If you extend your desktop on to the external monitor instead of duplicating it each monitor will run at its native resolution.

Windows key+P will bring up the configuration options.

• Marked as answer by Yolanda ZhuMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Monday, January 27, 2014 1:10 AM
• Unmarked as answer by David WoltersModerator Thursday, June 19, 2014 3:18 PM

If you extend your desktop on to the external monitor instead of duplicating it each monitor will run at its native resolution.

Windows key+P will bring up the configuration options.

• Marked as answer by Yolanda ZhuMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Monday, January 27, 2014 1:10 AM
• Unmarked as answer by David WoltersModerator Thursday, June 19, 2014 3:18 PM

If you extend your desktop on to the external monitor instead of duplicating it each monitor will run at its native resolution.

Windows key+P will bring up the configuration options.

• Marked as answer by Yolanda ZhuMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Monday, January 27, 2014 1:10 AM
• Unmarked as answer by David WoltersModerator Thursday, June 19, 2014 3:18 PM

Hi,

I have a Lenovo Yoga 2 pro with Win 8.1, which has an ultra high resolution (3,200X1,800) and I am using it with a Targus docking station.  In order to see things, I have the custom DPI scaling set at 250%.  Here is the problem, when i use the docking station with an external monitor that has a maximum of 1900X1200, Metro looks nice, but anything on the desktop (office and other desktop only programs), everything is HUGE and unusable.  If I try to set DPI scaling for multiple monitors, I can no longer use my custom 250% DPI for the Lenovo, instead, I am given a slider that makes the external monitor look nice, but when the laptop is removed, it is so small that I'd need a magnifying glass to see.  If I want to use a docking station, I have to change the DPI scaling every time I switch between being docked and as a standalone, which requires me to go through all of the steps to switch and then log out and log back in.  Is there a way to have custom DPIs for each monitor?  I think this will only become a bigger problem as more companies develop higher resolution devices.

Thanks,
Dean

If you extend your desktop on to the external monitor instead of duplicating it each monitor will run at its native resolution.

Windows key+P will bring up the configuration options.

• Marked as answer by Yolanda ZhuMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Monday, January 27, 2014 1:10 AM
• Unmarked as answer by David WoltersModerator Thursday, June 19, 2014 3:18 PM

If you extend your desktop on to the external monitor instead of duplicating it each monitor will run at its native resolution.

Windows key+P will bring up the configuration options.

I have a similar setup as OP's except two external monitors(both 1920x1080) connected to a dock. 

I tried this, but i can still only have 1 scaling size for all monitors. I have to set my two external monitors to 100% scaling in order for elements(taskbar, title bars, etc) to look proper, but then those same elements on my laptop monitor (3200x1800) are TINY!

Why can't i have 100% scaling on my external monitors and 200% scaling on my laptop monitor?

I use this monitor for work and it is constantly being connected/disconnected from the dock throughout the day and i continuously have to sign in and out in order to change the scaling options. 

This is extremely cumbersome and non-intuitive. I thought windows 8.1 was supposed to solve issues like this.

Windows 8 can deal with an external monitor connected directly to the system.

If you interpose a dock you will need software and/or drivers to manage the dock interface. This is a problem for the dock manufacturer to resolve, particularly if you have 3 monitors not connected by Displayport.

Windows 8 can deal with an external monitor connected directly to the system.

If you interpose a dock you will need software and/or drivers to manage the dock interface. This is a problem for the dock manufacturer to resolve, particularly if you have 3 monitors not connected by Displayport.

The issue isn't connecting an external monitor. Windows 8.1 can handle that. What it seems is, is that it can't handle FULL control of multiple scaling settings PER monitor. This is most definitely a Windows 8.1 issue. The same issue occurs when i plug an external monitor(1920x1080) directly into the micro-HDMI plug on my laptop bypassing the dock. 

So, how can i have 100% scaling on my external monitor(s) and 200% scaling on my laptop monitor?

• Edited by RjPiston Saturday, February 08, 2014 1:39 AM

Windows 8 can deal with an external monitor connected directly to the system.

If you interpose a dock you will need software and/or drivers to manage the dock interface. This is a problem for the dock manufacturer to resolve, particularly if you have 3 monitors not connected by Displayport.

The issue isn't connecting an external monitor. Windows 8.1 can handle that. What it seems is, is that it can't handle FULL control of multiple scaling settings PER monitor. This is most definitely a Windows 8.1 issue. The same issue occurs when i plug an external monitor(1920x1080) directly into the micro-HDMI plug on my laptop bypassing the dock. 

So, how can i have 100% scaling on my external monitor(s) and 200% scaling on my laptop monitor?

• Edited by RjPiston Saturday, February 08, 2014 1:39 AM

Windows 8 can deal with an external monitor connected directly to the system.

If you interpose a dock you will need software and/or drivers to manage the dock interface. This is a problem for the dock manufacturer to resolve, particularly if you have 3 monitors not connected by Displayport.

The issue isn't connecting an external monitor. Windows 8.1 can handle that. What it seems is, is that it can't handle FULL control of multiple scaling settings PER monitor. This is most definitely a Windows 8.1 issue. The same issue occurs when i plug an external monitor(1920x1080) directly into the micro-HDMI plug on my laptop bypassing the dock. 

