If you get the “Error setting display mode: CreateDevice failed (D3DERR_DEVICELOST)” message when you start a game, here’s the fix.

Various games can give you the error message CreateDevice failed (D3DERR_DEVICELOST) – which makes it somewhat challenging to give you a clear-cut solution to this problem. However, I will try my best to give you some general instructions

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Locate Ini Files: Change Viewport / Resolution

1. Step Check if the game has a Options.ini or a file where it specifies the display resolution. Use totalcommander if you can’t seem to find it and search text within files. Search for something like GamePlayViewportX

2. Step Check your screen resolution of the monitor you want to play on (your main monitor)

3. Step Edit the Option.ini and change the display resolution to fit your actual display resolution, so that it says for example:
[Video]
GamePlayViewportX=1440
GamePlayViewportY=900

or if you have a HD resolution:

[Video]
GamePlayViewportX=1920
GamePlayViewportY=1080

Now start your game and the error should be gone.

Here was the full error I got:

2011.10.22 19:18:05
OS : Windows7(32) 6.1 (Build: 7601)
CPU : AuthenticAMD AMD Phenom(tm) II X6 1055T Processor @ 2810 MHz 4095MB RAM
Video : AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series (1083)
PosCode : LS1(273) 0:0:0 6/0 [528]

Error setting display mode: CreateDevice failed (D3DERR_DEVICELOST). Please delete your Option.ini file if this error prevents you from starting the game.

History: UD3DRenderDevice::UnSetRes <- CreateDevice <- UD3DRenderDevice::SetRes <- HandleBigChange <- UD3DRenderDevice::Lock <- UViewport::Lock <- UWindowsViewport::Lock <- UGameEngine::Draw <- UWindowsViewport::Repaint <- UWindowsClient::Tick <- ClientTick <- UGameEngine::Tick <- UpdateWorld <- MainLoop