Low quality fonts / text in high DPI Windows 8.1

[ethanpil]

I recently purchased a Microsoft Surface Pro 3, which has a very high resolution screen. (2160x1440)

most programs display correctly, however I have noticed that with XYPlorer, the fonts and icons are very fuzzy. I have attached an image for you to look at as an example, the best way to see the difference is for you to look at the title bar ( which I assume is generated by the OS) versus the text in the file listings which don't scale properly.

Is there something that can be done about this?

fuzzy-CROP.jpg

[ethanpil]

I have found the fix, and wanted to share in case anyone else was suffering as I was:

• Exit XYPlorer
• Right click on the icon and hit "Properties"
• Click the "Compatibility" tab
• Check "Disable display scaling on high DPI settings"
• Apply/OK
• Restart XYPlorer

Works like magic!!

[Filehero]

[*] Check "Disable display scaling on high DPI settings"

Works like magic!!

But doesn't this simply prevent any font scaling at all (not bad yet), and makes everthing tiny and unreadable (now, that's bad)? In practise, its the opposite of Apple's retina effect?

FH

[bdeshi]

But doesn't this simply prevent any font scaling at all (not bad yet), and makes everthing tiny and unreadable (now, that's bad)? In practise, its the opposite of Apple's retina effect?

"Disable display scaling on high DPI settings" apparently it doesn't apply to the toggling of the actual DPI-scaling feature, but rather Windows' own efforts or virtualized scaling (when the application doesn't advertise the support).

For applications that do not scale correctly for use on high-DPI displays, Windows enables a feature that is known as DPI Virtualization. This enables the application to run as if it were on a lower-DPI display. Windows will then scale up the application's graphical display appropriately so that it is shown at the appropriate visual size for the high-DPI display. However, this has the side effect that the application's text and graphics will not be as crisp and clear as an application that is natively rendering its output for use on a high-DPI display.

src: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2900023#MT3

So, seems like XY displays correctly when Windows doesn't meddle with it.

[Filehero]

Hi Sammay,

now I see, for the cases the inbuild fallback scenario interferes one can switch it off.

Context: my next machine setup (skylake et al.) must/should/will have a retina-like visualization channel (*). I hope Win10 will smooth all remaining major scaling issues.

Thanks.


*: 27", 4K, IPS/VA, 16:10, no bezel, wireless screen, and OLED, of course.

[admin]

I have found the fix, and wanted to share in case anyone else was suffering as I was...[/list]

Works like magic!!

Thanks for sharing!

[ethanpil]

While it is working much better now, I still would like to see a few things implemented if possible:

1) Larger toolbar icons - they are very small now
2) scrolling with finger

[DeiterF15]

Today was my first problem with XYPlorer and DPI scaling. I ran a Windows update and now, XYPlorer is essentially unusable. Incredibly small on my laptop screen, huge and unwieldy on my 2nd monitor. Ran updates on drivers, tried the previous version of XY I had (because I also upgraded to version 15), etc. I wish I could submit a bill to MS for all the hours I have wasted with 8.1, trying to make to make it work. How I long for the days of Windows 7.

Losing XY, though, is the worst issue of all. I walked out of my office and my wife asked if someone in the family had died, I looked so distraught...

I'm sure it'll get worked out, but until then my Windows world will be much less clear.

By the way, Donald, XY is the best program I have EVER used, on ANY platform. Thank you for all you do.

[admin]

What is your DPI scaling?

[DeiterF15]

Values were found using the tools at: http://www.infobyip.com/detectmonitordpi.php

DPI Scaling is 192x192 for a 1"x1" square on both laptop and external monitor.
Screen Resolution for Laptop is 2560x1440
Screen Resolution for External Monitor is 3840x2160 (though it is set to its native resolution of 1920x1080 in Windows)

The XY Info Panel (when enabled) now takes up a huge part of the screen (on either monitor) and cannot be shrunk.

[admin]

So, it's 200%. I will test that later.

[admin]

Check the latest beta (v15.00.0104). It should look better.

[PeterH]

Screen Resolution for External Monitor is 3840x2160 (though it is set to its native resolution of 1920x1080 in Windows)

Sorry, but I don't understand this sentence.

A screen has a physical resolution, that is number of pixels X * Y. For "4k" it's 3840x2160.
Name it physical, real, native, whatever.

Windows uses some resolution for the screen. If it's the same as the physical resolution (as usual), output is shown native = unscaled. If it's less then output will be upscaled to the physical resolution inside the monitor. This is not native.

Maybe this is the reason why XY is shown with double size, compared to expected?

OK: maybe I got you wrong?

[DeiterF15]

Donald, I am running Beta v15.00.0106 and it looks great on my laptop screen. Beautiful, really. It still scales up when I drag it to the external monitor, and I have tried the "Disable display scaling on high DPI settings" idea mentioned previously. BUT, XY is now totally usable on the small screen--so my wife can stop being so worried

PeterH, the external monitor is set to 1920x1080 in the Windows Control Panel, but when I run an web tool that reports the resolution of the monitor it is on, it returns the 4k value. I think there was a change in the recent Windows 8.1 update that changed, making the scaling off.

XYPlorer is not the only program I've seen this with since I got this "awesome" 8.1 laptop last summer. I've been a lifelong (as in since DOS in the 1980s) MS guy, but 8.1 has been painful. It even makes me remember Vista fondly...