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Users Report Loss of HiDPI Scaling on External Displays in macOS Sierra

Running Sierra on 2 displays. Someone is doing something wrong guys.


My Dell UP2414Q :

scaled.png

I just checked and I am running 10.12.1 Beta so maybe they fixed this ?
 
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Had me worried after finally getting my 27" Asus monitor working in hi res from my 2010 white MacBook with Apple's dual link mDP/USB cable, but I upgraded to Sierra today and all is well.
 
Tried to get help from Apple Support, but four tries later still no luck. They had me restart, reset the SMC, reset the NVRAM, dump the library caches, and finally I couldn't get them to answer the chat request again! Time to sleep on it I guess. All I need is to get back a 2650x1080/60Hz setting on the resolution list for heaven's sake. (SwitchResX wasn't the answer either.)
 
It seems with every damn update or annual macOS update, my 2012 Mac mini forgets that I set the display settings to "scaled for display" ... it really sucks having Apple's own 1000$ Thunderbolt Display and its software can't seem to remember this setting.

This has been going on for several years now. It just doesn't just work!

Oh May the ghost of Steve Jobs quoting Bob Noyce rattle the chains of whoever is not doing their job.
 
This seems to be HDMI related. I had similar problems on two separate screens trying to drive them over HDMI. Switched to Display Port and all problems are gone.
 
MacRumors said:



Some Mac owners are reporting problems with external monitors and the use of scaled resolutions since installing macOS Sierra earlier this week.

Several MacRumors readers using 4K displays have described the disappearance of scaled HiDPI resolutions beyond 1920x1080 since updating from OS X El Capitan, leaving their options reduced to 1080p or a non-scaled native resolution of 3840x2160. Monitors with native 1440p resolutions also seem to have had HiDPI scaling options removed.

scaled-resolutions-e1474631070191-800x294.jpg

Scaled options in Sierra (left) and OS X El Capitan (right) when holding the Option key.​

Owners of larger displays often use Apple's scaled HiDPI resolutions offered in Display preferences to enjoy increased desktop space without reducing the legibility of text. MacRumors forum member Sheza warned:
Some readers have reported unsuccessfully trying alternative monitor cable connections - switching over from DisplayPort to HDMI and vice versa. Others have tried using third-party resolution utilities like SwitchResX, with mixed results.

A separate report posted on StackExchange, viewed 1,259 times, details the same issue:
MacRumors can also confirm that the issue appears to be software-related, since the scaled resolutions reappear when affected Macs are rolled back to OS X El Capitan. The issue does not seem to be limited to a particular monitor brand and the latest Public Beta (10.12.1) of Sierra released on Thursday does not reinstate the missing resolutions.

It's unclear if the change is intentional or whether Apple will re-introduce the scaling options in a forthcoming update. Sierra Beta users are advised to submit feedback to Apple using the Feedback Assistant app located in /Applications/Utilities.

Article Link: Users Report Loss of HiDPI Scaling on External Displays in macOS Sierra
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Amazing...big problems with this new OS...who could have predicted this? Anyone who has used a Mac since OS8 could have predicted it.
 
rpnmtb said:
This command in Terminal and a reboot fixed it for me on Sierra.

sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist DisplayResolutionEnabled -bool true
Click to expand...


Reporting (regretfully) that doesn't work on a Mid 2014 MBP with NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M and an Acer G257HU monitor that got 2560x1440 through the HDMI port on el Capitan.

I've tried copying the old el Capitan Display Overrides (EDID) from el Capitan to Sierra, no success. And SwitchResX gets the scale 2560x1440, but not a sharp display.

Why does Apple turn off something that was working? I can't upgrade the OS on 3 MBP and a mini until there is some way to fix it.
 
Since yesterday I have a new ASUS PB279 4K display, and I thought I had no HiDPI scaling too, but it is there.

Hold Option down when you click "Scaled" and more resolutions show up. The 'normal' resolutions are already HiDPI, the others are defined '(low resolution)'.

HiDPI Sierra.png
 
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Synchro3 said:
Since yesterday I have a new ASUS PB279 4K display, and I thought I had no HiDPI scaling too, but it is there.

Hold Option down when you click "Scaled" and more resolutions show up. The 'normal' resolutions are already HiDPI, the others are defined '(low resolution)'.

View attachment 659050
Click to expand...
Doesn't work I'm afraid! Holding the option key does not work, and none of the resolutions have a low resolution tag in brackets, they are just all low resolution
 
My problem was that I was unable to get 60hz by default when I upgraded to Sierra.

I option clicked on Default for Display, which enables the actual resolution menu selection and I checked on "Show low resolution modes" which enabled the Refresh Rate menu and I was able to restore 1080p HiDPI at 60hz on my Samsung JU7100 Ultra HD TV.

