If I go into safe mode, it always uses a lower screen resolution (and wrong aspect ratio) than is possible with the basic video driver that is used by safe mode, and the resolution may be changed back to the optimum manually.
Is there any way to set the screen resolution used by safe mode to default to a certain state?
I'm pretty sure you can adjust the screen resolution by up to 1024x768.
There are standard drivers for common video modes in Safe Mode.
Mine does 1366 x 768 (native) in Safe Mode same as normally used, the only difference is in Display settings where there is no choice of lower resolutions in the drop down box.
If Safe Mode is invoked, a new configuration key appears in:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Configuration\
which seems to contain the keys and subkeys that determine the screen resolution - originally in both normal mode and some default mode that seems to be typically 1024x768, although I have only looked at a couple of laptops, so far.
After Safe Mode has been started, another key is created, with the resolution that Safe Mode opens with in subkeys \00 and \00\00.
If the display resolution is changed by right-clicking on the desktop and manually selecting the optimum resolution for the display in safe mode, the values in the \00 and the \00\00 subkeys change to the new applied values
Of course, this looks stretched and distorted widthways on the screen at this resolution. The best resolution of 1366x768 is available,and when selected I get this:
Whereas this looks well proportioned
On restarting and selecting F8 safe mode again, the newly selected resolution for safe mode is persistent.
On another old laptop with only the Microsoft generic Basic video driver, I can get 1440x900 on an external monitor in safe mode, and it remains selected for subsequent safe mode sessions.
So I've marked this thread solved. :)
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