Zero Hour Widescreen Control Bar Fix - Control Bar Pro in 2026

On a widescreen monitor, the original Command & Conquer: Generals – Zero Hour control bar looks stretched because the game's interface was laid out for 4:3 screens and is simply scaled sideways to fill 16:9. The fix most players use is to run the game at their monitor's real resolution and install Control Bar Pro, a community-made control bar drawn for widescreen, in the pack that matches that resolution. GenPatcher can install it for you.

This article explains why it happens, how the resolution is set, what Control Bar Pro is and how to get it, and how to give it your own look afterwards.

Why the Zero Hour control bar looks stretched on widescreen#

Zero Hour came out in 2003, when most monitors were 4:3. Its menus and its control bar are designed on an 800×600 layout. At any other resolution the game scales that layout up to the screen.

On a 4:3 screen such as 1024×768 the shapes stay correct. On a 16:9 screen such as 1920×1080 the game has to stretch the layout more sideways than up and down. The result is familiar:

• the bar and its buttons look too wide and slightly blurry;
• the minimap frame and the round elements look like ovals;
• unit portraits and build icons lose sharpness because small pictures are enlarged.

Some players also see a bar that looks cut or misaligned. That usually means the game is running at a resolution that does not match the control bar files in use, for example a control bar pack made for one resolution while the game runs at another.

How to set the right resolution in Zero Hour#

Start by running the game at your monitor's native resolution, such as 1920×1080 or 2560×1440. Anything else will look soft, no matter which control bar you use.

From the game's Options menu#

Open Options from the main menu, pick your resolution from the list and click Accept. With GenTool installed, the list offers more widescreen resolutions further down. If your native resolution is listed, this is all you need.

From Options.ini#

If your resolution is missing from the list, you can set it in the game's settings file:

1. Close the game.
2. Open Documents\Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour Data.
3. Make a copy of Options.ini as a backup.
4. Open Options.ini in Notepad and find the line that starts with Resolution.
5. Change it to your screen size, for example Resolution = 1920 1080.
6. Save the file and start the game.

If the file is missing, start the game once, change any option and exit so the game creates it. Some players report that saving options in the game afterwards writes the old value back, so if your resolution resets, edit the file again and avoid changing the resolution in the menu. If the settings get into a bad state, rename Options.ini to Options.old and start the game so it makes a fresh one.

What not to edit#

Old widescreen guides sometimes suggest changing the camera height in GameData.ini. That changes game data, and game data must be the same for every player in an online match, so it can cause a mismatch. Leave game-rule files alone if you play online. Our mismatch guide explains which changes are safe.

What is Control Bar Pro?#

Control Bar Pro is a community-made replacement for the Zero Hour control bar art, drawn for widescreen screens. Instead of one picture that is stretched to fit, it comes in packs made for specific resolutions (for example 720p, 1080p and 1440p), so the bar looks sharp and in proportion at that size.

A few things are useful to know:

• It changes artwork, not game rules, so it is not a mismatch risk in online games.
• It works together with GenTool, the popular community add-on for Zero Hour.
• It sits in your game folder as an archive whose name starts with 340_ControlBarProArt and ends with ZH.big. The middle part tells you which resolution pack you have.
• The pack should match the resolution you play at. If you change your resolution later, install the matching pack again.

How to get Control Bar Pro with GenPatcher#

The easiest way to install Control Bar Pro is GenPatcher, a free community tool that fixes common problems with Generals and Zero Hour on modern Windows and can add extras such as GenTool and the control bar. At the time of writing (November 2026), GenPatcher is still being updated and supports the common versions of the game, including the Steam release.

1. Download GenPatcher from its ModDB page.
2. Close the game and run GenPatcher. Let it find your game and apply its recommended fixes.
3. Open GenPatcher's extra options (the Additional Content tab in recent versions), install GenTool if you do not have it, then choose Control Bar Pro in the version for the resolution you play at. Labels can change between GenPatcher versions, so read each option before you tick it.
4. Start the game and check the bar in a skirmish.

If you are not sure what GenPatcher changes, read GenPatcher explained first. If your game does not start at all on a new PC, see the Windows 11 fix.

How to check it worked#

• In your game folder, look for the 340_ControlBarProArt…ZH.big file.
• In a match, the bar should look sharp and in proportion, with no stretched minimap frame.
• If it still looks stretched, check that the game runs at the resolution the pack was made for.

Quick troubleshooting table#

How to style Control Bar Pro your way#

Once Control Bar Pro is in place, the bar no longer has to look like everyone else's. Generals Style is a fan-made tool that restyles the Control Bar Pro pack already in your game, so the style fits whatever resolution pack you use.

In the studio you can:

• pick one of 18 colour themes and 18 modern templates;
• change the frame finish (Metal, Flat or Chrome), patterns, glows and colours;
• put your own pictures on the minimap, build buttons and selected unit panels, then crop, drag and zoom them;
• recolour the game's menus (borders, button background, text and mouse-over) with a live preview.

You then make a personal installer that applies the design to every Zero Hour copy on your PC, keeps a backup and can restore your original files. Only pictures and labels change, so there is no mismatch online. If a copy has no Control Bar Pro, the installer skips only the control bar for that copy and still installs the other parts. The control bar guide walks through every option, and pricing shows what each plan includes.

Whether or not you use Generals Style, the order is the same: native resolution first, then the matching Control Bar Pro pack, then any styling on top.

Frequently asked questions#

Does Control Bar Pro cause a mismatch online?#

No. It changes only the control bar artwork, not game rules, so you can play online with players who use the original bar.

Which Control Bar Pro pack should I install?#

The one made for the resolution you play at. If you play at 1920×1080, use the 1080p pack; if you change your resolution, install the matching pack again.

Where is Options.ini for Zero Hour?#

In Documents\Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour Data, not in the game's install folder. The game creates it the first time you change an option.

Do I need GenPatcher to get Control Bar Pro?#

It is the easiest way, because it finds your game and installs the right pack for you. GenPatcher also fixes other common problems on modern Windows.

Can I change the look of Control Bar Pro?#

Yes. Generals Style restyles your own Control Bar Pro pack with themes, templates, frames and your own pictures, and can put your original files back at any time.