After having issues running Witcher 2 on my recent Alienware laptop I thought updating my graphics driver might help, so I went to Nvidia and downloaded/installed the latest driver (this is also one of the pieces of advice from the makers of Witcher). Also the Alienware dell website has a link to Nvidia update the drivers. However to my horror the new driver obliterates the screen res option for widescreen, so the resolution is wrong now, it's all stretched, plus now when I try and launch Witcher 2 the screen goes black, a cross appears where the cursor is and an error noise, nothing else happens. I don't know how to correct or change this, I've tried everything I know to make the resolution different but to no avail. I am now left with a laptop with the wrong resolution, no way I know of to change it and a broken game ... I am fed up! Can anyone advise on the resolution problem?

Vegpot -

Did you download the correct drivers? You'll need to download the drivers for your laptop card as these are different from the desktop computers'
still (I think?)

I think the maker of the Witcher, CD Project, adviced people to download the beta 275? drivers or something like that.

Do your laptop meet the minimum requirements for this game?

Before we do anything else, try to find a restore point (via system restore) from a point before you installed the new nvidia drivers.

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As for changing it back, you'll need to remove the driver again.

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As for the resolution problem, try rightclicking on the screen. Then click properties, (the last option), then configuations or something like that. (the last option to the right). Then there should be a slider, a text saying 'screen-resolution.' Please slide the slider to the resolution you want, click apply, then OK.

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Then restart your laptop.

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If this doesn't help, do the steps above again, but then click on the advanced tab. And then you should see a card tab. Click this. And then click on properties, then on the the driver tab, then find the'remove driver' option (it is the last one) This will remove your driver (for the nvdia card) from your computer. There's also an 'annul driver update ' option.

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Have you looked at the hardware options? to see if there is any yellow ? next to anything...

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Hi Karsten

My machine uses windows 7. Yes I did download the correct drivers, as stated for my machine both on the Nvidia site and the Dell site. Unfortunately if I right click the desk top and get to properties, the only options I have for changing the resolution are 2, neither of which are widescreen and I can't change this. I believe my laptop should meet the minimum requirements and it was running the game previous to this, I think it is the driver change that has caused the problem somehow. I cannot find any tab that allows me to undo the driver update which is maddening, at least I could play the game to some extent before! I am not sure how to do a system restore to get to a previous point in the game. At the moment I can't run the game at all. I will see if my husband who works in IT can do anything with it but it won't be until much later if at all.
Thanks for trying to help ...

Hi Vegpot

Try this

Click on the My Computer icon/computer icon/
Click on system properties (I think this is the name in English?) (or the hardware tab, then the system properties) Then scroll down to where it says screen card or graphics card, expand it by clicking on the + next to it. And then tell me what graphics card you have.


Also, can you try and give me the number and model of your Dell laptop?

For laptop drivers, I think you need to go the Dell site and download them? - the drivers for your card, I mean.

I'm glad to help a fellow boomer..

Edit:

I just found this:

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/254001-35-have-problem-screen-resolution-updating-video-drivers

However, this means you'll need to go into the registry...and this is best not done unless you know that you're able to fix it...

Edit 2:
I have Windows XP, so I'm not that familiar how the technology in Win 7 works. But I'll keep looking

Do you have the "Roll Back drivers" setting in Device Manager?
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-revert-to-a-previous-version-of-a-driver-in.html

Alienware's driver download site is ***here***.

Many thanks to Karsen and Jenny100 - I have managed to get my old res back by doing the system restore to a couple of days ago - hurrah!!

Karsten, I had installed the correct driver update through the Dell website, there must be something wrong with the driver as it was not supporting widescreen for some reason. I could not 'roll back' the the driver either, that option was greyed out (typical) and I couldn't undo it, how ridiculous. Thank you Jenny100 for your very useful suggestion to restore the system, I just hadn't thought of that! My eyes are much happier now, nothing is streeeeeetched any more!!!

I will have to leave driver updates for now, it's not very good if the official ones mess up the system they are designed for is it!

Big thanks to Jenny 100 for the help

I think the Nvidia drivers are beta drivers, as of now? And as such, they may not support widescreen resolution.

Actually to be precise I should have said thank you to Karsten for suggesting a system restore and another thank you to Jenny100 for pointing me to the Dummies (!) web page which enabled me to find out how to initiate the system restore in Windows 7 !! You both helped me to reach a successful 'resolution' of my problem

I suspect they support widescreen resolution, but they may not support laptop cards.

Glad you managed to get working drivers again, Vegpot.