Application Scaling on Surface Book

[Erik Read]

I've read several posts on scaling issues on high DPI machines like the Surface Book and I thought I'd share a resolution I've used.

1. Edit the following registry key: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SideBySide
2. If the value 'PreferExternalManifest' does not exist add a new DWORD value with that name and set it to 1
3. For any app that you are having scaling issues (in my case WebStorm) find the app's install directory (C:\Program Files (x86)...
4. Create a new text file in the same directory as the executable (you will need admin rights) named <exename>.exe.manifest (substitute <exename> with the actual name of the executable).
5. Paste the following into that file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>

<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0" xmlns:asmv3="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">

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

<dependency>
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity
type="win32"
name="Microsoft.VC90.CRT"
version="9.0.21022.8"
processorArchitecture="amd64"
publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b">
</assemblyIdentity>
</dependentAssembly>
</dependency>

<trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
<security>
<requestedPrivileges>
<requestedExecutionLevel
level="asInvoker"
uiAccess="false"/>
</requestedPrivileges>
</security>
</trustInfo>

<asmv3:application>
<asmv3:windowsSettings xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2005/WindowsSettings">
<ms_windowsSettings:dpiAware xmlns:ms_windowsSettings="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2005/WindowsSettings">false</ms_windowsSettings:dpiAware>
</asmv3:windowsSettings>
</asmv3:application>

</assembly>

6. Save the file and reboot
7. Your app should scale just fine now.
8. You will have to apply the registry hack every time you do a major windows update (like insider builds) since MS does not keep these registry settings around.

 

[michal64]

does this fix desktop icon scaling also when un-docking from external monitor?

 

[demichve]

No, does not solve the problem with icons...

 

[zerospace-net]

does this fix desktop icon scaling also when un-docking from external monitor?

You have to log out and back in to "fix" icon scaling when changing screen resolutions (Windows/graphics issue) -- the only other way you avoid this is by having an external monitor that is also 4k resolution so that when you disconnect from an external monitor, nothing needs to change. Otherwise, log out and then log back in. It's been this way at least since Windows 8. Only other option is to run with the settings for one resolution or the other all the time, no matter what monitor you're using. But, this means that either one of them is going to be incredibly tiny, or the other incredibly huge. It is what it is. It would be nice if MS would implement some kind of auto-scaling/resolution adjusting solution rather than the annoying logout/login (thus requiring that you close all applications).