SQL Server High Dpi Settings

tl;dr This is a short note (mostly to my future self) on how to fix SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) so that it doesn’t look awful on high DPI screens.

The Problem

I have a 4k monitor scaled at 150%. These are my preferred display settings.

When I run SSMS though I see all kinds of weirdly scaled menus, fonts and dialogs. As you can see below, the buttons are running off the edge of the dialog box.

For the record, I’m using Windows 10 (20H2) and SSMS v18.8.

If you search the internet for SSMS high-dpi fix there are lots of pages detailing a variety of different fixes for this problem. I’ve tried many of them and some work and some don’t. Every few months/years when I re-format my laptop and re-install everything again I always forget which is the one true fix. So I’m documenting what seems to work for me here so that I don’t have to waste time re-discovering the fix all over again in a few months from now. YMMV.

The Fix

1. Find the location of Ssms.exe, which at the time of writing for v18 is C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 18\Common7\IDE.
2. Create a file called Ssms.exe.manifest using notepad (you will need admin privelages for this).
3. Add the following content to the file:

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

4. Now run regedit (you will also need admin privelages for this) and locate the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SideBySide section.
5. Add/Edit the DWORD(32-bit) value called PreferExternalManifest to have a value of 1 (as shown below). This instructs Windows to look for the manifest file that we added in step (2).

1. Now locate Ssms.exe again and right-click and select Properties -> Compatibility -> Change settings for all users.
2. Check Disable full-screen optimisation then click Change high DPI settings.
3. Ensure that Progam DPI and High DPI scaling override checkboxes are un-checked.

Done!

When you next launch SSMS the disappearing buttons and other weird scaling issues should now be fixed.

Thanks for reading.