So, how can i have 100% scaling on my external monitor(s) and 200% scaling on my laptop monitor?

• Edited by RjPiston Saturday, February 08, 2014 1:39 AM

Windows 8 can deal with an external monitor connected directly to the system.

If you interpose a dock you will need software and/or drivers to manage the dock interface. This is a problem for the dock manufacturer to resolve, particularly if you have 3 monitors not connected by Displayport.

The issue isn't connecting an external monitor. Windows 8.1 can handle that. What it seems is, is that it can't handle FULL control of multiple scaling settings PER monitor. This is most definitely a Windows 8.1 issue. The same issue occurs when i plug an external monitor(1920x1080) directly into the micro-HDMI plug on my laptop bypassing the dock. 

So, how can i have 100% scaling on my external monitor(s) and 200% scaling on my laptop monitor?

• Edited by RjPiston Saturday, February 08, 2014 1:39 AM

bump!

bump!!!

I'm curious what the potential solutions are.

I have a Dell XPS 9530.  If I only run one screen whether it is the HiDPI internal screen or a 1080p external scaling is appropriate.

However, when connecting multiple displays, only the main display (doesn't matter which one) gets proper scaling.

The secondary display runs at native resolution but the UI scaling doesn't seem to work properly (should be 100% for a 24" 1080p screen).  Instead some items like desktop icons and the IE interface are scaled up while other UI elements appear fuzzy as if the scaling is off by 5-25%.

The easy fix would be if I could manually set the scaling to 100% for my 1080p screen and 200% for my internal hidpi.  But there doesn't appear to be a way to do this.  The options are either apply the same scaling to all displays or let Windows use it's failed reasoning to do it itself. 

Hopefully either MS fixes it or a third party utility allows display scaling and resolution to be set manually.

I have the same problem. Unfortunately Windows 8.1 doesnt allow you to directly select different dpi profiles for different monitors (uncheck  "Let me choose one scaling level for all my displays" will not work as expected and will just try to adapt the windows size leaving menu bar and icons sadly bad looking)

I hope someone knows hot to modify the register in order to get different scaling percentage for different monitors.

Same problem here.

So I left DPI scaling default 125% and changed the resolution of the high dpi laptop display from 1920x1080 to 1366x768. Looks a way worse then it would be on 1920x1080 and with 200% scaling. On 1920x1080 and scaling set to 200% everything is OK on laptop display, but on external 22' display looks oversized. If scaling set back to 125% then external 22' display looks all right, but laptop is two small.

It would be awesome to leave native resolutions and set scaling of external monitor to 125% and scaling of laptop 200%. Unfortunately it is not posible

The additional problem with per-display scaling is that it appears to be done using bitmap resizing. So even if you could set your primary display (presumably built-in display) to 250% and the external display to 100%, the external display would be rendered as if it were 250% and then the bitmap is resized down 2.5 times. This introduces massive blur which makes it unusable for significant text work such as development. Likewise if you wanted the built-in display to be 200% and the external 125%, the external display will be rendered at 200% and then resized down 1.6 times making it blurry.

I've started a thread on this after buying a monitor only to find out how rubbish Windows 8.1 is at it's per-display scaling.

Per-display scaling should be controllable by the user so that they can define the exact scaling for each display. And it shouldn't used bitmap resizing, it should render it properly at the specified scaling otherwise it will never be clear and sharp.

Bump!  

I've got the same issue with my Samsung Ativ Book 9+.  I plug the laptop into an external Monitor at my desk and disconnect it for meetings.  The resolution switching when going from the HiDPI Laptop to the external monitor is never quite right no matter what settings I try.  I DON'T WANT to "Extend" my display.  I just want to work with one display at a time (either my Laptop monitor or my Desktop monitor). 

I'm running the latest Windows 8.1 Update 1, and I still can't believe this issue isn't resolved yet.  It is extremely obnoxious and a loss of time/productivity to have to keep changing your display resolutions and then sign out/in to make it look right.

Every Microsoft employee should have a HiDPI laptop so they understand the pain your customers are going through right now.

Isaac

Completely agree. I have asked (not seen unfortunately) about the same usage patterns on Mac. People say they have no issues. In Win 8.1 my morning looks like this: I hook my HDPI Lenovo Yoga S1 (Full HD) to external monitor  via mini HDMI (24" , Full HD) and log in. Everything is big on the monitor. So I change the DPI to normal and log off and on again. Now things are OK on external monitor. At the end of the day I log off and go home. At home I log on and change the DPI to 150% and log ff off and on again to get proper scaling on the tiny laptop screen. So I am doing full log on/off to my laptop at least 2 times a day (loosing all work of course) to get things done. I like the HDMI screen but it is really an overkill to work like this. MICROSOFT WAKE UP - IT IS KILLING PRODUCTIVITY !!!

My day looks the same! :-(

I was scrolling down in this thread, hoping someone would know a solution, but it doesn't look like there is. Now I am much less happy with my super HiRes screen! (Dell XPS 15).

Has anyone tried using two seperate displays or one really large screen that can efficiently show multiple windows?

Why is this marked as answered when this is clearly not the answer to the original question.

I have the same laptop! Found any work around?

