Monitor diving me nuts!

I have a LCD TV that works as my monitor! I usually have 1024x768 resolutin because i cannot change it more! i try to change it in the Settings tab bu i only have 2 choices! 800x600 and the one i use 1024x768! But i cannot change to 800x600 because i get black screen and a text: "No input signal"! now i installed a game and can't play because i get the same screen! this happened to many games! the only way i can make it work is going into the game options and selecting 1024x768 as the game resolution! but how can i do that if i cannot see the game screen?
Help me pelase

P.S. Sry for the title typo!

Look for an .ini (e.g. settings.ini, Gothic.ini) file in the game directory, you can often find the graphics settings there. If, in the file, there's a line reading like this:

resolution = 1280x1024 (or whatever value larger than the 1024X768)

then by changing these values you can change the startup resolution from the .ini file. The horizontal and vertical resolutions might be on separate lines and they might not be called 'resolution', but the typical numbers (1280, 1024) should give you a hint. Each game has a different way of storing graphics settings, but many of them use .ini files. Remember to make a backup of the original .ini file before editing it!

This way you might get the game started & visible. Please note that if you change the settings in the game, the new settings will be written in the .ini file and the modifications you made in the file could be written over.

ok thanks lich! i really appreciate your help! going to try the .ini file

You're welcome. Now that I read your message again, here's an additional note: it could be also that the value is too small in the .ini file; if the TV only supports 1024x768, then you should be looking for smaller values like 800x600, especially if you changed that in the options.

Also, sometimes if the monitor is new Windows wont recognize it. Right click your desktop, click on the settings tab and if it says something like 'Generic Monitor' where it says display, you probably need to go to the manufacturers website to get the .ini file if you can't find it or if you didn't get a disk. Installing that should open up all your resolution options.

thanks MasterLich for your help! it worked! ty! and Sir Markus i don't really know what you are talking about... in my settings i see Plug and play monitor so i think it is installed....

Windows says the actual model number and name of my monitor, but in any case I'm glad you got it working.

oh thanks Markus! now i kinda understand what you are saying...