Question:
What are some issues that can occur when using Act! on a computer that has large or custom DPI Display Settings?
Product Details:
Product Family: Act!
Product: Act! Pro, Act! Premium
Version: 2005 and later
Answer:
Act! was designed to function at 96 DPI. If DPI settings are set to a setting larger than this, Act! can have issues rendering certain areas of the application properly. General issues that can occur when DPI settings are larger than an application was designed and based for are:
For a more detailed explanation about how DPI affects the appearance of programs and why Act! experiences issues when running on DPI settings higher than 96 DPI, refer to the following knowledgebase article:
Why does Act! experience display problems using high Dots Per Inch (DPI) settings?
Answer ID Why does Act! experience display problems using high Dots Per Inch (DPI) settings?
These issues can be alleviated by reducing your DPI settings to 96 DPI. For instructions on how to reduce your DPI Settings to 96 DPI, follow the steps for your operating system below:
Note: This information is provided as a convenience. Swiftpage does not provide support for Microsoft products. For assistance in configuring your DPI settings, contact Microsoft or an IT Professional.
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 only (Windows 8 and Windows 10):
Windows 10:
Windows 8:
Windows 7:
Windows Vista®:
Windows XP and Windows Server® 2003:
Note: If reducing your DPI settings is not an option, you may be able to workaround some of the issues using the best practices from the following knowledgebase article:
Related Information:
For further information on specific issues reported to occur when using Act! with large or custom DPI settings, refer to the knowledgebase articles below:
Calendar View shows all mini calendars
Answer ID Calendar View shows all mini calendars
When exiting the Act! Layout Editor, layout fonts get larger
Answer ID When exiting the Act! Layout Editor, layout fonts get larger
Ellipses buttons or drop-down lists missing from Detail or List views in Act!
Answer ID Ellipses buttons or drop-down lists missing from Detail or List views in Act!
Unable to enter SA password during Act! installation after manually creating the Microsoft SQL Server (ACT7) instance
Answer ID Unable to enter SA password during Act! installation after manually creating the Microsoft SQL Server (ACT7) instance
Tabs do not display on Contact, Company, or Group Detail View
Answer ID Tabs Do Not Display on Contact, Company, Group or Opportunity Detail View
Large text appears in certain views or dialog boxes
Answer ID Large text appears in certain views or dialog boxes
Error: “Specified argument without range of values” when resizing the mini-calendar
Answer ID Error: “Specified argument without range of values” when resizing the mini-calendar
Address book prints with large fonts or text overlaps
Answer ID Address book prints with large fonts or text overlaps
Activity Type list is empty and disabled in Advanced Preferences for Google Calendar synchronization in Act!
Answer ID Activity Type list is empty and disabled in Advanced Preferences for Google Calendar synchronization in Act!
List of Contact Sync Sets is empty and the Define Sync Sets button is grayed out under the Synchronize Contacts tab in Microsoft Outlook synchronization preferences
Answer ID List of Contact Sync Sets is empty and the Define Sync Sets button is grayed out under the Synchronize Contacts tab in Microsoft Outlook synchronization preferences
Unable to save a related contact after adding it under the Relationships tab
Answer ID Unable to save a related contact after adding it under the Relationships tab
What are some issues that can occur when using Act! on a computer that has large or custom DPI Display Settings?
Product Details:
Product Family: Act!
Product: Act! Pro, Act! Premium
Version: 2005 and later
Answer:
Act! was designed to function at 96 DPI. If DPI settings are set to a setting larger than this, Act! can have issues rendering certain areas of the application properly. General issues that can occur when DPI settings are larger than an application was designed and based for are:
- Clipped User Interface elements or text
- Incorrect font size
- Pixelated text
- Misalignment of application space or rendering affecting the layout
For a more detailed explanation about how DPI affects the appearance of programs and why Act! experiences issues when running on DPI settings higher than 96 DPI, refer to the following knowledgebase article:
Why does Act! experience display problems using high Dots Per Inch (DPI) settings?
Answer ID Why does Act! experience display problems using high Dots Per Inch (DPI) settings?
These issues can be alleviated by reducing your DPI settings to 96 DPI. For instructions on how to reduce your DPI Settings to 96 DPI, follow the steps for your operating system below:
Note: This information is provided as a convenience. Swiftpage does not provide support for Microsoft products. For assistance in configuring your DPI settings, contact Microsoft or an IT Professional.