I have the same laptop! Found any work around?

Someone mentioned using Remote Desktop and argued if they could do it for that why not do it more generally.  

I guess this is what they were referring to?

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/rds/archive/2013/12/16/resolution-and-scaling-level-updates-in-rdp-8-1.aspx

This is NOT a viable answer for this issue.

The people posting about this issue are very well aware of the traditional and modern (Win+P) methods to configure external displays.

The issue is that the scaling "enhancements" in 8.1 don't truly solve the problem for those of us who still use the desktop instead of the Metro/Modern apps, since out here in the real world, hardly anything we need to get work done exists in a function Metro/Modern UI (cmd prompt, admin tools, Lync, Office)

Beyond that, people don't spend money on 24", High resolution displays so they can have gigantic versions of a Phone/Tablet UI, we spend money on that stuff so we can actually leverage the extra information space available.

I would love to see a fix for this, I have a nice shiny new Dell 3800 with a 3200 X 1800 screen. When I'm in the office I use a couple of normal res screens and Windows doesn't seem to be able to handle swapping between the scaling for the high res display and the monitors. The only way I have found to sort it out is to restart the laptop with the screens connected (or disconnected) to reset the scaling. Fiddling with the resolution doesn't even sort it out.

I'd love to see this issue fixed. I suggest MS guys working on Windows 8.X/Threshold to try a MacBook Pro Retina and connect it to a non-retina monitor and observe how OSX gracefully handles DPI scaling between the monitors.

• Edited by dsalunga Friday, August 08, 2014 6:14 PM

I'd love to see this issue fixed. I suggest MS guys working on Windows 8.X/Threshold to try a MacBook Pro Retina and connect it to a non-retina monitor and observe how OSX gracefully handles DPI scaling between the monitors.

• Edited by dsalunga Friday, August 08, 2014 6:14 PM

I'd love to see this issue fixed. I suggest MS guys working on Windows 8.X/Threshold to try a MacBook Pro Retina and connect it to a non-retina monitor and observe how OSX gracefully handles DPI scaling between the monitors.

• Edited by dsalunga Friday, August 08, 2014 6:14 PM

I'd love to see this issue fixed. I suggest MS guys working on Windows 8.X/Threshold to try a MacBook Pro Retina and connect it to a non-retina monitor and observe how OSX gracefully handles DPI scaling between the monitors.

• Edited by dsalunga Friday, August 08, 2014 6:14 PM

Bump. Same issue on Dell XPS 15 (9530) purchased in Summer 2014

I am trying to do this with a Surface Pro 3. It seems to work if I logon after I connect the external monitor. But then if I undock the surface and just use the built-in screen everything is super tiny. If I logoff and log back on again, then it adjusts the size properly for the built-in high resolution screen... So a bit of a work around, but I would like it to adjust without having to close all my programs and logoff/logon again.

This tread is already aging and no solution seems to have been found. Microsoft - any thoughts ? I am still logging on and off every day to switch between the monitors and I dont see this problem going away before windows is programmed to properly re-render applications with new DPI settings once requested by user. I agree it would seems strange as programs literally have to restart but the blurry bitmap solution or alternative log off/log on is for dummies not for the people who pay for tool to work with (why the hell we pay for super fast standby resume if we need to spend 30 seconds or more for the log on/off cycle every time, not mentioning the pain of closing all relevant work)

Bump. Same as others - I'm on Dell XPS 15 (9530) at 3200 x 1800.

Using an external extended display leads to blurry text and menu items on that display.

Microsoft - we need a solution. Multimonitor setups are unusable at present state.

I've been living with this dock/undock resolution nightmare for about 2 months now. Only option I have found is to logout/login as has been pointed out a couple of times.

I have played with most of the font scaling settings and nothing seems to fix it.

Even if there was something to poke Explorer with to say "check the DPI!!!".

Bizarre that they can't refresh the DPI when dock/undock (which is actually a resolution change as well) occurs.

Dell XPS11 = 11.6" 2560 x 1440

External monitor 24" 1920 x 1080

Do I say "bump" as well?

Same issue.  BUMP.  Microsoft, some kind of answer here please?

I cant believe this issue has not been resolved since Feb...  I just bought a Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro and cannot believe this problem.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Same issue with my Lenovo Yoga 2 pro

i have same issue on my yoga pro 2

• Edited by pie_z Friday, October 10, 2014 9:46 AM

i have same issue on my yoga pro 2

• Edited by pie_z Friday, October 10, 2014 9:46 AM

i have same issue on my yoga pro 2

• Edited by pie_z Friday, October 10, 2014 9:46 AM

i have same issue on my yoga pro 2

• Edited by pie_z Friday, October 10, 2014 9:46 AM

Yep, same issue with my Surface Pro 3 + Dock... If I have my 2 1920*1200 monitors plugged in in a 3 screen setup then the taskbar icons and text look fuzzy and low quality on the 2 externals. If I disconnect the Surface Pro 3 screen they become clear again... Grrr

Bump!
Obviously I am not the only one who thinks multiscreen setup is rather unusable in the current state.
I run an Acer XB270HK 3840x2160 and a BenQ RL2450H 1920x1080. The fonts on the latter either look blurry or bold - when I first saw this I thougth I was drunk.

