Running games at different resolution without windows having issues?

[CakeMonster]

I would like to be able to run games in different resolutions than my desktop, but without all the open windows on my dual monitors going crazy and changing size and position. Is that possible in win7/8? Like the game running at a different resolution but just stretching to fill the screen without messing up anything else?

And I would like you to not post threads here with obscenities in the titles.
-- stahlhart

 

[CakeMonster]

Sorry for the phrasing, I didn't intend to offend anyone, just used the word out of my frustration when launching a couple of new games which messed up everything since they run at a different resolution than my windows by default. I suspect that this may be hard to fix with the way drivers or windows work now, but does anyone know what it would take from MS or driver manufacturers to just make everything use the current desktop resolution and stretch by default if the app/game runs another resolution?

 

[Stuka87]

And how about a bit more information. Like what video card you are running, which OS, which drivers, etc.

 

[CakeMonster]

This is a general question so brands and driver versions are not relevant here. To my knowledge it is not possible now, at least not with NVidia or AMD, which are the brands I've used in the last 5+ years.

Let me know if there's something you don't understand about the question. It may be hard to explain but I've tried stating it in a couple of different ways.

 

[KingFatty]

Are you flexible on whether the game is maximized to full screen? Maybe you could compromise and run the game in a window instead of fullscreen?

 

[CakeMonster]

Not really, I want to be able to use the whole screen.

You know, when you play a video in windows and you use full screen. When you do that, windows does not change the resolution.

If it could do the same for games, my life would be a lot easier since I have dual monitors and tons of stuff open in various positions on those monitors. I absolutely hate when everything is moved and resized because a game changed the resolution.