How to run TF2 in borderless window mode (or any other hl2.exe game.)

In this guide I show you how to get the best out of TF2 by running it in borderless windowed mode! So you can check messages, facebook, your music/iTunes without worrying about TF2 stopping responding or lagging on you.

Introduction

Hey everyone,

Today I'll be teaching you how to get the best out of Team Fortress 2 by running it in a 'borderless window mode'. It will save computer power and will reduce the RAM needed for your game when tabbing in and out.

What is a borderless window mode?
Basically you can run Team Fortress 2 like it's in fullscreen, without the pesky window that surrounds the game.

Why should I do this?
As it is, if you want to play Team Fortress 2, but need want check an IM or something that isn't from Steam or change the song you're listening to.
If you are in full-screen and minimize, you have to go through the long and grueling process waiting for TF2 to start responding again. And that means it uses a lot more RAM, having graphical errors, HUD errors, or even crashing.

To solve this, we need to tweak some launch options in Team Fortress 2, this guide will teach you how to.

Step 1: Resolution

First things first, you will need to find your screen resolution and make sure it matches your current Team Fortress 2's resolution.
If you know your screen resolution and you know your Team Fortress 2 matches your screen resolution feel free to skip this step.

If you don't know your screen resolution you can go to http://www.whatismyscreenresolution.com/, or if you use your parents computer you can ask them for the resolution.

The next part of this step is making sure that your current Team Fortress 2's resolution settings match your monitors resolution.

To do this launch your team fortress 2 and click on options, then go to the tab labeled 'Video' and look under the component labeled 'Resolution', if you run TF2 in fullscreen, like me, you should see your selected resolution active, with the words "(Native)" next to it. Like the image below.



You need to make sure that the "Native" or the resolution that matches your monitors resolution is checked.

• If you cannot find it in the Resolution box, check that it is not in a different aspect ratio, you can change your aspect ratio by looking in the box under "Resolution" labeled "Aspect Ratio".

Once you've done this and matched both resolutions of monitor and game, click apply then exit Team Fortress 2.

Step 2: Editing the launch properties of the game.

Okay, now you have checked your resolution and made sure they correlate we can edit the launch properties.

To do this, no matter which display mode you are in you just have to right click the game, in this case, Team Fortress 2. The image displayed below shows the right click options in all 3 modes.


All display modes from left to right: Grid mode, Detail mode, List mode.


Once you right click the game navigate down the list, to what should be the last option, named "Properties", and click on it to open the games properties.

The properties window should appear and look something like this.
In our case today we only need to worry about the tab labeled 'General', so I greyed out everything else.

Click the button labeled "Set Launch Options" and type in the following:
" -windowed -noborder " without the speech marks. It should look like this.


Once that is done click OK and then close the properties window and launch your TF2.

You should now be running in windowed borderless mode! Feel free to tab out or hit your start key at any time and not worry about load times or having your game crash!!!

Different Resolutions.

If you have a custom or different resolution to what is available in Team Fortress 2s options.

Simply add -width<number> -height<number> to the launch options with the numbers you require.

In-game

Now you're in-game hitting the windows key should bring up your windows taskbar over the game.
You should be able to change your music, send IMs, facebook chat, Reddit or 4Chan without worrying about steam browser crashing or lagging on you.

Notes.

This guide also works for the following games:

• Half Life 2.
  
• Half Life 2s Episodes.
  
• Left 4 Dead 1.
  
• Left 4 Dead 2.
  
• Day of Defeat: Source.
  
• Half Life 2 Death Match.

If you want to remove the Valve start up video with Mr. Plumbing-Accident-Head you can add to the launch options " -novid " and it will remove the video.

[Venting front of huzz is wild]

Crazy how this guide is from 2013

[lolololol]

why does it disable brightness configuration?

[Aero Gaming]

finally i can play tf2 on fullscreen when i forget my glasses, without risking eye strain

[DDS]

over 1000 hours and just now getting the idea to do this how did i tolerate it for so long with such an easy fix

[Valsentials]

This also helps if you want source games to work with night light on Windows

[76561199510465484]

Take my Steam points.

[1AP]

thanks

[~~~]

4chan lmao

[King Julien]

i am very happy now

[Flac]

Wonderful