This has to be solved!

Anyone test this in Win10 yet? Was it at least solved

I have the same issue. Laptop 13.3 1920x1080 and 23" monitor 1920x1080. All the time I need to reload laptop to have normal screen after using external monitor with hdmi.

3840x2160 and 1920x1080

Anybody got this to work? Windows even doesn't recognize PPI and even with unchecked "let me choose one scaling level" the scaling level is same for every display

having the same issues. It's quite frustrating as I have a Hackintosh build and it seems to manage HiRes Displays just fine and let me configure scaling on each monitor.

Sigh... Windows 8.1. All those layoffs have just made things worse.

As a few people have said above, it's getting near to a year of having this issue. It's completely unacceptable.

Another puzzled user - Dell XPS15 with QHD+ resolution and external monitor (HP, full HD ) that I cant get to look "normal" .

jooooooohoooo, microsooooooffft.. come out of hiding...

seems like there are no solutions given for this issue affecting  A LOT of people.

I also got my shiny new dell precision for a ton of and now i have to use it in 1920*1080 instead of the 3200*1800 in order to avoid the tiny taskbar, or the applications running in random mode on external screen , or other strange things. IE is working with huuuuge characters on the external monitor and in the same time vmware is displaying the virtual machines as they were on a 3200*1800(so everything is very tiny), and other programs scale properly

please offer us a solution

• Edited by magorb Friday, November 07, 2014 11:16 AM

seems like there are no solutions given for this issue affecting  A LOT of people.

I also got my shiny new dell precision for a ton of and now i have to use it in 1920*1080 instead of the 3200*1800 in order to avoid the tiny taskbar, or the applications running in random mode on external screen , or other strange things. IE is working with huuuuge characters on the external monitor and in the same time vmware is displaying the virtual machines as they were on a 3200*1800(so everything is very tiny), and other programs scale properly

please offer us a solution

• Edited by magorb Friday, November 07, 2014 11:16 AM

seems like there are no solutions given for this issue affecting  A LOT of people.

I also got my shiny new dell precision for a ton of and now i have to use it in 1920*1080 instead of the 3200*1800 in order to avoid the tiny taskbar, or the applications running in random mode on external screen , or other strange things. IE is working with huuuuge characters on the external monitor and in the same time vmware is displaying the virtual machines as they were on a 3200*1800(so everything is very tiny), and other programs scale properly

please offer us a solution

• Edited by magorb Friday, November 07, 2014 11:16 AM

seems like there are no solutions given for this issue affecting  A LOT of people.

I also got my shiny new dell precision for a ton of and now i have to use it in 1920*1080 instead of the 3200*1800 in order to avoid the tiny taskbar, or the applications running in random mode on external screen , or other strange things. IE is working with huuuuge characters on the external monitor and in the same time vmware is displaying the virtual machines as they were on a 3200*1800(so everything is very tiny), and other programs scale properly

please offer us a solution

• Edited by magorb Friday, November 07, 2014 11:16 AM

Help!!!  I'm on a Yoga 2 Pro and connected to a projector using the hdmi port, but when I did, many programs became so tiny I can't see them!  Some of you are saying you log off and log back on... I'm not sure what to do to get it back to normal.  I can shut down, which I've done, but nothing changes at all.  I need to be able to see stuff!!!  Help me out if you can!

Wanted to chime in and say that I am having the same problem.  Microsoft this is a disgrace!  Windows 8.1 is unusable for anyone who wants to dock in and out of a dual monitor setup.  This is unacceptable when Microsoft's flagship hardware, the Surface Pro 3, has this problem.

Can we get a response from a Microsoft moderator?

Same issue here on a Asus UX301, no way of having small characters on external monitors and reasonably sized fonts on the gorgeously high-DPI native display. We do need to MANUALLY SET DPI values per each monitor, and no way of doing that at the moment. 

And, as a bonus, the text "Let me choose one scaling level per each display" is totally misleading. It should be fixed in something like "Let Windows automatically choose about the SAME scaling level per each display" (or more honestly, "Let Windows mess up with DPI settings")

 Surface Pro 3, has this problem.

I just changed my Surface Pro 2 using the Change only the text size option.  It wasn't obvious that I had to use Apply for each change but finally got each of the 6 categories bigger than the slider had left them.  Perhaps what we need is a way to increase the range of the slider?  Anyway, now I have a more readable display on the Surface with only slightly too big text on my other monitor.  One strange thing is that the text for Desktop shortcuts changed to white enclosed by dark (some kind of Accessibility feature being invoked because of my choices?)

Same issue here. I have looked on a lot of forums, and there are a lot of people who just don't understand the issue - offering completely irrelevant advice!

As with a number of others on this thread, I have a Surface Pro 3... fantastic machine, and beautiful display. But connect my external 1080x1920 24" display, and everything is too large on the external... so as with everyone else, I have to set the Change the size of all items option in display settings, set it to the smallest value, then log out, and log back in. That fixes the external display, but...

Having to make this setting change every time I connect or disconnect to an external monitor is annoying enough... but having to log out, and then log back in to see the change is ridiculous!

