Try typing r_ignorehwgamma 1 - in the console, and typing vid_restart or restarting your game.

actually supposed to use SP 3. not 2. ) but, ignorehwgamma 1 works okay too. but you still can't adjust the brightness ingame. - that requires using Compat mode.
- and i only suggest ignore hardware games because when you look at desktop with other way, it's too bright, can't see, but you can with ignorehwgamma. i use cod minimizer, google it, and look for the 'think-clan' or think green".

I struggled with the same brightness issue in both CoD1 and United Offensive when running Win 10. Despite many attempts at correcting the issue via "Compatability Mode" and changing config file lines the problem presisted. The only way I found to fix this issue was to make a glithchy adjustment to the brightness using the in game options. During each launch, go to the options menu and select "Graphics". Click on the slider to adjust Brightness and slide it left and right until you achieve the brightest setting; usally about one third from the left. This is a "tweaky" kind of fix that will need to be repeated each time you launch the game but it is the only way I can achieve the brightness neccesary to play the game.

Originally posted by Shady:

Try typing r_ignorehwgamma 1 - in the console, and typing vid_restart or restarting your game.

This worked well. Thanks!

Originally posted by Shady:

Try typing r_ignorehwgamma 1 - in the console, and typing vid_restart or restarting your game.

This really needs to be stickied. Its such a common issue and this fix absolutely works. Cheers bud

Originally posted by DrMauser:

Originally posted by Shady:

Try typing r_ignorehwgamma 1 - in the console, and typing vid_restart or restarting your game.

This really needs to be stickied. Its such a common issue and this fix absolutely works. Cheers bud

Glad to help, and yeah, there are quite a few common issues with really easy solutions. I have been following the CoD1 and UO forums here on Steam for a while now and try to help when I can.

Most of people's issues have solutions found on a website I like to commonly link: https://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Call_of_Duty

As for a sticky, I don't think they bother with these old forums like that. Too bad, I guess. Many people end up refunding the game because they see no easy/quick solution (hard to google for an old game, especially when the title is just "Call of Duty").

Using "ignore_hwgamma" ruins the game's visuals. It causes glitchy lighting with trees and such. It's NOT a fix

https://imgur.com/9EJ8Mr2

This is the TRUE FIX:

1: you must set compatibility mode if you're playing Win10. I set it to XP SP3. If it says "Failed to Find steam" when you try and play the game, you need to add a steam.dll file from your root steam directory to the COD1 folder.

2: Don't bother at all with "IgnoreHWGamma" that won't fix this issue. The real fix is "r_overBrightBits"

go to the config file under COD/Main directory and search for Seta_overbrightbits. Change this value to 0.

3: Boot the game up, and tweak the brightness slider. Now that the compatibility settings are in place, the brightness slider will function properly. You should need to lower it to about 25% to get the correct brightness.

Doesn't cause any noticeable bugs here. I've been using it for years, seems to work for others. Perhaps you should try more kindly suggesting your "TRUE FIX" as simply an alternative, unless you're planning on selling your "TRUE FIX".

EDIT: Perhaps most interestingly of all, after attempting your method, I realized that I don't even get the brightness issue at all anymore. Even with r_ignorehwgamma set to 0, the issue is not there. Using your method seems to change nothing, and even r_ignorehwgamma changes nothing for me. In both instances, the brightness slider does nothing and the brightness is seemingly the exact same.
This is on Windows 10, I set it to compatibility mode for XP SP3... still no change. Weird.

Originally posted by Shady:

Doesn't cause any noticeable bugs here. I've been using it for years, seems to work for others. Perhaps you should try more kindly suggesting your "TRUE FIX" as simply an alternative, unless you're planning on selling your "TRUE FIX".

EDIT: Perhaps most interestingly of all, after attempting your method, I realized that I don't even get the brightness issue at all anymore. Even with r_ignorehwgamma set to 0, the issue is not there. Using your method seems to change nothing, and even r_ignorehwgamma changes nothing for me. In both instances, the brightness slider does nothing and the brightness is seemingly the exact same.
This is on Windows 10, I set it to compatibility mode for XP SP3... still no change. Weird.

