Help: Windows 11 scaling apps down teeny tiny size

[phillyttt]

Hi peeps, I’ve just got a new surface pro 8 and installed a few older 64-bit apps (quickbooks 2016 and Adobe fireworks (CS6) - I know, I know but it’s what I know / have and don’t have time to learn a newer/alt version or app at the moment)

 

anyhoo! They installed fine, but for some reason the toolbar and menus all display so small it’s near unusable.

 

pop up options appear at a normal size so it’s just the initial load and UI scaling that’s a problem. How do I fix this?

 

windows is at default settings and everything else is fine. It’s only these 2 older apps that are the problem. Oh and illustrator but that’s part of the CS6 package too. 
 

is there a way to increase scaling (is that even what’s needed??) on only these three apps?

 

note the very small File menu and then the normal size once opened under window menu item;

 

[emosun]

If those programs were not designed with compatibility for windows 10s crappy scaling problem then not much you can do.

 

Set the resolution lower on the monitor to like 1080 and the scaling to 100% and that might fix it.

[phillyttt]

They work fine without any adjustment needed (at all) from stock on windows 10

[GoodBytes]

Your Surface Pro 8 features a high-DPI display.

This means that the resolution is high for it's size compared to the "standard" of olden days. This isn't bad. Actually, it is great. It is why you seeing more details icons, images, and text is smoother and easier to read.

 

The only reason why things where "normal/larger" under Windows 10, is because your display wasn't a high-DPI one.

 

Despite High-DPI scaling being introduced back in 2001 with Windows XP, software makers are still unaware that high-DPI displays is a thing, despite their growing popularity especially on laptops in the last ~7-8 years and slowly growing in the PC desktop space, with the more and more affordable 27inch 1440p displays

 

While many software have adapted, others have just recently, and so requires the latest versions to enjoy these program in larger sizes.

Now, Windows has built-in system to try and scale unsupported applications larger.

It does it automatically for applications using its own interface framework.

For programs that don't use its own framework, Windows offers several scaling tricks to help. To access them:
Right-click on the program shortcut or main executable, and pick "Properties". A panel will open, on it, go under the "Compatibility" tab, and hit the "Change high DPI settings" button. From there you have a few options to play with. Be sure to click on "OK" once set, and pick "Apply" on the Properties panel to actually apply. The program must be restarted (if it was running) to see affect.

 

 

Other options:

• Check if you have an option in your affected programs to display the interface/buttons "large". Sometimes they have this option for accessibility purposes, but it might do the trick for you.
   
• Look online for "hacks" to force things and hope the layout won't break, like this one: https://danantonielli.com/adobe-app-scaling-on-high-dpi-displays-fix/ for Adobe CS6 where you essentially override the program manifest file (typically the file is in the executable file, so you never see it, but it can be external as well) to allow Windows interface scaling hacking to take place. But if course, doing so, you get what you get. Things might be cut off, like text, or buttons.
   
• Update your software to newer versions, if they have added high-DPI display support, of course. Sadly, apparently QuickBooks still does not support high-DPI despite being in the year 2021. From my reading, they are essentially suggesting to buy a laptops or a desktop screens which aren't high-DPI (96ppi) and use that instead. This is because it ii isn't heir problem... it is your problem, based on them. I mean how dare you a computer that is faster than a 386 and is using an OS that is newer than MS-DOS 4.0! Apparently, QuickBooks will support color displays in 2030 This is thanks to their effort in trying to hire new young blood at the company. The youngest dev is now 64 years old!

[phillyttt]

@GoodBytes Thank you so much man!

 

The “System” (not Enhanced) option of Override high DPI scaling behaviour was the one that corrected all my adobe CS6 apps  

 

Including for QB too!

 

Thank you again pal