But what REALLY annoys me is that I like to use extended display mode - I love to work with two monitors - my lapyop and external display side by side. With the scaling set to lowest, so that the external display looks correct, the Surface Pro 3 screen is just unusable - its too small, and gives me a headache trying to use it. It makes me feel like an old man complaining that "owwww its too small for my old eyes!".

I realise that this is a Windows issue - but heck, if the Surface Pro 3 is really the tablet to replace my laptop, this flaw in Windows makes the SP3 a NON laptop replacement. Using dual monitor setups with my portable is essential to how I work.

I almost can't believe that in 2014 Windows still does not have proper per monitor PPI settings. Technology has landed a probe on a bloody comet for crying out loud - why can't Windows have proper UI scaling per monitor??!!

What really scares me is that I dont think this is a simple fix for MS, and it may be some time before we see this resolved... but here's hoping Microsoft are already working on s solution.

I'd like to see a Microsoft representative give us an official update on this issue... Hello? Are you out there?

If you extend your desktop on to the external monitor instead of duplicating it each monitor will run at its native resolution.

Windows key+P will bring up the configuration options

Thank you.  It may not answer  the OPs question, but this is the answer I was looking for. 

This is not correct.  Extending the display will NOT solve this ridiculous issue.  WTF Microsoft!?  It appears this issue has been around for nearly a year and remains unsolved!?!?!  I just paid $1200 for a top of the line i7 Lenovo Yoga 2 and I cannot extend the display correctly!!!  This is the kind of absolutely abject failure to provide the basics that continues to confound Microsoft users.  Do better.

Got the same issue. Running Bootcamp macbook pro, win 8.1.

need to do the workaround with login/logout several times aday because i need to move from workstation to meetings etc with my computer.

A fix for this would be awesome in the next SP :)

Same issue with my Dell XPS 15

Take a look at this:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/e9429754-4153-4b35-8bcd-5fe6a791cb28/scaling-problems-on-high-ppi-monitors-why-rdcm-scales-perfectly-and-windows-doesnt?forum=w8itprogenera

More than half a year is gone since i wrote this topic and microsoft has still no reaction (even after the technet-forum guy promised to post the topic's suggestion to the developers....)

The funny thing is, that for some reason Window's "Remote Desktop Manager" hast absolutely no problem scaling all kind of programms to the correct size, without any blurryness and fuzzyness.... Check this one for example:
http://skovalev.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/RDCM-vs-Win8-Scaling-Administration-Win.png

!PLEASE MICROSOFT! Implement the scaling algorithm of RD-Manager in Windows Explorer and EVERYTBODY will be happy... Why is that so hard... And for those guys who do not like this solution, just create an option in control panel to be able to chase the scaling algorithm....

• Edited by eXti.de Wednesday, January 21, 2015 7:04 AM

Take a look at this:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/e9429754-4153-4b35-8bcd-5fe6a791cb28/scaling-problems-on-high-ppi-monitors-why-rdcm-scales-perfectly-and-windows-doesnt?forum=w8itprogenera

More than half a year is gone since i wrote this topic and microsoft has still no reaction (even after the technet-forum guy promised to post the topic's suggestion to the developers....)

The funny thing is, that for some reason Window's "Remote Desktop Manager" hast absolutely no problem scaling all kind of programms to the correct size, without any blurryness and fuzzyness.... Check this one for example:
http://skovalev.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/RDCM-vs-Win8-Scaling-Administration-Win.png

!PLEASE MICROSOFT! Implement the scaling algorithm of RD-Manager in Windows Explorer and EVERYTBODY will be happy... Why is that so hard... And for those guys who do not like this solution, just create an option in control panel to be able to chase the scaling algorithm....

• Edited by eXti.de Wednesday, January 21, 2015 7:04 AM

Take a look at this:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/e9429754-4153-4b35-8bcd-5fe6a791cb28/scaling-problems-on-high-ppi-monitors-why-rdcm-scales-perfectly-and-windows-doesnt?forum=w8itprogenera

More than half a year is gone since i wrote this topic and microsoft has still no reaction (even after the technet-forum guy promised to post the topic's suggestion to the developers....)

The funny thing is, that for some reason Window's "Remote Desktop Manager" hast absolutely no problem scaling all kind of programms to the correct size, without any blurryness and fuzzyness.... Check this one for example:
http://skovalev.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/RDCM-vs-Win8-Scaling-Administration-Win.png

!PLEASE MICROSOFT! Implement the scaling algorithm of RD-Manager in Windows Explorer and EVERYTBODY will be happy... Why is that so hard... And for those guys who do not like this solution, just create an option in control panel to be able to chase the scaling algorithm....

• Edited by eXti.de Wednesday, January 21, 2015 7:04 AM

Take a look at this:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/e9429754-4153-4b35-8bcd-5fe6a791cb28/scaling-problems-on-high-ppi-monitors-why-rdcm-scales-perfectly-and-windows-doesnt?forum=w8itprogenera

More than half a year is gone since i wrote this topic and microsoft has still no reaction (even after the technet-forum guy promised to post the topic's suggestion to the developers....)

