Understanding What’s Going Wrong
What is Borderless Windowed Fullscreen?
Have you ever loaded up your favorite game, eager to dive into its immersive world, only to be met with a frustrating glitch? You select “Borderless Windowed Fullscreen” in the settings, hoping for seamless multitasking and a smooth gaming experience. Instead, the game either stubbornly refuses to go truly fullscreen, displays ugly borders, minimizes unexpectedly when you switch windows, or perhaps it’s just running sluggishly compared to what you’d expect. This is a common and frustrating problem for PC gamers.
This article will delve into the reasons behind why this often-sought feature, borderless windowed fullscreen, might fail to function as intended. We’ll explore the underlying causes, from conflicting settings to driver issues, and provide practical, actionable solutions to get your games running in the way you desire. Get ready to take back control of your gaming experience!
Before diving into solutions, it’s crucial to understand what borderless windowed fullscreen actually *is* and why it’s such a desirable feature in the first place. And more importantly, why it sometimes breaks down.
At its core, borderless windowed fullscreen is a clever blend of two display modes: “Fullscreen” and “Windowed.”
Fullscreen mode dedicates the entire monitor’s display to the game. This can often lead to the best performance because the game has exclusive access to the hardware resources. This method usually means no easy window switching.
Windowed mode renders the game inside a standard window with borders, just like any other application. Allows you to access other windows easily.
Borderless Windowed Fullscreen attempts to combine the advantages of both. The game acts like it’s fullscreen, taking up the entire screen area, *without* the traditional borders. Simultaneously, it retains the ability to easily switch to other applications, because it is in a windowed state.
So, why do gamers love borderless windowed? The benefits are significant:
- Effortless Multitasking: Switching between your game, a browser, Discord, or other applications is a breeze. No more waiting for the game to minimize or maximizing the game all over again.
- Reduced Input Lag: While not always a guarantee, borderless windowed can sometimes provide lower input lag compared to standard windowed mode, providing a responsive game.
- No Tearing (Potentially): If you have VSync (Vertical Synchronization), G-Sync (Nvidia), or FreeSync (AMD) enabled, borderless windowed can help eliminate screen tearing, the visual artifact that occurs when the display isn’t synchronized with the game’s frame rate.
Now, let’s talk about the problem. The malfunction of borderless windowed fullscreen can manifest in several ways:
- Not Truly Fullscreen: The game may appear with borders, either along the top, bottom, or sides of the window.
- Persistent Borders: You might be stuck with visible window borders that ruin the immersive effect.
- Minimizing Mishap: The game might abruptly minimize or crash when you attempt to switch to another application.
- Performance Penalty: The game could run slower than it should, even though your hardware is capable.
The scope of this problem can be quite varied. Some games are more prone to these issues than others. It can affect players across different hardware configurations, but those with multiple monitors tend to report more issues.
Uncovering the Root Causes
Several factors can contribute to borderless windowed fullscreen malfunction. Pinpointing the culprit is the first step to fixing it. Let’s break down the most common causes.
Game Settings Gone Awry
Incorrect settings within the game’s display options can sabotage borderless windowed mode. Double-check these areas:
- Resolution: Ensure the resolution selected in the game matches your monitor’s native resolution. Trying a resolution different than your monitor’s native resolution is sometimes a cause.
- Fullscreen Mode: The actual settings to be used, and not borderless windowed is selected. Ensure that the correct mode is chosen.
- Refresh Rate: Confirm the game’s refresh rate is set to your monitor’s maximum refresh rate (or what your monitor supports).
- Graphics Presets: Experiment with various graphics presets. Sometimes, specific settings within those presets can conflict with borderless windowed.
Driver Dilemmas
Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers can wreak havoc on your system, including borderless windowed mode. Consider these factors:
- Driver Age: Using old drivers is a potential issue. New drivers are often released to optimize performance for specific games.
- Driver Corruption: Sometimes, drivers can become corrupted during updates.
- Driver Incompatibilities: In some instances, certain driver versions may have conflicts.
System Software Conflicts
Your operating system and other applications can contribute to issues.
- Operating System Issues: Windows updates, while generally beneficial, can sometimes introduce problems or bugs that affect how games interact with your display.
