Windows 10 Application scaling problems

[DJ_Ironic]

Hi there, 

 

I just purchased my new main and 4K monitor, and I have problems with scaling.

I set my 4K screen to 175%, and my 1920x1080 and 1600x1200 screens to 100%.


Windows 10 modern apps, like settings scale just fine without any problems, but Task manager, Tawk.to do a terrible job, they are blurry and making me feel sick after few seconds of using.

There are also other apps like TeamSpeak...they just mess up icon sizes, so TeamSpeak3 has really, really big icons on non4K screens.

What I have tried:

• Reinstalling GPU drivers (GTX 1080)
• enabling and disabling "Windows help with blurry windows"
• restarting PC few times

 

 

Any solution or help for this issue?


My screens:

 

My PC specs: Core i7 7700K, 16GB, Geforce GTX 1080, Win10 Pro

 

 

[GoodBytes]

UWP apps GUI framework was designed from the ground up for not only high-DPI monitors but variable one (that is each monitor having a different DPI settings). And so it adjust itself.

 

Win32 applications is a mess. Let's start with a bit of history:
 

Win32 is basic yet powerful. Gives a lot of power and flexibility to developers, but gives little to help devs, nor give much in term of security or GPU rendered interface, or any real GUI framework. All needs to be dealt by the devs. Which sounds bad now, but the little it provided back in the day was HUGE. And remember, computer performance... fancy stuff cost performance. Anyway, Win32 was designed in mind to be a shell for 32-bit Windows programs to run.... in a window, and not full screen only. That was its goal. This means for GUI work, the dev had to use its own framework. Either made in house (like Adobe Software, Steam, Spotify, etc), or uses one already done ones from Windows or others (they can use an already one and hyper modify it, like Firefox, which technically uses the cross platform with its start in Linux GTK). Now, Windows did have one, a primitive one to get started, and over the years Microsoft did develop some like Windows Forms and Windows Presentation Forms, which are the popular choices today for apps that embed itself.

 

All these frameworks was done in a world of monitors where the concept of "DPI" was not even in people mind. It was mostly reserved to printers, hence the name: DOT Per Inch (DPI), and not Pixel Per Inch (PPI). How small and close by can your printer make dots or black or color, would determine the resolution of the printer, and how text and image will show (given the image is of high-resolution enough to make it look nice). That said,the term PPI is now starting to be used. Microsoft doesn't break its head with the term transition, and talks about, simply: "Display Scaling" and goes with a percentage. Much simpler, and not have to deal with Imperial and Metric system due to "Inch". But anyway.

 

So, now the problem:

1. Developer needs to add code in their software to detect display scaling, and that is more complicated with variable display scaling that can occurs with your setup. Also, the GUI framework of choice needs to be updated to the latest version to enjoy the added display scaling support. This usually means, several months of works as the framework of choice have different API calls, and things needs to be changed, or re-implemented from scratch. The problem with this, is that "Now, Display Scaling support!!!!" is not a selling feature to justify the cost for most programs. Most consumers are happy with a blurry app, than cashing out serious money for the same program with a few features here and there, but mostly, the big one, Display Scaling support. So, it will take time. LOTS of time. Basically, you need to wait for the company to scrap and restart, or switch to a software that have foundations that are newer and support all this. This is not helped by the lack of competition. For example, Steam. Do you think Valve is in any hurry to add support? What competitor will go instead? You have none. So there you go. Why put money into it?
    
2. Link to above, most people runs their displays at 100% Display Scaling (96 DPI). High DPI screens are still new in the laptop and VERY new desktop space, let alone multiple displays with different scaling. Usually, people buy their multiple monitor together to get identical color match, white level match, and nicer looking setup.
    
3. Most companies that isn't a startup, or a monster tech company like Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, etc. have crappy 200$, AT BEST, if the employee lucky, 1080p.. yes 2018... that is what you get. And usually you'll find them on top of boxes of paper or something as they are not height adjustable. Heck, even Nvidia are cheap on that front:
   
   
   This is their new office. Ignore the monitor with the black chair you see in front of you, which was clearly put there for promo shots. Look at the monitor at the bottom left. Yea, those crappy Acer 150-200$ monitors on VGA. That is what most people uses.
   
   So, how can a dev, properly design their app to be High-DPI aware, if they can't even get 1 monitor to start with. So until those 4K monitors goes down in price to 200-300$, don't expect companies to have the equipment. And if you wonder why this is the situation, to put is simply: Startups can't give developers a competitive salary, so they go with perks such as fancy computers, fancy screens, nice desks, flexible hours, etc. Big companies are usually older, and such the upper management don't understand the point of anything that is above black and white displays. And as big companies don't have trouble getting new recruits, there is no justification to get anything better. So yea, it sucks. But such as life. So if you go to work, and you have a fancy display, consider yourself lucky.
    
4. Microsoft has been active in adding code in Windows to inject DPI scaling support to non supported applications. However, this can break things, where things like text or buttons might be cut out or out of view, and hence why you have Compatibility options related to Display Scaling under the Properties panel of a program. And while a big number of programs does fair well, all things considered, Microsoft can only do it programs that uses its own more modern framework, such as the aforementioned: Windows Presentation Form and Windows Forms. It has trouble with the legacy stuff, and so old panels in Windows aren't updated or looks like a hacked job, not helped by the fact that it has been years since anyone at Microsoft touch this thing, let alone still working. And of course, you have the priorities. You should post on the feedback hub to show interest about the Task Manager, and the more up votes it gets, the more moves up in the priority list.
   
   Expect improvement in results with Windows itself and other apps, and expect new options at every newer version of Windows 10 as they get released.

 

[GoodBytes]

For sharing system specs, please don't show your Device Manager. We don't care. And it takes you more effort, than just to type, and you make people download large images to only skip through.

 

It's not hard to say:

Specs: Core i7 7700K, 16GB, Geforce GTX 1080, Win10

[DJ_Ironic]

OK, 

I will try. I just realized that nearly every program has an issue with multiple screens with different scaling options..programs like Office 355 or Putty.

And one interesting thing...they look blurry and I feel sick when looking at them for more than a few seconds..but when I take a printscreen..they look nicely sharp and fine. So maybe the issue is somewhere else. I thought when the issue is just the windows scaling..it will be scaled badly even on the printscreen..on the other side...programs like AIMP or Opera browser scales just fine.

Of course..sorry for the device manager.