# How to unhose dpi scaling issue in Windows 7

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-unhose-dpi-scaling-issue-in-windows-7/683505>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 12, 2014, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-unhose-dpi-scaling-issue-in-windows-7/683505 "2014-03-12T03:03:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rainy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@rainy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rainy)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-unhose-dpi-scaling-issue-in-windows-7/683505/1 "2014-03-12T03:03:56Z")

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My brother managed to use the dpi scaling settings in Windows 7 Home premium to make his desktop all but unreadable.

After a long bout of Q&A with him I finally figured out what he did, but I can’t fix it because I can’t see enough of any screens to adjust it back.

Anyone know any fixes I can try while “blind?”

Thanks,

-rainy

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**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-unhose-dpi-scaling-issue-in-windows-7/683505/2 "2014-03-12T05:27:02Z")

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Push Windows + (the plus sign) to zoom in until you can see things.

Then just use option 3 here:

> **[DPI Scaling Size - Change for Displays in Windows 8.1](https://www.eightforums.com/threads/dpi-scaling-size-change-for-displays-in-windows-8-1.28310/)**
>
> How to Change DPI Scaling Size for Displays in Windows 8.1
> 
> 
> In Windows 8.1, you can now set DPI (Dots per Inch) scaling to make text and other items, such as icons, fonts, and windows, to display larger or smaller for all displays or...

To reset the DPI settings via a registry entry.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rainy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@rainy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rainy)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-unhose-dpi-scaling-issue-in-windows-7/683505/3 "2014-03-12T12:01:08Z")

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Actually everything is too large. I have already used;

CTRL - (minus sign)  
turning the resolution to as low as possible

Based on what my brother remembers he did, he adjusted the dpi scaling – I pulled out my laptop and he identified the horizontal slider bar the dpi scaling uses

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**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-unhose-dpi-scaling-issue-in-windows-7/683505/4 "2014-03-12T13:15:05Z")

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Then just use the registry hack I listed above and restart his computer.

Try loading it in safe mode.

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**Author:** ![rainy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@rainy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rainy)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-unhose-dpi-scaling-issue-in-windows-7/683505/5 "2014-04-10T15:29:03Z")

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> [@Reply](#):
>
> Then just use the registry hack I listed above and restart his computer.
> 
> Try loading it in safe mode.

Thank you…a belated thanks, anyhow. This solved my problem!

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**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-unhose-dpi-scaling-issue-in-windows-7/683505/6 "2014-04-10T17:32:31Z")

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Great 🙂