HP ProBook 6470b, Intel HD Graphics 4000, Windows 7 Pro 64bit

The native resolution of this laptop is 1600x900 (16:9 aspect ratio). With some semi-new games, I'd like to run on a lower 16:9 resolution so that the game would run faster. e.g. 1280x720 or 1366x768. For example Far Cry 2, The Witcher and such. E.g. Far Cry 2 runs semi-nicely, ie. every graphics option in the highest setting except antialiasing switched off, and it runs at maybe 15-30 fps at 1600x900. So I figure a lower resolution like 1280x720 should give it a nice speed boost even in high detail levels.

The problem is, by default the laptop seems to support only the following resolutions, whether I try to select them in the Windows display properties or in the Intel Graphics control panel from the tray:

1600x900 (16:9)
1024x768 (4:3)
800x600 (4:3)
640x480 (4:3) (this is selectable only in the Intel control panel, I think; Windows display properties allow only down to 800x600)

What I've done so far:

1. I've installed the latest graphics drivers from HP (version 9.17.10.2867), no change.

http://tinyurl.com/oyklpyx

2. I read on some Intel pages that the Intel Graphics control panel should have an option for custom resolutions, but it may be missing there if the PC vendor has decided so for some reason. Apparently HP has decided so, as I am missing the custom resolutions option in the Intel control panel.

http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/sb/cs-029478.htm

The Intel pages also suggested to check under C:\Windows\System32\ for a custom resolution app called CustomModeApp.exe, but I don't find it there.

3. Here:

http://www.sevenforums.com/graphic-cards/282687-can-t-set-any-resolution-betwen-1600x900-1024x768-my-laptop.html

is someone complaining about the very same thing (on HP EliteBook 8470p). The issue seemed to be fixed for him eventually by updating newer HP graphics drivers, but not for me (ProBook 6470b). Someone else in that discussion (kputcha) also has the problem, and apparently the same laptop as me.

From that discussion I found the link to latest Intel (not HP) HD 4000 graphics drivers, thinking maybe they offer the option for more resolutions. Trying to install the exe package (win64_153318.exe) gives some error "Your vendor has not approved these drivers, use your vendor provided drivers instead blaa blaa blaa...", so I tried to manually update the graphics driver from Windows control panel, using the zip package instead (win64_153318.zip). But that claims the drivers are already up to date, and doesn't perform the update.

4. Years ago I recalled using PowerStrip to add an odd resolution that the graphics driver didn't support by default (I think it was 640x400, so that I could play Dune 2000 in fullscreen mode, otherwise it would have black borders on each four sides; it worked back then). So I installed PowerStrip in order to create either 1280x720 or 1366x768 resolution:

Display Profiles => Configure => Advanced Timing Options => Custom Resolutions, selecting a ready resolution there, or setting the active pixels manually => Add new resolution. At that point Powerstrip gives a caution:

"The parameters you have specified may be beyond the capabilities of your monitor or graphics card. Please recheck the resolution, horizontal and vertical refresh rates, and the pixel clock to ensure they are within spec. Press Ok to continue, or Cancel to adjust the values."

I don't know if that is a generic caution because I get it every time, so I select Ok and reboot Windows. But even after that, these new resolutions are still not available anywhere (Windows display properties, Intel control panel, nor Powerstrip).

Any more ideas, are do I just have to accept that 1600x900 is the only widescreen resolution I can use on this laptop (at least with the laptop display)?

Ok solved it. The reason for vanilla Intel drivers refusing to install was because the much older HP-validated drivers were blocking the installation. So, after I uninstalled the HP Intel drivers from Control Panel (they got automatically replaced by Standard VGA drivers), then I could install the vanilla Intel drivers. which are much newer (two years newer, it seems). Stupid HP, preventing users from installing newer drivers, yet not keeping their own validated drivers up to date.

That fixed the issue too, now I have lots of different resolutions available. :)

Quick, someone write something to this discussion, I will mark it as the solution.

Yes but in my experience specially with graphics drivers its better to remove the old ones completely instead of installing over because then you may run into problems like BSOD and black screen etc. I have always found the new drivers to perform better and make a difference when installed over the standard VGA ones.

I guess, but I guess I am too accustomed to the driver installation automatically removing the old drivers anyway, before installing the new ones (e.g. whenever I've installed NVidia Geforce drivers to another PC, I've never manually uninstalled the old drivers first; I've used the "clean install" option though, which reverts all graphics options to default values, just in case).

And as I earlier updated older HP-validated drivers with newer HP drivers (which were still much older than newest Intel drivers), it seemed to do that, it removed the old drivers first. The screen went to a very low resolution mode at that point when it has installed the old drivers.

Anyway, in this case it was because the HP-validated drivers were somehow telling the system that no vanilla drivers are allowed to be installed, as it already has HP drivers. The only way to get over that was to first manually uninstall the HP drivers.

I was first reluctant to do that though, as I wasn't quite sure what will happen if I uninstall graphics drivers. E.g. would it mean the desktop will not display at all anymore? Anyway, it automatically just replaced some basic VGA drivers there, which still worked fine. And then I installed the newest Intel HD 4000 drivers over them.

All is well now.

Glad to hear it worked for you, the reason I was suggesting to do a manual uninstall and then a fresh driver installation is because of my personal experience where my notebook has switchable graphics with one internal and an external GPU so whenever I have to update my graphics drivers I use the driver uninstall utility which removes every trace of the driver and then install new drivers for both internal and external GPUs. The reason I do this now is because when I first go this notebook and the people who set it up for me had installed the latest drivers for the external GPU in my notebook but they had installed over the standard drivers that come with it. When I tested my notebook to check the performance of my external GPU it did not recognize it and was only using the internal graphics adapter.

It was a really frustrating thing to deal with on a brand new notebook and I had to spend a lot of time online to get it all sorted out, I remember I couldn't sleep until it was fixed but thankfully All is well now for me as well since I started to follow the proper steps of upgrading my graphics drivers. :)

Jeebus, and now it's a minus 36.

Unbelievable.

I wish the assholes would leave you alone and target me instead.

Its alright OldFatGuy I can take it because I know that enough people here know that I am more reputable then what the number might suggest. :)