Cannot Switch from LCD Screen to External Monitor While You Run OpenGL-Based Game in Windows XP

When you switch between an LCD screen and an external monitor while you are playing an OpenGL-based game in full-screen mode, the video may become distorted. Note that this symptom only occurs if the Windows desktop resolution is different from the game's resolution, and this symptom does not occur with games that are using Microsoft DirectX.

If an external monitor is connected to your laptop computer, you may be able to press a combination of keys to switch between the LCD screen and the external monitor. When you do so, Windows passes the current desktop resolution to the external monitor. For example, if the Windows resolution is set to 1024x768, this is the resolution that is passed to the external monitor when you switch between the two. As another example, this problem can occur if you are running an OpenGL-based game in full-screen mode at 640x480 and your Windows desktop is set to 1024x768. When you switch from the LCD screen to the external monitor, the game only appears on part of the screen because the game's resolution is not passed to the external monitor.

To work around this issue, use any of the following methods.

Method 1

Do not switch between an LCD screen and an external monitor while you are playing an OpenGL-based game in full-screen mode.

Method 2

Use the same resolution for the desktop and your game.

Method 3

Run your game in a window instead of in full-screen mode.