[tip] Fix your optimal refresh rate while playing a game in 2k/XP

With Windows 2k/XP if you have your refresh rate set to how you would like it, ie 75hz or 85hz, and then go into a game, it sets your default back to 60hz normally.

You can fix this a few ways (I'm sure theres more ways). If you have an ATi card, get the latest drivers, and in the ATi control panel, there's a lock refresh rate option (atleast it works for me).

If you have an nvidia card:

1. Remove drivers via control panel (add/remove).
2. Reboot
3. OK, when you boot back into Windows, the OS will install some GF3 drivers, and it will add:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\nv4
   
   Get rid of it...Just to be safe.
4. Extract the driver EXE using Winzip/WinRAR. Put it into a temp directory, and then use your favorite text editor, and load up the "nv4_disp.inf" file.
5. Now, what you want to do is simply go into the file, and modify the appropriate entry for your gfx. card. I have a GeForce3, so I'm looking for: NV20_Modes
   
   The only thing you want to do is use the appropriate refresh rate for a given resolution. So, for me, 1024x768x16 AND 1024x768x32 would require me to set the mode line to "100 Hz". This is what it would look like.
   
   HKR,, NV20_Modes,%REG_SZ_APPEND%, "16 1024 768 100 0"
   
   .
   
   .
   
   .
   
   HKR,, NV20_Modes,%REG_SZ_APPEND%, "32 1024 768 100 0"

Do this for each and every resolution. Save the file, and then manually install the drivers as you would normally do. It should be of no surprise as to why some of the tweak applications are failing to enable certain features.
________________________________________
NV0A_Modes = TNT2 Aladdin
NV10_Modes = GeForce SDR
NV10DDR_Modes = GeForce DDR
NV10GL_Modes = Quadro GeForce
NV11_Modes = GeForce2 MX SDR
NV11DDR_Modes = GeForce2 MX DDR
NV11GL_Modes = Quadro2 MXR
NV11M_Modes = GeForce2 Go
NV15_Modes = GeForce 2 SDR
NV15BR_Modes = GeForce 2 Ultra
NV15DDR_Modes = GeForce 2 DDR
NV15GL_Modes = Quadro 2 Pro
NV20_Modes = GeForce 3
NV4_Modes = TNT
NV5_Modes = TNT2 Vanta/Pro
NV5M64_Modes = TNT2 M64
NV5ULTRA_Modes = TNT2 Ultra
NV17_Modes = GeForce4 MX
NV25_Modes = GeForce4

However, editing .INF file is not for everybody. You can also download drivers that have already been modified. So, you could use a few programs that will do this for you, such as NV Refresh tool or Refresh Lock.

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