HxD editor is blurred in Windows 10 on 120 DPI setting

[Ladik]

Hello,

The HxD application is blurred in Windows 10 when the current DPI is set to 120 DPI or more (Settings / System / Display / Scale and Layout / 125%). This is caused by missing entries in the application manifest. If I fix the manifest in HxD using ResourceHacker (or via anything that allows me to replace resources), then the look is fine.

Current and fixed look of the HxD editor is in the attachments. It may not be that obvious until you download the attachments and compare them in an image viewer.

Current HxD manifest:

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0">
  <dependency>
	<dependentAssembly>
	  <assemblyIdentity
		type="win32"
		name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls"
		version="6.0.0.0"
		publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df"
		language="*"
		processorArchitecture="*"/>
	</dependentAssembly>
  </dependency>
  <trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2">
	<security>
	  <requestedPrivileges>
		<requestedExecutionLevel
		  level="asInvoker"
		  uiAccess="false"/>
	  </requestedPrivileges>
	</security>
  </trustInfo>
</assembly>

This is the manifest I used:

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<assembly manifestVersion="1.0" xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
  <application xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
    <windowsSettings>
      <dpiAware xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2005/WindowsSettings">true/pm</dpiAware>
      <dpiAwareness xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2016/WindowsSettings">permonitorv2,permonitor</dpiAwareness>
      <longPathAware xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2016/WindowsSettings">true</longPathAware>
    </windowsSettings>
  </application>
  <dependency>
    <dependentAssembly>
      <assemblyIdentity
        type="win32"
        name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls"
        version="6.0.0.0"
        processorArchitecture="*"
        publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df"
        language="*"
      />
    </dependentAssembly>
  </dependency>
  <trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2">
    <security>
      <requestedPrivileges>
        <requestedExecutionLevel 
          level="asInvoker"
          uiAccess="false"
        />
      </requestedPrivileges>
    </security>
  </trustInfo>
  <compatibility xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:compatibility.v1"> 
    <application> 
      <!-- Windows 10 -->
      <supportedOS Id="{8e0f7a12-bfb3-4fe8-b9a5-48fd50a15a9a}"/>
      <!-- Windows 8.1 -->
      <supportedOS Id="{1f676c76-80e1-4239-95bb-83d0f6d0da78}"/>
      <!-- Windows 8 -->
      <supportedOS Id="{4a2f28e3-53b9-4441-ba9c-d69d4a4a6e38}"/>
      <!-- Windows 7 -->
      <supportedOS Id="{35138b9a-5d96-4fbd-8e2d-a2440225f93a}"/>
      <!-- Windows Vista -->
      <supportedOS Id="{e2011457-1546-43c5-a5fe-008deee3d3f0}"/> 
    </application> 
  </compatibility>
</assembly>

[happycat]

A workaround I use for this problem is to right-click the exe file (HxD32.exe and/or HxD64.exe) and open the Properties window. On the Compatibility tab, click "Change High DPI settings" button and select checkbox "Override high DPI scaling behavior. Scaling performed by" and select "Application" from the drop-down. That makes the blurriness go away.

[Maël]

The VCL framework that I use is not fully DPI aware (which means several fixes/patches are necessary) and new code (for example to handle multi-resolution image lists), and it would also require some adjustments/redrawing of icons (you can notice that in the DPI scaled versions the icons are too small).

So adding the manifest (or rather changing it) is a quick fix, but it requires more work than just doing that, unfortunately.

[Ladik]

So adding the manifest (or rather changing it) is a quick fix, but it requires more work than just doing that, unfortunately.

Sure. I'll stick with my own patched version until there is a fix. Thanks for the reply.

[testname]

The VCL framework that I use is not fully DPI aware (which means several fixes/patches are necessary) and new code (for example to handle multi-resolution image lists), and it would also require some adjustments/redrawing of icons (you can notice that in the DPI scaled versions the icons are too small).

So adding the manifest (or rather changing it) is a quick fix, but it requires more work than just doing that, unfortunately.

It would be really great if this could be done, as there aren't any good dpi-aware hex editors out there.
I don't think you should let the icon situation stop you - scaling the icons via any icon editing software will generate good enough results.
What's important is that the text scales properly - everything else can be scaled in the ugliest way possible - HxD is a hex editor, not an icon editor .

[DL444]

Frankly, the "force application-aware scaling" workaround works extremely well here. Usually it's the apps with hard-coded label widths that have problems with this setting because scaled text can be clipped. HxD doesn't do that. Most, if not all labels in the main window use dynamically-computed layout that are either wide enough or can be adjusted by resizing some panels.

Screenshot 2025-07-25 074551.png (698 KiB) Viewed 183997 times

Yes, the toolbar icons are a bit too small, but I don't think that is an urgent problem.