The funny thing is, that for some reason Window's "Remote Desktop Manager" hast absolutely no problem scaling all kind of programms to the correct size, without any blurryness and fuzzyness.... Check this one for example:
http://skovalev.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/RDCM-vs-Win8-Scaling-Administration-Win.png

!PLEASE MICROSOFT! Implement the scaling algorithm of RD-Manager in Windows Explorer and EVERYTBODY will be happy... Why is that so hard... And for those guys who do not like this solution, just create an option in control panel to be able to chase the scaling algorithm....

• Edited by eXti.de Wednesday, January 21, 2015 7:04 AM

Wow, this has been a long thread!  The workaround which I have found for this is modifying the screen resolution.  The one I found is 1366x768.  It works pretty well for my work ThinkPad Yoga since Windows remembers different resolution settings for different monitors.  This way you can have your Duplicate resolution set for external monitors and when you disconnect, it goes back to the already set 1366x768.  This is not something I would have done in the past but the quality of image on my laptop seems the same.  I still have a beef with MS that different windows show up with different levels of clarity, but that is the problem on any resolution.  Try it guys, it's the most pain free way in my opinion.

By the way, I was actually trying to see if it's possible configure and manage resolution profiles in Windows.  I heard it was back in XP.  One of my clients says that since he deals with many different monitors at different times of the day, he has to constantly change resolutions.  Any ideas?

Same problem here - new Surface Pro 3 and I can't find a way to make the SP3 and the external 1920 x 1080 display work sensibly.  This is ridiculous!

can't find a way to make the SP3 and the external 1920 x 1080 display work sensibly.

Have you tried the selected text size changes?

It seems the problem is rather deeply rooted in API level and needs rather bold rethinking of how apps work. Perfect solution probably requires app/program to be rendered twise in the memory in parallel and then seamlessly show one or another render depending on which monitor the app is on at any given moment. This needs more memory and probably rebuilding all native and third party apps for being aware of the DPI changes during window movement and ensure that thing wont go out of sync on logical level (i.e. mouse coordinates on form canvas etc.). Also these UIs need to multiply invisibly as needed (more than two memory images) if external monitor with different DPI is attached during the run of the program (no restart). Maybe the solution needs to be completely vector oriented ? All-in-all pretty messy stuff but should be the sole focus of deep level changes in windows 10. Also it would be wise to alert people if that kind of rethinking is going to take place or not - or i have to start saving for Mac.

By the way Mac is cheating - the seamless DPI change comes from bitmap level resize - all apps are rendered on bigger virtual screen and scaled down by integer times (sharp picture). They can get away with it only because they do have only integer differences between normal and retina displays. So microsoft has to invent something completely new and much more complicated in realization as they do not control the screen sizes. (I just heard the Mac theory from somewhere - no source of proof)

• Edited by Sven Lange EE Thursday, February 12, 2015 7:34 PM

It seems the problem is rather deeply rooted in API level and needs rather bold rethinking of how apps work. Perfect solution probably requires app/program to be rendered twise in the memory in parallel and then seamlessly show one or another render depending on which monitor the app is on at any given moment. This needs more memory and probably rebuilding all native and third party apps for being aware of the DPI changes during window movement and ensure that thing wont go out of sync on logical level (i.e. mouse coordinates on form canvas etc.). Also these UIs need to multiply invisibly as needed (more than two memory images) if external monitor with different DPI is attached during the run of the program (no restart). Maybe the solution needs to be completely vector oriented ? All-in-all pretty messy stuff but should be the sole focus of deep level changes in windows 10. Also it would be wise to alert people if that kind of rethinking is going to take place or not - or i have to start saving for Mac.

By the way Mac is cheating - the seamless DPI change comes from bitmap level resize - all apps are rendered on bigger virtual screen and scaled down by integer times (sharp picture). They can get away with it only because they do have only integer differences between normal and retina displays. So microsoft has to invent something completely new and much more complicated in realization as they do not control the screen sizes. (I just heard the Mac theory from somewhere - no source of proof)

• Edited by Sven Lange EE Thursday, February 12, 2015 7:34 PM

It seems the problem is rather deeply rooted in API level and needs rather bold rethinking of how apps work. Perfect solution probably requires app/program to be rendered twise in the memory in parallel and then seamlessly show one or another render depending on which monitor the app is on at any given moment. This needs more memory and probably rebuilding all native and third party apps for being aware of the DPI changes during window movement and ensure that thing wont go out of sync on logical level (i.e. mouse coordinates on form canvas etc.). Also these UIs need to multiply invisibly as needed (more than two memory images) if external monitor with different DPI is attached during the run of the program (no restart). Maybe the solution needs to be completely vector oriented ? All-in-all pretty messy stuff but should be the sole focus of deep level changes in windows 10. Also it would be wise to alert people if that kind of rethinking is going to take place or not - or i have to start saving for Mac.