Are you editing the config files? Or are you using the ingame console to adjust values? Also, do you have any steam start parameters?

Did you check the trees to confirm that there's no bugs like the one shown in the screenshot?

Originally posted by Nick:

Originally posted by Shady:

Doesn't cause any noticeable bugs here. I've been using it for years, seems to work for others. Perhaps you should try more kindly suggesting your "TRUE FIX" as simply an alternative, unless you're planning on selling your "TRUE FIX".

EDIT: Perhaps most interestingly of all, after attempting your method, I realized that I don't even get the brightness issue at all anymore. Even with r_ignorehwgamma set to 0, the issue is not there. Using your method seems to change nothing, and even r_ignorehwgamma changes nothing for me. In both instances, the brightness slider does nothing and the brightness is seemingly the exact same.
This is on Windows 10, I set it to compatibility mode for XP SP3... still no change. Weird.

Are you editing the config files? Or are you using the ingame console to adjust values? Also, do you have any steam start parameters?

Did you check the trees to confirm that there's no bugs like the one shown in the screenshot?

Interestingly, I am noticing the bug now (maybe I never noticed it. It seems minor to me, at least in 99% of scenarios) *but* it is happening even without any tweaks. I have tried both ways, I've change it in config before launching the game. I have launched the game with the specific parameters needed, and I've tried it in-game followed by a
No change for me, I just permanently have what used to be the effects of No idea why, lol. Doesn't really bother me, just interesting.

Originally posted by Shady:

Originally posted by Nick:

Are you editing the config files? Or are you using the ingame console to adjust values? Also, do you have any steam start parameters?

Did you check the trees to confirm that there's no bugs like the one shown in the screenshot?

Interestingly, I am noticing the bug now (maybe I never noticed it. It seems minor to me, at least in 99% of scenarios) *but* it is happening even without any tweaks. I have tried both ways, I've change it in config before launching the game. I have launched the game with the specific parameters needed, and I've tried it in-game followed by a

vid_restart

No change for me, I just permanently have what used to be the effects of

r_ignorehwgamma 1

No idea why, lol. Doesn't really bother me, just interesting.

It completely destroys the quality of the visuals though. Trees no longer react to the lighting. The first level looks so inaccurate now. And it's even worse in the level I showed in my screenshot. At first I didn't notice it, but once I got to that level I knew something was very very wrong.

Originally posted by Nick:

Originally posted by Shady:

Interestingly, I am noticing the bug now (maybe I never noticed it. It seems minor to me, at least in 99% of scenarios) *but* it is happening even without any tweaks. I have tried both ways, I've change it in config before launching the game. I have launched the game with the specific parameters needed, and I've tried it in-game followed by a

vid_restart

No change for me, I just permanently have what used to be the effects of

r_ignorehwgamma 1

No idea why, lol. Doesn't really bother me, just interesting.

It completely destroys the quality of the visuals though. Trees no longer react to the lighting. The first level looks so inaccurate now. And it's even worse in the level I showed in my screenshot. At first I didn't notice it, but once I got to that level I knew something was very very wrong.

Yeah, I guess so. I haven't played single player in a really long time, I play MP a lot so I probably just didn't notice. I would like to know why I can't fix mine, but again, it doesn't really bother me so not a big deal.

Originally posted by Shady:

Try typing r_ignorehwgamma 1 - in the console, and typing vid_restart or restarting your game.

Guy from 2021 here, worked like a charm! Thank you man from the past :)

Odd. I've been running Win10x64 since it first rolled out, and I do not experience this issue. And, since ALT/ENTER works just fine, I don't need any "minimizer," either. (You're SOL with ALT/TAB, though)

ignorehwgamma makes trees textures buggy on the first level
watch out if you're using a software like f.lux or equivalent (that warms up your computer display at night, to match your indoor lighting.). I had the same problem with jedi knight jedi outcast. Just Exit it before playing. It worked for me
Now you can even change brightness in game menu