I have a MacBook Pro 15 Retina (Late 2013) connected to my Samsung JU7100 with a UPTab MiniDisplay Port to HDMI 2.0a Active Adaptor.

I'm curious as to why this is not working by default. Right now it is a "featurebug" =/.

screen-shot-2016-09-25-at-11-16-27-am-png.659264
 

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rpnmtb said:
This command in Terminal and a reboot fixed it for me on Sierra.

sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist DisplayResolutionEnabled -bool true
Click to expand...

This also fixed it for me. Using a BenQ 2711 4k monitor and this terminal command and reboot restored all my resolution options.
 
inhalexhale1 said:
It does on Windows 10
Click to expand...

It's fine if you have a single monitor (to a point - some apps are still crap), but when you have multiple monitors (mixture of 4K and 1440p) then it gets messy when you move things between screens. Windows is more flexible in terms of you have more control natively, but OS X tends to handle scaling better.
 
freediverx said:
Most users:
"Sierra has been super stable and mostly bug-free, even as a beta for many weeks."

Couple of dolts on Macrumors:
"Sierra breaks EVERYTHING as usual! Apple is doomed!"
Click to expand...


So you feel the need to call people who disagree with your automatic thumbs up "Apple Kool-Aid" appraisal "Dolts" ??? Anyone who has an issue or a bug and therefore is unhappy with the initial release is a "dolt" ? :rolleyes:

And people wonder why some of us miss the thumbs down button on here. I can't abide fanatics who can't stand anyone giving their own opinion rather than a robotic "me too" response.
 
In my experience the issue is resolved by rebooting, but only temporarily. Once the display sleeps, HiDPI resolutions are removed/disabled.

For what it is worth, I don't think the following does anything (rebooting temporarily fixed the issue without it):

Code: 
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist DisplayResolutionEnabled -bool true
 
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this is temporary fix until apple fixes the problem. download quartz debug version 4.2, ignore the error and click continue. now in quartz debug tab go to windows and click on UI resolution. check enable HiDPI. now logout then log back in. now you have HiDPI enable. if you need HiDPI in a resolution that is not being show on system preferences display, simply download swithresx from their web site or QuickRes.app from the app store both of them support HiDPI with more and higher resolutions. sorry for my bad english. also you can hold the option key before clicking on display on system preferences in case you don't want or need none of those 2 apps
 
My hackintosh didn't have this issue in Sierra. I have two 4K displays hooked up and the scaling seems to be working ok. One is DVI-D and the other is display port. Perhaps it is HDMI related.
 
AxoNeuron said:
My hackintosh didn't have this issue in Sierra. I have two 4K displays hooked up and the scaling seems to be working ok. One is DVI-D and the other is display port. Perhaps it is HDMI related.
Click to expand...
:) i also have a hackintosh and i don't have the problem either , i have 2 identical nvidia 970. i use them with final cut pro and compressor which has support for dual GPU. however that is a method that i use to enable high dpi mode for friends to make their display look better and that method also works in sierra. i tried for a friend just a few days ago
 
AxoNeuron said:
My hackintosh didn't have this issue in Sierra. I have two 4K displays hooked up and the scaling seems to be working ok. One is DVI-D and the other is display port. Perhaps it is HDMI related.
Click to expand...
It can't be just HDMI related because I exclusively use display port and have this issue. Was working fine in El Capitan.

As it happens, a combination of a new cable and some system hacks have got me my 1080p HiDPI on a 1440p monitor back, but unfortunately whenever I switch my display to another input (my PC) something happens to my MacBook Pro to make it super, super hot. I'm worried something will break.
 
iamtheonlyone4ever said:
:) i also have a hackintosh and i don't have the problem either , i have 2 identical nvidia 970. i use them with final cut pro and compressor which has support for dual GPU. however that is a method that i use to enable high dpi mode for friends to make their display look better and that method also works in sierra. i tried for a friend just a few days ago
Click to expand...
Haha my previous hackintosh had dual 970's as well. Rock on brotha!

I've split the 970's between two machines now. Waiting for Nvidia to enable Pascal support in OS X so I can take my titan out of my linux box and put it in my hackintosh.
 
Woop!

Upgrading to 10.12.1 Beta (16B2333a) fixed it for me! All resolutions are back where they should be.

Early 2015 13-inch MacBook Pro driving an ASUS 4K PB287Q over DisplayPort 2.1 to Mini DisplayPort/Thunderbolt port. No hardware was changed.

Obviously a driver thing, but Apple finally looks to have gotten its act together on this issue (at least this end).
 
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