Otherwise, it will return to the previous setting in 'X' seconds.'). They don't provide a fail-safe measure (such as 'Now that you've changed the video setting, if you can see this, click OK. Otherwise, if you choose a resolution that your monitor doesn't support, you're screwed. I had to scour the Steam forums Saturday to find this workaround. Remember to remove that '-window' line later, otherwise it will keep launching in a window no matter what you choose. This will force the game to launch in a window and you can then make changes to the video settings once again.
Right-click the 'Half-Life' from the GAMES list, and under the Launch Options add -window 1024x768, or whatever resolution you know works. Note: If you are using Steam and accidentally choose a resolution not supported by your monitor, there is a workaround. �OK, I downloaded the full-version of Steam over the weekend (all 743MB of it), installed it, and VOILA! I can now choose from a larger number of resolutions for HALF-LIFE, including some odd 'widescreen' ones (unfortunately the widescreen ones Steam listed haven't been established on my system yet, so they all result in a scrambled screen).
