Half Life 2 knocks out monitor!

[Fubaro]

Hello all...

Last game I installed on new comp (wouldn't ya know it) knocks my monitor into an unrecoverable stby mode! Half Life 2 will start up and allow me to change settings and then play. Subsequent restarts of game will try to run but knocks my monitor into a stby mode with black screen!
Monitor settings: 1280X1024 / 32 bit
Game settings: 1600X1200...4XAA / 8X AF...all else set to highest

System:
P4 extreme edition 3.2 HT and Dual Core...water cooled
2gb ram
Geforce 7800GTX 512mb ram
Creative Labs XFi Extreme Music
2X 10k Raptors in raid 0

Monitor: Sony 21in. GDM F520

Any help or ideas would be GREATLY appreciated! Thx in advance )

 

[ockky]

so you can boot into windows fine? and the screen only goes black when you play the game? if that's the case, i'm sure there is a parameter or a way to go back to default setting for the game by deleting a file or whatnot ...

 

[Fubaro]

Thx for reply )
Yes, with the monitor out and a black screen from trying to run the game, I'm forced to hit the on/off switch to restart windows. Monitor comes back to life and Windows boots up fine. All other games and apps are fine...just HL 2 that does it. Sucks, cause I cant start up game to play with diff settings (no safe mode that I know of).

Also tried Forceware 81.95 (on disc) and 81.98 (latest)
grrrrr

 

[Metron]

Sounds like you're in a video mode (1600x1200) that is supported by your video card, but not by your monitor or LCD. LCD's can be particularly finicky about the resolutions they display.

Short of getting another monitor... I don't know of any shortcuts other than re-installing.

 

[theAnimal]

That monitor should have no problem with 16 x 12. Have you tried setting your desktop to that resolution?

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Monitors can also do this with refresh rates that are too high. You will probably have to edit the config file for the game in the folder for it on your hard drive.

 

[Fubaro]

Thx again for replys )
Monitor is definately capable of 1600X1200. All other games I have installed run at that (FEAR, Far Cry, NFS MW, etc.) Looks like for some reason HL 2 decided it doesnt like a game setting resolution that exceeds my desktop resolution. I started HL2 in safe mode and set game to run 1280X920 (desktop at 1280X1024) and it runs fine. What I did then was to set AA at 6X and AF at 16X to still make game look nice... I can live with that
"the Animal" had a good idea to try setting the desktop at 1600X1200. Would need a profile or some kind of shortcut that would allow me to set and reset back only for HL2. That high a res on the desktop, i'd need a magnifying glass to read anything.

thx so much for the input on my prob,..you guys all rock here!