- Background Programs: Resource-intensive applications running in the background (like Discord, streaming software, or performance monitoring tools) can interfere with the game.
Hardware Hurdles
Your hardware might also play a role.
- Multiple Monitor Mayhem: Having multiple monitors, each running at different resolutions or refresh rates, can sometimes confuse the system.
- Hardware Limitations: A weak CPU or GPU can limit performance and make the game behave poorly, regardless of the display mode.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide
Now it’s time to put on your detective hat and start troubleshooting. Here’s a systematic approach to resolving the issue, working from the simplest solutions to more complex ones.
The Fundamentals: Simple Checks
- Restart: Begin by restarting both the game and your entire computer. This often resolves temporary glitches.
- Verify Game Files: If you’re playing the game through a platform like Steam, use the platform’s built-in file integrity check. This ensures all game files are present and uncorrupted. In Steam, this is done by right-clicking the game in your library, selecting “Properties,” going to “Local Files,” and then clicking “Verify integrity of game files.”
- Update Drivers: Ensure your graphics drivers are up-to-date. Go to your graphics card manufacturer’s website (Nvidia, AMD, Intel) and download the latest drivers.
Fine-Tuning Game Settings
- Inspect Display Settings: Go into the game’s display settings. Double-check the resolution, refresh rate, and fullscreen mode options.
- Test Different Modes: Experiment with regular “Fullscreen” mode and then “Windowed” mode. This helps to isolate the problem. If the game works in one of these modes but not the borderless windowed, you’ve narrowed down the source.
- Tweak Synchronization: If the game allows for it, try toggling VSync, G-Sync, or FreeSync on and off.
Driver Management Maneuvers
- Stay Current: Visit the website for your graphics card (Nvidia, AMD, or Intel) and download the very latest drivers.
- Consider a Reinstall: Download the most recent driver and reinstall. This removes any possible issues that occurred when the driver was being used on your system.
- Driver Removal is a Last Resort: If the newest drivers are causing problems, it might be necessary to completely remove your graphics drivers using a tool like Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU). Be careful following any steps you are unfamiliar with.
Windows and Program Optimization
- Keep Your OS Up-to-Date: Make sure your Windows operating system is up-to-date.
- Compatibility Mode: In some instances, the game may run successfully if it’s set to run in Compatibility mode. Find the game’s executable file, right-click on it, select “Properties,” go to the “Compatibility” tab, and check the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” box, then select an older version of Windows (if applicable).
- Close Unnecessary Applications: Close all background applications that aren’t necessary while you’re playing the game, including overlays.
Multi-Monitor Management
- Primary Display Priority: Designate the monitor you want to use the game on as the primary display in your Windows settings. You can do this by going to “Display Settings” in Windows (right-click on the desktop and choose “Display Settings”).
- Testing with a Single Monitor: Temporarily disconnect other monitors to see if the issue is resolved.
When the Issue Persists: Advanced Fixes (Use with Caution)
- If all else fails: Consider fully reinstalling the game.
- Registry Edits (Use with extreme caution): Advanced users may find registry hacks online. You will want to back up the registry before making any changes. Any incorrect edit to the registry can cause system instability and potential data loss.
Practices for the Future
Preventing future issues is as important as fixing them. Here are some steps to help keep borderless windowed running smoothly.
Driver Routine
Make it a habit to check for and install the latest graphics drivers whenever they are released, usually from your graphics card manufacturer’s website.
System Specific Configurations
Experiment with different graphics settings in your games. Start by setting the game based on your hardware.
Read Players’ Reviews
Check out user reviews or forums for the game you are having problems with. If borderless windowed is causing a problem, someone may have a solution already posted online.
Conclusion
The frustration of a broken borderless windowed fullscreen mode is understandable. The convenience and smoothness it offers can significantly enhance the gaming experience. By understanding the root causes and implementing the solutions outlined in this article, you can hopefully get your games running exactly as you’d like. By following these steps, you’ll be better equipped to troubleshoot and overcome these common display problems and will be able to get back to the gameplay!
If you’ve successfully resolved your borderless windowed issue, share your strategies. If you’re still struggling, let other players know! Your insights can help another player, and together, we can enjoy the beauty of borderless windowed fullscreen!
