Some programs do not display their windows on QHD screen on XPS 15 very well

As was the case when Retina-display Macs appeared, this will have to be rectified application by application.

Not all applications will support the very high resolution of the screen -- you may have to wait for an update or upgrade from the software publisher(s).

I am experiencing the EXACT problems with my XPS 15 running windows 8.1.

 I am running ArcGIS 10.2 and SAS 9.4 and have the same issues will both of these programs.

Is there a fix for this??

I too am experiencing a mind-boggling array of terrible QHD+ display issues as you describe on my M4800 w/ K2100 running Windows 7SP1.

I have this workstation for one reason alone - to run Solidworks (2014 SP2) - which is almost unusable in native max res due to these problems (and reduced res is fuzzy, with sizing issues persisting in a way).

Sizing on tabs, text, icons, etc - are all super inconsistent. I've tried everything in resolution/sizing/font/compatibility options on the Windows and application levels, to no avail. To say this is lowering my productivity is an understatement - it's hurting my eyesight and threatening my sanity at this point. This is a total first-world-problem nightmare for me. 

I seem to be reading that windows can't really fix this (i.e. I read it persists in Windows 8.x), and that the only 'solution' is to wait for the apps to fix it in updates? Ideas?

I can't believe Microsoft, PC OEMs, other hardware OEMs and the applications couldn't get their heads together to solve this in the wild, wild west world of PC computing. Just kidding! The eternal realities held in that last sentence lead me to not only believe, but expect it. 

I use a lot of chess programs such as ChessBase 12, Dasher, BlitZIn (these are programs that let you log into internet chess club and lets you play chess with other over internet) etc.. all are terrible with QHD display native resolution. No fix whatsoever. tried everything possible in the control panel etc but no luck. The only way to make them work properly is to reduce the resolution to 1900x1080. But then why did I pay this much for this laptop if I am running at normal laptop resolution which I could have bought for less than half the price of this laptop. Donno what to do. Seriously considering returning this laptop.

Geoff

Thanks for posting this experience.

I'm looking into purchasing a Precision with the QHD screen and given the extra cost would like to know if you've found a solution?

Also do you know if this problem occurs on the Adobe software suite, including photoshop type programs, and also Autocad?

Regards,

Sisia

Hi Sisia,

The key thing I've learned is that there is no one solution; the problem appears to be related to the individual apps that you use and how well they cope with the new Quad HD (or '4K') screen size. How well they cope is probably based on the screen handling APIs they use and possibly the the way they define individual window text boxes and font size of characters in those boxes. As I said above, Office products aren't an issue; Visual Studio has problems with some of their menus but basically it is OK; Internet Explorer has issues but is not consistent; Beyond Compare was bad but I've been working with them and now their beta 4.0 rev is good; Acronis True Image 2014 is very poor (but I haven't yet managed to talk to their support people yet). I don't use Photoshop or Autocad but I've not had a problem with Adobe's Reader. The fact that I have a non 4K second monitor probably doesn't help!

It's going to take a while as vendors realise they might have to change the way they handle window elements.

In the meantime, I'm still happy with my machine :)

Cheers, Geoff

... actually, I've realised since the above post that Outlook 2013 does NOT handle HTML emails very well. Most are just very small (but readable if you get close to the screen) and some (with lots of separate image tiles) are practically unreadable (image sizes don't match space allowed for them) and need to be viewed in a browser. Fortunately for me, most of those emails a junk ones :P

The right-hand side menu in Adobe Reader is very small (hard but not impossible to read) but I hardly ever use it, so I'm not inconvenienced.

Geoff

I have the same problem and it is annoying.  There is no way to adjust resolution settings without creating more problems.  I do believe, as other have stated, that the developers of software need to provide updates to their programs to accommodate the higher resolution used today in some high end PC's.  Strange that Microsoft products don't have this problem.  I'm not a progragmmer and know very little about code, but it seems to me that software developers should ping the native resolution of a PC and adjust their screens accordingly.  Just a thought.  On a different issue particularly regarding Microsoft, I am basically unhappy with Windows 8.1, so I upgraded to 8.1 Pro.  That went well.  However, I then decided to downgrade to Windows 7 Pro as I thought it was possible according to Microsoft.  Not quite!  Downgrading to Windows 7 Pro can only be done if the original O/S was 8.1 Pro.  If you upgraded to 8.1 Pro, you can't downgrade.  Now, why am I telling you this.  Here's why.  It all started with the resolution issue.  Now way was I going to deal with the very unreadable screens.  Unfortunately, I'm now stuck with Win 8.1

I have just taken delivones lite ery of an XPS13 with QHD screen. This issue is also found with Vodafone Lite broadband software and AVS viseo editing software.

I will try downloading the full version of the vodafone package annd see if that helps. I wil talk to AVS support, am

nd post the result here

Nick Geary

Just purchased this laptop for professional purposes. I'm very disappointed that the QHD screen on the XPS 15 doesn't work with my Adobe CS6 programs (After Effects, Premiere Pro). Unfortunately it also doesn't work with AutoCad 2016. When I say that it doesn't work, the title bars and text are scaled terribly. I can't see any of the text and it overlaps to the point that it is unusable. 

I understand that it's not Dell's fault, but its still frustrating. If I could return the computer I would and get the 1080 display, or a MacBook. 

This issue is exactly the same with my XPS13 with Windows 1. The problem stems from software companies not allowing for the recent developments in Higher resolution screens. I have this problem with CS5, but as this does not over lap text but merely shows the screen  program bar in a tiny font, I can cope with this by using the magnify function.

Vodafone Data dongle has the same problem. Here selecting the advance option makes it a bit easier to read. theoretically, we should be able to over come the issues with this legacy programming by altering the screen resolution, but I have tried this and it does not solve the issue.

Vrillette

simple fix for this and any software that doesn't scale correctly. Follow the steps below:

1. hit the windows button and type "regedit"
2. go to the following path: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SideBySide (make sure this folder is highlighted in the left hand column)
3. use the following menu command: Edit > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value
4. give your new DWORD the following name: PreferExternalManifest
5. once this is created select it then use the following menu command: Edit > Modify
6. in the pop-up change the 0 in the field for "Value data:" from a "0" to a "1" and check the Base setting is Hexadecimal then click "Okay"

once this is done you should be good to go for every application that needed scaling as long as you use the manifest template. where you find the softwarename.exe file for the app that isn't scaling simply copy the template to this location and rename it to softwarename.exe.manifest

- - - - -

I have pasted below what you need to put in your template file. Just use a text editor to create a new file then copy/paste the following text:

 
          type="win32"
      name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls"
      version="6.0.0.0" processorArchitecture="*"
      publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df"
      language="*">
   
 

 
          type="win32"
      name="Microsoft.VC90.CRT"
      version="9.0.21022.8"
      processorArchitecture="amd64"
      publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b">
   
 

 
   
              level="asInvoker"
        uiAccess="false"/>
   
 

  schemas.microsoft.com/.../WindowsSettings">
    schemas.microsoft.com/.../ms_windowsSettings:dpiAware>
 

OK well I've tried this for Acronis 2014 with a file named AcronisLauncher.exe.manifest in the folder where the exe file is.  Restarted PC. Click on Acronis desktop app and nothing happens.  Remove the manfiest file and Acronis works as before.  Redo the whole thing really carefully and same result.