Just installed Parallels Desktop 8 trial to see what's new. A fresh install of Windows 8 and I'm having issues with resolution. Normally use it in a window. At 1024x768, clicking the green (maximize) button, or at full screen, everything is ok. If I drag the window to a random size, Windows 8 doesn't seem to adjust the resolution properly and text ends up blurry. Close to proper display but not quite. And if you see in the attached screenshot, when I resize it to be half the screen (on a 15" MacBook Pro non-retina), the resolution shows to be 1024x1140 (when it should be around 720x800).
gary, Windows 8 Metro Applications doesn't work if the resolution is less than 1024, thus we do not allow changing the screen resolution below it. Alex
Thanks Alex, Would it be possible to allow a resolution less than 1024x...? It seems at any resolution, one can still use desktop apps, and at the start screen, one can still get to the desktop. And if anyone tries to run a metro app, they'll get the warning about it not working. I'd prefer that than to not have the resolution available at all. Or I'd just stick with Windows 7 since I often need windows side by side with another app (without coherence). Though the other issue is still there, if I randomly resize the window so it's something like 1024+ by whatever, the resolution is still not as it should be; the text remains blurry. It's like it's resizing it to almost what it should be but it's a few pixels off. Only when I don't manually resize, and select a default resolution (like 1024x768) or maximize the window, then it appears correctly.
gary, Unfortunately, if we will allow to change resolution less than 1024 for horizontal and 768 for vertical, thеn Windows 8 Metro applications will not work. It is Microsoft's design. It seems when you resize the window manually the window size become less than minimum allowed size at least by one side. In this case we stop changing the resolution in the Windows and start scaling VM view. In this case you will see the blurring. But, if we will allow to do the scaling you will see correct image but will not be able to use Windows applications at all. We thought what working applications is more important than nice looking not working applications. Alex
That's too bad. About the scaled resolution. Yeah I checked and I was scaling it vertically to less than 768. That's a shame; I'll stick with Windows 7 in that case. It would really be nice to be able to scale to less. I mean the desktop would still work and when you try to run metro apps; you'll just get the default windows warning that metro apps won't work. I still prefer that to not allowing less than 1024x768 at all. Windows 8 overall still works—the desktop works, and from the start screen, you can get to it. I think the default warning from windows is enough.
Tried Fusion 5 and everything works ok. At the metro start screen, scrolling thru it works fine, so if one were to skip using metro apps, a resolution less than the 1024x768 works fantastic: getting to the desktop and all desktop apps work great.
gary, I'm sorry but Fusion is not good enough to work with Windows 8. I don't know why you need the resolution is less than 1024 but many users using bigger resolutions. You can stay with Fusion 5 in your case. Good luck! Alex
Oh I'm not saying I like Fusion. Used to but switched to Parallels a long time ago. But I do need a smaller window size, as in the screen shot above, since I often have windows side by side with something else, and need to look at both. I'll probably then stick with Windows 7 though hope you'd consider allowing smaller resolutions someday, a preference or anything.
gary, You can change OS type in the VM configuration from Windows 8 to Windows 7. This will allow you to use small resolutions. Shutdown VM, select Configure... in the Virtual Machine menu. Click General tab. Under VM name select Windows 7 OS type. But keep in mind what Metro Applications doesn't like small resolutions and will be terminated or closed if you change the resolution less than 1024x768 while it is running. Alex
Will give it a try. I don't really use metro too much and don't mind changing the resolution when I need it. Thanks!
the new scaling behaviour is broken .. pls fix it Hi, Could you please add configuration option to control this new behaviour ? Because metro interface works just fine even in lower resolution, only metro apps do not (but they warn user about it). And many do not care about metro apps (maybe not even about metro) and switch to desktop immediately and VM scaling is really annoying there. Especially as in my case when Parallels switches to 1503 pixels wide resolution on my MacBook Pro (that is only 1280 pixels wide). For now I have changed VM OS type to Windows 7, but I would prefer if you fixed this issue. Thanks.
