Mac OS: Video Game Quits Unexpectedly After Changing Display Resolution

Symptom

After changing display resolution in a video game, an alert box with this message (or a similar one) appears:

• "The application <game name> has unexpectedly quit."

When you try again, the game will not open successfully.

Note: This issue may occur with other types of applications that switch the display resolution.

Products affected

• Mac OS 9
• Mac OS X
• Macintosh-compatible video games
• Other applications that switch display resolution

Apple flat panel displays, such as:

• Apple Cinema HD Display
• Apple Cinema Display
• Apple Studio Display 17 (ADC)
• Apple Studio Display LCD (ADC)

Apple computers with built-in flat panel displays, such as:

• PowerBook G4
• iBook
• iMac (Flat Panel)

Solution

This issue occurs when a video game switches to a screen resolution that is not compatible with your display. This does not mean that something is wrong with your display or with the game. Rather, it shows the difference between the very large number of possible display resolutions (those available to any display which a consumer may feasibly use) and the relatively small number of choices that a game manufacturer can put into a menu within the game.

Game resolution background information

Most games contain a list of resolutions that are likely to be compatible with a wide range of multiple scan cathode-ray tube (CRT) displays. The most commonly used resolutions in recent years have been 640 by 480, 800 by 600, and 1024 by 768. The rise of flat panel displays has added resolution possibilities for gamers that were not "traditional" gaming choices in the past. A flat panel display offers its best image quality at its maximum or "native" resolution, though most can also simulate other resolutions through scaling, a method in which multiple pixels are grouped to appear as one. For these reasons, a flat panel display may work with fewer resolutions than a multiple scan CRT. So, you are more likely to notice this issue on a fixed resolution CRT or on a flat panel display than you are on a multiple scan CRT monitor.

Getting the game to open

A. Locating the preference, configuration, or initialization file

The immediate issue you must address is getting the game to open again. For most games you can do this by locating the file that contains the resolution setting. The file usually takes one of these two forms:

• 1. a preference file
  Some games store the resolution setting in a preference file. In Mac OS X, preference files are stored at:
  
  /Users/username/Library/Preferences/
  
  In Mac OS 9, these files are stored at:
  
  Macintosh HD: System Folder: Preferences:
  
  The name of a preference file usually contains the name of the game or application.
  
  2. a configuration (.cfg) or initialization (.ini) file
  Other games store the resolution in a "configuration" or "initialization" file. These files can be identified by the filename extensions ".cfg" and ".ini" respectively. Configuration files are usually found in the same folder as the application, or in a subfolder of the applications folder. Below are two example locations.
  
  For Return to Castle Wolfenstein (id Software/Aspyr Media) installed in the Mac OS X Applications folder:
  
  /Applications/Wolfenstein/Main/wolfconfig.cfg
  
  For Unreal Tournament (Epic Games/MacSoft) installed on Macintosh HD in Mac OS 9:
  
  Macintosh HD: Unreal Tournament: UnrealTournament.ini

Note: Filename extensions other than ".cfg" and ".ini" may be used. Look for any conspicuous text file that contains game settings that is stored in the game application folder. The ".cfg" and ".ini" extensions are used by games that use the Quake III and Unreal game engines, respectively.

B. Corrective action

If you find that your game uses a .cfg or .ini file, try addressing them before you do anything with preferences. If you had not made many custom settings to the game before the issue occurred, you may wish to simply drag the file to the desktop and then reopen the game. When you reopen the game, it should create a new .ini or .cfg file that contains default settings.

If you have made extensive customization to game settings prior to the issue occurring, it is likely that some of them are stored in the .cfg or .ini file. Rather than moving the file, you may wish to edit it.

• 1. Save a copy of the file for reference.
  2. Open the file in TextEdit (Mac OS X) or in SimpleText (Mac OS 9). These files are usually several hundred lines long, but spotting the display resolution is easily done. Look for two lines of text next to each other that contain the last resolution numbers that you used or chose in the game. These lines may contain key word such as "horizontal","vertical,""x", and "y". The "x" and "y" refer to horizontal and vertical axes. Change the resolution numbers to 640 (horizontal) by 480 (vertical). This is a default resolution for many games that will work with most displays currently in use
  3. Save your changes.
  4. Reopen the game.

If the game does not use any kind of configuration file, then drag the preference file from its original location to the desktop. When you reopen the game, it may reset to the default resolution. You may lose custom settings that you have made in the game.

If neither of these methods works for you, check any support information provided by the game maker.

Preventing the issue from recurring

The best way to prevent the issue from recurring is to read all of the documentation that came with the video game. Most game makers are aware of resolution issues, and often solutions are described in the "read me" documents that accompany software. Look for advice on how to create a "custom" resolution. Additionally, you should look for Web sites devoted to the video game, where you may find answers to common questions.

For some games, you need to choose the desired resolution before opening the game, using System Preferences (Mac OS X) or the Monitors control panel (Mac OS 9). Other games require that you enter a special command while the game is running, or that you modify a .cfg or .ini file. You may see other methods, too.

Using Return to Castle Wolfenstein as an example, the "read me" document provides four commands that you can type in the game to switch to your desired custom resolution. An option like this is especially useful if you have a PowerBook or Apple Cinema Display, both of which have native resolutions that are not included in some games.

Choosing a resolution

You should choose resolutions that are listed in the Displays pane of System Preferences (Mac OS X) or in the Monitors control panel (Mac OS 9). Resolutions that appear dimmed (available but not recommended) may often be used successfully with video games.

Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only, and does not constitute Apple's recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.

The following article can help you search for a particular vendor's address and phone number:

Technical document 17159: "Locating Vendor Information"