. Select the window resolution that is the default one on your monitor. In this case, the small screen in games will no longer be a problem for you. Even in windowed mode, the game will be stretched across the entire area. This method will most likely not work for older projects that do not support modern resolutions.
Branded utilities from the video card manufacturer will help you solve the problem. There you can update the drivers to the latest version and adjust the game resolution to your screen. This is done by scaling in the video card properties. After completing the gameplay, you should return the default settings.
If the general description of how to expand the game to full screen did not help you, then turn to the forums that specialize in the project you need. Each program has its own characteristics. This is especially true for older games, so the methods described are not a solution to all problems with windowed mode in every case.
Almost every Windows user knows that in order to expand a window to full screen, just left-click on the middle icon in the upper right corner of this window to the left of the cross that closes it. But sometimes it becomes necessary to do the same action, but without the participation of a mouse, using only the computer keyboard.
In this article we will tell you how to use a keyboard shortcut to expand a window to full screen in any version of the Windows operating system.
Everything is simple here. You need to press the “Windows” key, which is located in the lower left corner of the keyboard and looks like this:
Windows key on keyboard
And without releasing it, press the “Up Arrow” button. Immediately after this, the Windows window will expand to full screen.
The combination “Windows” + “Up Arrow” to switch to full screen mode
If, in full-screen window mode, you press “Windows” + “Down Arrow”, you will return it to its initial state.
Combination "Windows" + "Down Arrow" to exit full screen mode
You can also use the F11 button. It also activates and deactivates full screen mode, but in this case the taskbar disappears.
Many people try to maximize the window using the combination “ALT” + “Enter”. But it does not work with Windows OS windows. It can only be used in and applications.
As you can see, the procedure for switching a window to full-screen mode without using a mouse is quite simple. To do this, use the key combination “Windows” + “up arrow”. The combination “Windows” + “down arrow” is responsible for exiting full-screen mode.
Note that this key combination is relevant for Windows.
Master's answer:
Users often like to while away a couple of minutes playing an exciting game at work. In cases where a person needs to constantly respond to clients via chat, on a forum, ICQ, or follow up on emails, it is more convenient to open the game in a window. In addition, windowed mode is convenient for playing older games in which the graphics look too square if the application is expanded to full screen.
You need to start the game, and then press the Enter and Alt buttons on the keyboard at the same time. For many games, this key combination is the operation for switching to windowed mode. This method is the easiest to open a game in a window, but many games, unfortunately, do not support it.
Another option is to create an icon for the game on the desktop if it is not there. Then you need to right-click on the shortcut. In the menu that opens, select “Properties”. In the field containing the path to the program, you need to add -window. For example, if previously it was – C:\ProgramFiles (x86)\lary\lary.exe, it should become – C:\ProgramFiles (x86)\lary\lary.exe -window. Then you need to click on the “Apply” button and close the “Properties” setting. After this, the game that was launched by this shortcut will start in the window. It is important to know that a number of games will continue to open in windowed mode, even if the user deletes –window in the program path line. To fix this problem, instead of -window you need to specify -full screen.
You can also launch the game and see the settings. Many games have a built-in function to run in windowed mode. Then the user only needs to do is search for the corresponding line in the game settings and check the box. The transition back to full-screen mode will be carried out in the same line by removing the checkbox.
You can turn to the help of various Internet resources if the user cannot open a computer game in windowed mode. On the developer’s website, as a rule, by entering “open in window” in the search bar, you can find information about launching the game in windowed mode. If the game is quite old and the developer company has long since changed its name or ceased to exist, you can look for the necessary information on gaming forums.
You need to return to full screen mode if the game starts to slow down. Surprisingly, a game opened in a window can consume more resources than a game running in full screen mode. The toy sometimes slows down in windowed mode, because the developer did not optimize it for working in a window.
You must remember to save the game before closing the window. If the user does not do this, all game progress will be lost.