By the way Mac is cheating - the seamless DPI change comes from bitmap level resize - all apps are rendered on bigger virtual screen and scaled down by integer times (sharp picture). They can get away with it only because they do have only integer differences between normal and retina displays. So microsoft has to invent something completely new and much more complicated in realization as they do not control the screen sizes. (I just heard the Mac theory from somewhere - no source of proof)

• Edited by Sven Lange EE Thursday, February 12, 2015 7:34 PM

It seems the problem is rather deeply rooted in API level and needs rather bold rethinking of how apps work. Perfect solution probably requires app/program to be rendered twise in the memory in parallel and then seamlessly show one or another render depending on which monitor the app is on at any given moment. This needs more memory and probably rebuilding all native and third party apps for being aware of the DPI changes during window movement and ensure that thing wont go out of sync on logical level (i.e. mouse coordinates on form canvas etc.). Also these UIs need to multiply invisibly as needed (more than two memory images) if external monitor with different DPI is attached during the run of the program (no restart). Maybe the solution needs to be completely vector oriented ? All-in-all pretty messy stuff but should be the sole focus of deep level changes in windows 10. Also it would be wise to alert people if that kind of rethinking is going to take place or not - or i have to start saving for Mac.

By the way Mac is cheating - the seamless DPI change comes from bitmap level resize - all apps are rendered on bigger virtual screen and scaled down by integer times (sharp picture). They can get away with it only because they do have only integer differences between normal and retina displays. So microsoft has to invent something completely new and much more complicated in realization as they do not control the screen sizes. (I just heard the Mac theory from somewhere - no source of proof)

• Edited by Sven Lange EE Thursday, February 12, 2015 7:34 PM

I have a Dell XPS 13 and can't extend to a Dell projector in the 'extend' mode. When lowering the resolution and use the 'duplicate' mode it works, but then everything is far to large for the screen.

The only method working correct is using PowerPoint 2013. Here the screen is automatically extended to the projector and it works like a charm! 

I can't believe I just spent all this money on a Dell XPS 13 and U2715H and I can't use the two displays correctly and have to screw around with the display settings as others have mentioned.  Seems crazy that this doesn't work.  It seems as though the scaling per display just isn't working right.  In fact not sure how it is even supposed to work?  If I uncheck the "Let me choose one scaling level for all my displays," I assume I am using different display scaling levels per display, but how would I even know which display I'm modifying as the UI is not display specific at this point.

I can't believe I just spent all this money on a Dell XPS 13 and U2715H and I can't use the two displays correctly and have to screw around with the display settings as others have mentioned.  Seems crazy that this doesn't work.  It seems as though the scaling per display just isn't working right.  In fact not sure how it is even supposed to work?  If I uncheck the "Let me choose one scaling level for all my displays," I assume I am using different display scaling levels per display, but how would I even know which display I'm modifying as the UI is not display specific at this point.

• Proposed as answer by bootis 17 minutes ago

I can't believe I just spent all this money on a Dell XPS 13 and U2715H and I can't use the two displays correctly and have to screw around with the display settings as others have mentioned.  Seems crazy that this doesn't work.  It seems as though the scaling per display just isn't working right.  In fact not sure how it is even supposed to work?  If I uncheck the "Let me choose one scaling level for all my displays," I assume I am using different display scaling levels per display, but how would I even know which display I'm modifying as the UI is not display specific at this point.

• Proposed as answer by bootis Friday, September 11, 2015 7:02 AM

 If I uncheck the "Let me choose one scaling level for all my displays," I assume I am using different display scaling levels per display, but how would I even know which display I'm modifying as the UI is not display specific at this point.

Good point.  The UI is not very clear about its implementation but we could probably use ProcMon to help clarify that.   E.g. filter with Operation Is RegSetValue and see what you get?  BTW insight gained that way might even help you come up with better workarounds.   <eg>

Good luck

I do not understand why is everybody ignoring the fact, that "Remote Desktop Connection Manager" which is a native Windows software created by Microsoft, has no scaling problems.

Check the example: http://skovalev.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/RDCM-vs-Win8-Scaling-Administration-Win.png   RDCM on 3200x1800 scales fine. Windows... not...

• Edited by eXti.de 4 hours 59 minutes ago

I do not understand why is everybody ignoring the fact, that "Remote Desktop Connection Manager" which is a native Windows software created by Microsoft, has no scaling problems.

Check the example: http://skovalev.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/RDCM-vs-Win8-Scaling-Administration-Win.png   RDCM on 3200x1800 scales fine. Windows... not...

• Edited by eXti.de Saturday, April 04, 2015 2:20 AM

I do not understand why is everybody ignoring the fact, that "Remote Desktop Connection Manager" which is a native Windows software created by Microsoft, has no scaling problems.

Check the example: http://skovalev.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/RDCM-vs-Win8-Scaling-Administration-Win.png   RDCM on 3200x1800 scales fine. Windows... not...

• Edited by eXti.de Saturday, April 04, 2015 2:20 AM

I do not understand why is everybody ignoring the fact, that "Remote Desktop Connection Manager" which is a native Windows software created by Microsoft, has no scaling problems.

Check the example: http://skovalev.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/RDCM-vs-Win8-Scaling-Administration-Win.png   RDCM on 3200x1800 scales fine. Windows... not...

• Edited by eXti.de Saturday, April 04, 2015 2:20 AM

I do not understand why is everybody ignoring the fact, that "Remote Desktop Connection Manager" which is a native Windows software created by Microsoft, has no scaling problems.

Check the example: http://skovalev.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/RDCM-vs-Win8-Scaling-Administration-Win.png   RDCM on 3200x1800 scales fine. Windows... not...

