Thought I'd posted this before here, but maybe not.....I've tried to start Q2 before, but it invariably opens in very tiny window. I can at least hit ESC and exit the game.

I thought maybe it was because needed the 3.24 patch..so got that and unzipped.....same thing.

Any ideas how I fix this?

I am running Windows 10 Pro 64 bit on a 8 GB laptop.

In order to play the game with higher resolutions on modern systems, I suggest you to run it using a source port such as KMQuake2, vkQuake2 or Yamagi Quake 2.
Read here for more information.

First of - verify files (at least twice) in GOG Galaxy or reinstall for offline client.
Im not sure how GOG Galaxy build work, offline GOG build is broken. Yu should unzip 3.20 full (+ctf) patch above. Main exe and dll files are same though. But that really work. it fix bugs for Q2 base started not from Launcher and bug for addons corrupted saves (still addons better start from Launcher).

Second ones: What is your resolution? Try set 1280x960. Make sure your display is support 960p. If you on 4K - you can try also 1600x1200, but this maximum is only for 4k displays.

Maybe whole game started in windowed mode? Alt+Enter can change it after launching. Your game started in safe mode probably (set in cfg or in link execute arguments). Reinstalling (with manually removing folder) should fix that.

There is in-game windows. Playable windows can be changed with [+] and [-].

As for source-ports. yes, yamagi is good and closet to original (just updating included rendering dll to actual opengl standarts removing limitation devs made for each render to advert 3dfx). Any else - including KMK\KMK Lite\3.24 fake unofficial patch (still Lite version of KMK released early) - is not good at all or made for huge graphical and gameplay improvements (and ofc not all changes are good, this is mods after all)(although, normal flashlight from Q4... mmm... not "canon" but so good).

There is even more close to original source-ports in lite forms aka un-official patches. Facelift mod - this is more like un.of. patch than 3.24 from KMK. Facelift is not support widescreen. There is also DirectQII source-post that port it to D3D. Im not sure if this is a better way change render from general Opengl to D3D than updating old general limited opengl 1.0 render to no-limitation general OpenGL 3.2 as Yamagi do.

Vanilla General OpenGL is broken. To adress that use Facelift mod. For more improvments ->DirectQ2->Yamagi-Q2RTX->someting else.

Q2RTX by the way, also a authentic OpenGL source-port if re-\started in -gl render. Yamagi better though. RTX is fork based on two another ports\forks. And which ones based - less authentic.
Q2XP or... i dont know what exactly better for graphical and gameplay changing a more souce-port-mod. Not KMK for sure, anyway. Berserker as i remember too dark. But this all i play\check 10+ years ago.

No, just Q2 Quad Dmg


thanks for replies...I will check further.....Just seems odd as I have played many other older games without issues. When I mean tiny window, I do mean tiny...in upper left corner of laptop screen(no it's not 4k)

That probably somehow related to same problems for other for differ random games "game start in upper-left tiny window and cannot be maximized".
Should be general solution in games non-related form.

Quake 1\2 started in unsupported resolution (1600x1200 on 1920x1080 display) lead to switch game to windowed mode that be cut of the screen (because 1200 is more than 1080p). But work almost well.

Maybe some tool interrupt game window. Some with overlay. Some tools "dont tell you" that they use overlay. Like LogiOptions.exe or any else input-device tools.
Discord sometimes can lead to problems, randomly.
Switch Windows size wrap to 100% or maximum to 125%.

Or maybe just re-strart PC.

Turn off not needed compatiblity things. Important for GOG\GOG Galaxy releases! Something about full screen optimisation.