Why do I get a popup saying hardware configuration has changed?

Why do I get a popup saying hardware configuration has changed? - Black and Blue Electronic Tools on Green Circuit Board

Sometimes when I start Modern Warfare 2 on my Windows 10 laptop, i get a popup asking me if I want to set optimal settings because my hardware configuration changed since the last time I played. If I press yes, my resolution drops, the game takes up 1/4th of my screen... Why do I get the popup if I dont change anything with my hardware and why does the resolution drop if I select "Yes"?



Best Answer

It could be a problem with your configuration getting reset.

Try setting the file config_mp.cfg to 'Read-only'. This file contains your user settings, and can be found in Steam\steamapps\common\MW2\Players.
Right-click the file, select 'Properties', and select (or deselect) the 'Read-only' flag (if it's Read-only already, it might not save your custom changes; if it's not Read-only yet, they might get overwritten by the default settings every time the game starts up).

If this doesn't yield the desired results, you might want to check other files in that same folder for the same flag.




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How do I fix hardware has changed?

4 Methods to Solve \u201cYour Hardware Settings Have Changed\u201d [Partition Manager]
  • Fix 1: Rollback Your Graphics Card Driver.
  • Fix 2: Reinstall the Graphics Card Driver Manually.
  • Fix 3: Disable AMD External Events Utility Service.
  • Fix 4: Stop Windows from Updating Device Drivers.


  • How do you fix your hardware settings have changed Please reboot your computer for these changes to take effect?

    1. Reset internally from your device's BIOS or UEFI menu
  • Navigate to the Settings tab under your Start menu by clicking the gear icon.
  • Click the Update & Security option and select Recovery from the left sidebar.
  • You should see a Restart now option below the Advanced Setup heading, click this whenever you're ready.


  • How do I reset my hardware settings?

    To scan for hardware changes, follow these steps:
  • Click Start, and type devmgmt. msc in the Start Search box and hit enter.
  • Device Manager opens.
  • In Device Manager, click your computer so that it is highlighted.
  • Click Action, and then click Scan for hardware changes.
  • Check the USB device to see whether it is working.




  • Fix Your Hardware Settings Have Changed Please Reboot Your Computer For These Changes To Take Effect




    More answers regarding why do I get a popup saying hardware configuration has changed?

    Answer 2

    The resolution drop is a common bug, probably they added wrong configurations in default game settings, I get that message every time I perform a driver update, when I create a virtual device (VirtualBox VGA maybe, or RTX Voice virtual microphone), or even when I change overclock profile.

    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Pixabay, Mikhail Nilov, Armando Are, Pixabay