• Edited by eXti.de Saturday, April 04, 2015 2:20 AM

I have the same issue. Dell P2715Q : 3840x2160 and Asus 1920x1080

Hi,

I tried to set up "remote desktop connection manager 2.7"  which I downloaded from microsoft website to my dell xps 15 9530 laptop. I could not set it up as I spent all day. I am having an error which says "the credentials that were used to connect (IP adress) did not work". It seems it will be really painfull. Should I buy a new screen with high resolution. It is my last choice but it seems there is no other option for me.

Thanks

Zeki

Just got a Lenovo X1 Carbon and I've got the same problem. I don't want to have to log out and log back in every time I move my laptop. If I log in with the external displays connected, things look great on the external displays. But if I log in without them connected, I get a misshapen screen. Log out and back in, problem is solved.

However, if I log in with the external displays connected, then unplug them, the laptop display never scales back up.

Ugh.

But if I log in without them connected, I get a misshapen screen. Log out and back in, problem is solved.

FWIW this reminds me of a problem I occasionally have with a MUF app if it opens on my widescreen monitor and I want to move it to my Tablet.  E.g. if I press Win+Shift+CursorRight the MUF app moves to my tablet but sometimes apparently retains some of the scaling that it had on the other monitor.  In this case what I do is press Win+CursorRight (e.g. make it start to go Split Screen) and (important) remember to release the Win- key so it actually does go split screen and gets scaled and rendered accordingly.  Then press Win+CursorUp to make it go Fullscreen (and release the Win- key) which then makes it rescale to the Tablet fullscreen size.

FWIW this reminds me of a problem I occasionally have with a MUF app if it opens on my widescreen monitor and I want to move it to my Tablet.  E.g. if I press Win+Shift+CursorRight the MUF app moves to my tablet but sometimes apparently retains some of the scaling that it had on the other monitor.  In this case what I do is press Win+CursorRight (e.g. make it start to go Split Screen) and (important) remember to release the Win- key so it actually does go split screen and gets scaled and rendered accordingly.  Then press Win+CursorUp to make it go Fullscreen (and release the Win- key) which then makes it rescale to the Tablet fullscreen size.

It's not the programs that are too large/small, it's, well, pretty much everything else. The taskbar, popup menus, etc. It's all no good.

I have a laptop and external monitor both at 1920 x 1080 and it even then has this problem, everything being the wrong size when switching between the monitor and the laptop's display and the text being blurry.  I have to sign out and in again to fix.  For some reason, I didn't have this issue when my laptop had a cheap 1366x768 screen but now that it has the same resolution, this issue has reared its head.  I am absolutely going crazy and I've had the laptop for only a week and I'm seriously considering returning/selling and getting a Mac and I've been a Windows user since Windows 95.

Same issue on my XPS 13 connected to a viewsonic monitor. XPS runs at 3200 x 1800 and the monitor at 1920 x 1080.

Any Windows 10 users notice if this got resolved? Very frustrating.

I have the similar problem. Toshiba Satellite with 4k screen, and Dell 2410 (1920x1200) external monitor in the desktop with it extended onto the external monitor.  Text on the external monitor is too large (especially Task Manager - its like the characters are 3/8 of a inch high - only 7 tasks are visible).

1) If I drag a window from the laptop so its 1/2 on the external display, the part of the external display is huge and wider than the display. The laptop part of the window stays the same width and is readable. I want the external display part of the window to be the same width as the laptop.

2) If I drag a window from the external monitor so its partially on the laptop screen, the text is too small to read and the window is 1/2 the width on of the part of the window on the external monitor.  The part of the window on the external monitor has the same window width and text size.  Again, I want the part of the window  on the lower monitor to be the same with as it is on the upper external monitor and the same text size, so I can read from the upper display onto the lower display.

To put it another way, I want the font "m" width to be the same per cm (of display) on both displays since the ppi (dpi) is different for the different monitors.  It works in Windows 7.

My understand (of Windows 7) is that each window is created off screen and non-overlapping, and then bit-blitted to the display.  And this is what it looks like windows 8.1 is doing.  I'm guessing that it needs to create the parts for each display separately because the DPIs of the displays are widely different.

Same story here as most of the above.  Yoga 2 pro, 8.1 setup with two external monitors.  Every time I go into an appointment (numerous times a day) I have to close all my programs, disconnect from dock, open laptop, change the display settings, sign out and sign back in.  Crazy Microsoft won't answer or address this.  Anybody know if windows 10 addresses this?

From what I can tell, Windows 10 makes things a little better. The issue is STILL NOT FIXED, but things are a little better. I still have to make sure I'm connected to my big monitors before I sign in, otherwise, everything looks a little off. And when I undock, everything is a little blurry until I sign out and sign back in. Microsoft, are we ever going to get any sort of indication that you even acknowledge this as an issue?

Sigh.... One day this will be fixed. Maybe with Windows 15 or 16?

 when I undock, everything is a little blurry until I sign out and sign back in.

Before undocking what happens if you drag your windows half off and half on?   <eg>

That is the most noticeable thing about W10 in this regard that I have seen.  Half off and half on somehow sometimes seems clearer than all on either monitor.   YMMV.  One of my monitors is XVGA so I suppose I should be grateful that it is still supported at all.