Drivers for Windows
Compressed Modes
User’s Guide
Version 2.1
NVIDIA Corporation
October 24, 2002
NVIDIA Drivers Compressed Modes User’s Guide Version 2.1
Published by
NVIDIA Corporation
2701 San Tomas Expressway
Santa Clara, CA 95050
Copyright © 2002 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved.
This software may not, in whole or in part, be copied through any means, mechanical, electromechanical, or
otherwise, without the express permission of NVIDIA Corporation.
Information furnished is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, NVIDIA assumes no responsibility for the
consequences of use of such information nor for any infringement of patents or other rights of third parties, which
may result from its use. No License is granted by implication or otherwise under any patent or patent rights of
NVIDIA Corporation.
Specifications mentioned in the software are subject to change without notice.
NVIDIA Corporation products are not authorized for use as critical components in life support devices or systems
without express written approval of NVIDIA Corporation.
NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, GeForce, GeForce2 Ultra, GeForce2 MX, GeForce2 GTS, GeForce 256, GeForce3,
Quadro2, NVIDIA Quadro2, Quadro2 Pro, Quadro2 MXR, Quadro, NVIDIA Quadro, Vanta, NVIDIA Vanta, TNT2,
NVIDIA TNT2, TNT, NVIDIA TNT, RIVA, NVIDIA RIVA, NVIDIA RIVA 128ZX, and NVIDIA RIVA 128 are
registered trademarks or trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, Direct3D, DirectDraw, and DirectX are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.
CDRS is a trademark and Pro/ENGINEER is a registered trademark of Parametric Technology Corporation.
OpenGL is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics Inc.
SPECglperf and SPECviewperf are trademarks of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation.
Other company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which
they are associated.
NVIDIA Corporation
C HAPTER
1
Overview
The Purpose of Compressed Modes
About This Document
OMPRESSED
C
Advanced NVIDIA graphics processors and software drivers have greatly increased the
number of possible display mode combinations.
Compressed Modes is NVIDIA’s method for efficiently specifying any number of desired
display modes without having to add huge mode lists to the Windows registry.
• The information in this document applies to NVIDIATM Display Drivers for Windows®
NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Windows XP—Release 40 and later—and explains how to
construct a master display mode list using the compressed modes method.
• Revision History
Revision Date Description
1.0 3/29/02 Initial Release
1.1 3/29/02 Simplified the
2.0 8/29/02 Revised to reflect the new compressed mode architecture for
Release 40 drivers.
2.1 10/24/02
Effective in version 41.00:
eliminate separate product groupings. All products are now
specified within the same INF entry.
Adding Mode Deltas to the INF
Simplified the INF entry to
ODES
M
section.
Removed use of the UseCompressedModeFormat registry
key.
NVIDIA Corporation
Compressed Modes User’s Guide – Version 2.1 1