Win11 and the Display size/scale/dpi/pixels

User avatar
ChrisGreaves
PlutoniumLounger
Posts: 15498
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 23:23
Location: brings.slot.perky

Win11 and the Display size/scale/dpi/pixels

Post by ChrisGreaves »

So after the topic Firefox is stealing my screen space I realised that it is not fair to helpful members to try to resolve a problem on a laptop that I have struggled to tweak over the past two weeks.
I couldn't find out how to factory reset from hardware/BIOS, so I used the Win11 "System> Recovery". This is not quite as good as a hardware reset, because I see debris from my previous tweaked installation, so I am prepared to re-reset if i can quickly find out how to use HP's method.
HP076_20230314-02.jpg
This my first re-view of Win11. The black DOS rectangle tells me that Windows found my Auto20230305 in my Appdata. That means that I am still Chris076 and have not been able yet to call myself Chris077. Some of the icons (like the shortcut to my Shutdown.bat) are clearly not native to Windows.
So bearing in mind that a RESET is still available, what happened next?

Well I wanted to let y'all know that I had reset, as i thought, so I d/l Firefox 111.0(64) which means i am now using a later version of Firefox than at 6pm last night.
HP076_20230314-04.jpg
Do you see how much real estate I have now? Eleven topic heading, twice as my starting value last night.
Huh? Was that real-estate screen scam a bug in FF? Have all those complaints about the Tab bar resulted in Chocky and his team getting fired?
I sure hope so!

I have changed the Brightness to 100% in settings, but nothing else. The display resolution is still at 1920x1080 and 125% as reported here.

Since I live, breathe, eat, drink and will probably die in MSWord2003, I'd like to install that next, but this topic is really all about maximizing the visible and useful data on a screen that supports 1920x1080, so for now I will tweak display options only when I am sure that they work everywhere. And that sounds like a set of acceptance tests for each application that I install, and if a display change is called for:-
(1) Create a Restore Point
(2) Tweak the display settings for the new application
(3) Go back and check all previously installed applications
(4) Restore and think again OR Create a second restore Point.

First lunch. Then look for HP15 factory reset.
Cheers, Chris
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace

JoeP
SilverLounger
Posts: 2051
Joined: 25 Jan 2010, 02:12

Re: Win11 and the Display size/scale/dpi/pixels

Post by JoeP »

If you go to Settings | Recovery | Reset this PC then select "Remove everything" that should result in a new fresh installation of Windows 11. Be sure to make an image backup of the system first so you have a recovery mechanism. Also, make sure you have HP specific drivers as you'll just get generic Windows drivers which may not have all the features that HP enables. Remove all peripheral devices such as printers, cd drives, etc. before the install. Set them up after the installation.
Joe

User avatar
ChrisGreaves
PlutoniumLounger
Posts: 15498
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 23:23
Location: brings.slot.perky

Re: Win11 and the Display size/scale/dpi/pixels

Post by ChrisGreaves »

JoeP wrote:
14 Mar 2023, 15:52
If you go to Settings | Recovery | Reset this PC then select "Remove everything" that should result in a new fresh installation of Windows 11. Be sure to make an image backup of the system first so you have a recovery mechanism. Also, make sure you have HP specific drivers as you'll just get generic Windows drivers which may not have all the features that HP enables. Remove all peripheral devices such as printers, cd drives, etc. before the install. Set them up after the installation.
Thanks Joe. I'm back after a Factory reset.
Turns out to be the <F11> key on the HP15, but you have to gamble between tapping the <F11> key, and holding down <Fn> while tapping the <F11> key.
Traps For Young Players:-
(1) Do not set factory reset going immediately after lunch and immediately before taking a nap. The HP15 Reset sequence takes as long as it takes, and then this chirpy voice wakes you up telling you, or selling you something.
(2) Then it goes into "checking for updates" (which it will do again)
(3) Then you can name your computer as in "HP15_077"
(4) Then I forgot how to avoid walking hand-in-hand with Microsoft Accounts, so I set up a a couple of fake accounts @outlook.com
(5) Real Soon now I will do this all over again but set up a Chris077 standard account and a ChrisASdmin account.
Cheers, Chris
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace

User avatar
ChrisGreaves
PlutoniumLounger
Posts: 15498
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 23:23
Location: brings.slot.perky

Re: Win11 and the Display size/scale/dpi/pixels

Post by ChrisGreaves »

ChrisGreaves wrote:
14 Mar 2023, 15:14
I couldn't find out how to factory reset from hardware/BIOS, ...
... but now I have, so I'm back again, again, again and the display is still unchanged, set at 1920x1080, scaling 125%, but I have cranked brightness to 100%, and increased the mouse pointer size and maxed the pointer speed.I think my previous image was NOT of Active Topics, but here is Active Topics once again, with 10 posts visible.
HP076_20230314-05.jpg
Firefox is still at 111.0, and this is a full screen PrtScr.

Whew!

Next: Factory reset without a Microsoft account.
Cheers, chris
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace

JoeP
SilverLounger
Posts: 2051
Joined: 25 Jan 2010, 02:12

Re: Win11 and the Display size/scale/dpi/pixels

Post by JoeP »

If you want to install Windows 11 without a Microsoft account use no@thankyou.com when the account is requested. See https://www.thurrott.com/windows/window ... al-account for more information.
Joe

User avatar
ChrisGreaves
PlutoniumLounger
Posts: 15498
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 23:23
Location: brings.slot.perky

Re: Win11 and the Display size/scale/dpi/pixels

Post by ChrisGreaves »

JoeP wrote:
15 Mar 2023, 17:16
If you want to install Windows 11 without a Microsoft account use no@thankyou.com when the account is requested. See https://www.thurrott.com/windows/window ... al-account for more information.
Thanks Joe. I read this "nothankuou" solution too, and implemented a fake user email.

I am a cynical little devil, and suspect that MFat employs a team of at least two junior clerks who spend their days looking for workarounds to the various aspects of Windows that just don't appeal to people, and write up papers suggesting ingenious ways to block successive avenues of escape.

My over-riding complaint is the amount of time and effort wasted in circumventing software that in theory exists to save us time and effort.

To get the ball rolling, I'll suggest that we start with two hours spent by users worldwide circumventing every hour spent my MSoft in trying to force people into a single mode of behaviour. That is, a net waste of resources in the ratio 2:1.
Cheers, if applicable, Chris
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace