Here are my conf.ini settings and they look just like yours:

[window]
width=1680
height=1050
ColourBits=32
DepthBits=24
StencilBits=8
ChangeScreenRes=0
FullScreen=1
DrawIfNotFocused=0
EnableResize=0
EnableClose=1
SaveAspect=0
Use3Renders=0

My IL2setup is set to:

OpenGL
Full Screen
1280x960 32 Bit
Use Stencil BUffer

I presume the conf.ini settings should take priority over the IL2setup.

Your screenshot thumbnails are exactly what I want. I have no idea what could be making it unattainable. I appreciate your patience, WWSandMan.

No worries about patience, as long as you can put up with my infrequent visits here.

To the problem at hand: First off, once you edit the conf.ini file to include the settings for your wide-screen monitor (1680x1050 etc.) do NOT under any circumstance open the il2setup.exe program. Doing so will revert all the settings back to stock, usually at the lowest possible resolution (480x320 or something archaic like that). If you find yourself compelled to play with the il2setup program, ensure you make a backup of the conf.ini first. At least then you'll have easy access to your preferred video settings.

So go back in and set the 1680x1050 settings in conf.ini, then open the game. Do not open il2setup.exe at all. You should see screens similar to what I posted above; black bars along the sides of the menu screens, but full-screen once actually flying the sim.

What's puzzling is that, after I've set the values in the conf file, even if I go back to IL2setup, they never change yet, I never get the widescreen in-game.

As an added measure, I went back into the conf and deleted then re-entered each value and saved it. I'm still getting the 4:3 aspect ratio in-game. I did not go back to the IL2setup after closing the conf file.

When I look at the in-game menu under "video modes", it's showing 1280 x 960 32bit which was the highest rez at the time, but again I figure conf file settings should supercede these values. This is just plain weird. What sounds like it should be so simple defies logic.

One thing: I'm running HSFX 5.0.1 and was wondering if I need to disable mods in JSGME for the conf settings to show up?

Nevermind. I tried going back to stock game, doing the conf thing over agains, then running the game without mods. It made no difference, still getting the 4:3.

Could you:
- run setup.exe
- make an alteration
- exit setup.exe
- do a search on your system for all the "conf.ini" files on your system (all drives)
- check which conf.ini file was changed around the time you made that change in setup.exe
- edit that conf.ini with the required resolution numbers
- change the conf.ini in explorer to "read only"
- run the game

Hopefully that fixes it.

Thanks for the idea, JAMF. I did as you suggested and the only conf file that showed as being modified on today's date was the correct one in my IL-2 folder. Again, even though I specified 1024 x 768 32 bit in IL2setup, it did not change the values in the conf file from 1680 x 1050 which should be producing widescreen in-game, but still gives me 4:3.

Bingo! This most likely is the clue to your issues.

It sounds like you have multiple IL-2 folders/installs and you are editing the wrong files. You really need to take a good look at exactly how many IL-2 related folders you have on your hard drive and proceed from there.

Aviar

I have backups on my D: drive of earlier versions of IL-2, but the desktop shortcut for launching the game points to "C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\IL-2 Sturmovik 1946\il2fb.exe". It's the conf file within that path that I have been trying to modify in vain. Just as a precaution, I made backups of the conf files in the earlier versions on my D: drive, then changed them to the same values for widescreen. Again, no joy.

1. Make sure the conf file is not Read Only.
2. You are using WIN XP?

Aviar

Win 7 will give you all sorts of fits in the Program Files folder. I was told it didn't matter which drive was using the "Program Files" folder Windows 7 would not allow alterations.
Create a Games folder and move the entire Ubisoft folder into it. The other option would be to copy it into the Games folder and leave the original.
"C:\Games\Ubisoft\IL-2 Sturmovik 1946\


Wheels

You may be onto something, Wheelsup_cavu, I am running Win7. I'd read articles saying that some programs didn't function properly under Win7 default installation path to C:\Program Files. Thing is, so far everything I've installed under the default path has worked "flawlessly" except for maybe this one issue with IL-2 widescreen. I will have to give this a try since nothing else works. It's definitely worth a shot.