In your Red Alert 2 installation folder (in my case D:\Origin\games\Command and Conquer Red Alert II) you will find RA2.ini. The changes that the resolution fix application makes are as follows, allowing you to replicate the settings without using it. I still haven't been able to get the game to run in windowed mode or prevent the game dying horrifically if you ALT+ TAB out of it, regardless of compatibility settings or resolution settings chosen (including changing my desktop resolution to match the in game resolution, or changing desktop colour depth). What it does do though is make the required changes to the Red Alert 2 settings files (for both Red Alert 2 and the expansion pack Yuri's Revenge) and these will take effect the next time you run the game through their official launcher. It turns out that the resolution fix I mentioned in the question does actually work, but due to the new launchers provided in the Origin release of The First Decade you're unable to launch the game from the resolution fixer.