Even without GFWL, the Complete Edition can sometimes fail to save settings or progress.
If the game resets your resolution or settings every time you launch: Navigate to Documents\My Games\DiRT3\hardwaresettings . Delete the contents of the hardwaresettings folder. dirt 3 autosave fix full
Dirt 3 - Fix for Windows Live Sign-In Problem - Steam Community Even without GFWL, the Complete Edition can sometimes
Launch the game, set your desired options, and exit normally. The game should regenerate a fresh, working configuration file. Even without GFWL