Learn How to View DPI Awareness Mode of Apps in Windows 10

This post will show you how to view DPI Awareness mode of Apps in Windows 10. DPI Awareness includes better support for Hi-DPI apps and displays. Let’s understand what’s the impact of tracking DPI Awareness modes, Desktop applications on Windows can run in different DPI awareness modes.

It is important that you track the DPI awareness mode of your process so as to avoid unexpected behavior. When you use a high-DPI device with external monitors, you experience the issues such as applications, icons, text appear to be fuzzy and blurry text appears in applications or in the Windows interface.

To reduce DPI-related problems an option DPI Awareness column added in task manager that helps to understand which apps are DPI-aware and which apps will appear blurry and stretch on high-DPI displays devices such as a Surface Pro or Surface Book together with external monitors. For more information on DPI awareness, check High DPI Desktop Application Development on Windows.

What is DPI?

DPI is Dots per inch. DPI is a referring method to help programs and understand how a computer mouse (other peripherals) measures physical distance. As per Microsoft documentation “The dots per inch (DPI) of modern display panels being much higher than they have historically been. In the past, most displays had 96 pixels per linear inch of physical space (96 DPI); in 2017, displays with nearly 300 DPI or higher are readily available.”

View DPI Awareness Mode of Apps in Task Manager

To view which of your running apps for Windows 10 is DPI Aware from Task Manager. Lets start the process –

  • Open Task Manager in More details view.
Learn How to View DPI Awareness Mode of Apps in Windows 10
Learn How to View DPI Awareness Mode of Apps in Windows 10
  • Click on the Details tab. To add the DPI Awareness column, Right click on a column detail name, and click on Select columns.
Learn How to View DPI Awareness Mode of Apps in Windows 10
Learn How to View DPI Awareness Mode of Apps in Windows 10
  • Scroll down and Check the DPI Awareness box, and click on OK.
Learn How to View DPI Awareness Mode of Apps in Windows 10
Learn How to View DPI Awareness Mode of Apps in Windows 10
  • The following table shows how applications will render under different scenarios:
DPI Awareness ModeWindows Version IntroducedApplication’s view of DPIBehavior on DPI change
UnawareN/AAll displays are 96 DPIBitmap-stretching (blurry)
SystemVistaAll displays have the same DPI (the DPI of the primary display at the time the current user session was started)Bitmap-stretching (blurry)
Per-Monitor8.1The DPI of the display that the application window is primarily located onTop-level HWND is notified of DPI changeNo DPI scaling of any UI elements.
Per-Monitor V2Windows 10 Creators Update (1703)The DPI of the display that the application window is primarily located onTop-level and child HWNDs are notified of DPI change
Automatic DPI scaling of:Non-client areaTheme-drawn bitmaps in common controls (comctl32 V6)
  • You can see DPI awareness of all your running applications on per process basis, also view and sort apps by DPI awareness in the Task Manager.
Learn How to View DPI Awareness Mode of Apps in Windows 10
Learn How to View DPI Awareness Mode of Apps in Windows 10

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