How to change the screen resolution in Windows 10 Home if display does not work in the current one?

I have a Modecom FreePC (idea similar to Raspberry Pi: http://www.modecom.eu/freepc/mini_pc1/product/) with preinstalled Windows 10 Home. I connect it to an old TV (not Full HD). Devices usually have problems with setting correct resolution when connected to that TV. This results in "Video mode is unavailable" on the TV.

On my laptop I would simply use the built in display, extend it through HDMI and set the correct resolution on the TV and the TV would work properly. However, I cannot do that on that device, because there is only one HDMI.

On Raspberry Pi it was also easy, because I could connect remotely through SSH and change the resolution in the config file.

I cannot come up with a proper way to do it in Windows 10...

I tried using RDP and TeamViewer, but these solutions are so sophisticated nowadays that they recognize that it is a remote session and do not allow me to change the resolution of the display connected to the device.

Any idea how I can achieve that in Windows 10 (Home)? I can connect/install software on it remotely.

Michal B.

Posted 2016-12-02T09:29:48.210

Reputation: 81

Try calling RDP with mstsc.exe /h:height /w:width where height and width are the wanted resolution. You could also try a screen extender over the local area network such as spacedesk.

– harrymc – 2016-12-06T21:22:35.290

mstsc.exe /h:height /w:width will only adjust the screen size of my remote session. This is not what I am trying to achieve. I want to change the resolution of the output that goes through HDMI to my TV. – Michal B. – 2016-12-07T09:48:46.577

Did you try spacedesk.? – harrymc – 2016-12-07T10:03:37.300

I have no idea how spacedesk could help me. It is used for extending the screen. This is not what I try to do...Could you tell me what your idea behind spacedesk is? – Michal B. – 2016-12-08T10:45:03.753

It thought of it as a way to change the screen resolution without RDP. If this doesn't help, another idea is to execute a resolution change batch command (see this post) via PsExec over the network.

– harrymc – 2016-12-08T11:11:11.140

This is something that is worth trying! Thanks. – Michal B. – 2016-12-08T14:11:02.890

Please comment on the answers below. – harrymc – 2016-12-13T07:26:18.090

Answers

Short answer, but it might work... Have you tried UltraVNC? http://www.uvnc.com/downloads/ultravnc.html

It's free, and you can customize many of the connection settings.

Wouter

Posted 2016-12-02T09:29:48.210

Reputation: 1 259

1I did not have time to check it, will do it the coming week and come back to say if it worked. – Michal B. – 2016-12-15T11:29:21.700

One can change the screen resolution by executing a batch command over the network.

The free PsExec is the proposed tool, described as :

PsExec is a light-weight telnet-replacement that lets you execute processes on other systems, complete with full interactivity for console applications, without having to manually install client software. PsExec's most powerful uses include launching interactive command-prompts on remote systems and remote-enabling tools like IpConfig that otherwise do not have the ability to show information about remote systems.

There are several batch tools that can change the resolution and can be executed by PsExec, so need to be installed on the FreePC.

The post Any way of changing Windows 7 screen resolution via command line? describes some of these tools :

harrymc

Posted 2016-12-02T09:29:48.210

Reputation: 306 093

just try to win+p -> move 1, 2 or 3 steps below which are DUPLICATE // EXTEND // PROJECTOR ONLY

top of these is PC SCREEN ONLY

duplicate and extend might help you here even you have one monitor only

hulaq

Posted 2016-12-02T09:29:48.210

Reputation: 27

This isn't a case of multiple monitors. – harrymc – 2016-12-09T13:27:46.233

It doesnt have to be, you can use duplicate and extend modes for single monitor / laptop only as this will and would help with the resolution issue without loosing the picture. duplicate -mode will change the resolution to a lower one when no output on VGA-out is found, for example.

its worth to try despite having a one monitor only. – hulaq – 2016-12-12T08:19:06.233

Hopefully you have another monitor or TV you could use while you get things working? Then once resolution is set, transfer to the TV you want to use?

There is a piece of freeware that can set resolution: http://www.intowindows.com/set-custom-resolution-on-windows-10/ Unfortunately it says it doesn't work on integrated Intel chips so it probably won't help you.

As an alternative, you could try manually setting resolution (using another screen to see what you're doing) via display adapter properties. Hopefully the changes stick when you unplug and put into the next TV.

If that doesn't work (maybe plugging into your old TV resets the process), you could try saving a default resolution in windows registry.

Sir Adelaide

Posted 2016-12-02T09:29:48.210

Reputation: 4 758