- Right-click on the Act! application icon; Select the Compatibility tab; Check the “Disable display scaling on high DPI settings” checkbox
- In PC Settings, set Display Resolution to 1280x800
- In PC Settings, set Display Scaling to 100%”
- In Act!, click Tools > Design Layouts, then select the layout view you are using
- In the Layout Designer, click View > Properties Window
- Click the Tabs section in the layout
- In the Properties window, ensure that the drop-down reads Tabs (TabControl)
- Under Appearance, change the font from 8pt to 12pt
The following settings need to be configured in order for Act! to display properly on a Microsoft Surface Pro3:
If you find that tapping tabs in the layout is difficult, you can resize them by following the steps below:

- Right-click an empty area on your desktop and choose Display Settings
- Move the slider to 100%, then click Apply
- Click Sign out now to sign out, then sign back in

- Right-Click an empty area on your desktop and choose Personalize
- In the bottom left-hand corner of the Personalization window, click Display
- Under Change the size of all items, slide the slider bar to Smaller
- Click Apply
- Log out and log back in

- Right-Click an empty area on your desktop and choose Personalize
- In the bottom left-hand corner of the Personalization window, click Display
- Under Change the size of all items, slide the slider bar to Smaller
- Click Apply
- Log out and log back in

- Right-click the Windows desktop, and then click Personalize from the shortcut menu. The Personalize dialog box appears:
- Select Adjust font size (DPI) on the upper left hand side. The DPI Scaling dialog box appears:
- Under DPI Scaling, change the DPI setting display to Default scale (96 DPI) and then click OK. The following warning appears:
- Click Restart Now to restart the computer to complete the changes.
-

- Close ACT!.
- Right-click the Windows desktop, and then click Properties from the shortcut menu (or double-click the Display icon from the Windows Control Panel). The Display Properties dialog box appears:
- Under the Appearance tab, ensure that the Font Size field is set to Normal:
- Under the Settings tab, click the Advanced button. The Plug and Play Monitor... dialog box appears:
- Under the General tab, in the Display section, change the DPI setting display to Normal size (96 DPI) and then click OK. The following Change DPI Setting message appears.
- Click OK, and then restart the computer to complete the changes.
-
Note: If reducing your DPI settings is not an option, you may be able to workaround some of the issues using the best practices from the following knowledgebase article:
What are the best practices for using Act! with large Dots Per Inch (DPI) settings on computers and Windows based tablets with high resolution screens?
Answer ID What are the best practices for using Act! with large Dots Per Inch (DPI) settings on computers and Windows based tablets with high resolution screens?
Answer ID What are the best practices for using Act! with large Dots Per Inch (DPI) settings on computers and Windows based tablets with high resolution screens?
Related Information:
For further information on specific issues reported to occur when using Act! with large or custom DPI settings, refer to the knowledgebase articles below:
Calendar View shows all mini calendars
Answer ID Calendar View shows all mini calendars
When exiting the Act! Layout Editor, layout fonts get larger
Answer ID When exiting the Act! Layout Editor, layout fonts get larger
Ellipses buttons or drop-down lists missing from Detail or List views in Act!
Answer ID Ellipses buttons or drop-down lists missing from Detail or List views in Act!
Unable to enter SA password during Act! installation after manually creating the Microsoft SQL Server (ACT7) instance
Answer ID Unable to enter SA password during Act! installation after manually creating the Microsoft SQL Server (ACT7) instance
Tabs do not display on Contact, Company, or Group Detail View
Answer ID Tabs Do Not Display on Contact, Company, Group or Opportunity Detail View
Large text appears in certain views or dialog boxes
Answer ID Large text appears in certain views or dialog boxes
Error: “Specified argument without range of values” when resizing the mini-calendar
Answer ID Error: “Specified argument without range of values” when resizing the mini-calendar
Address book prints with large fonts or text overlaps
Answer ID Address book prints with large fonts or text overlaps
Activity Type list is empty and disabled in Advanced Preferences for Google Calendar synchronization in Act!
Answer ID Activity Type list is empty and disabled in Advanced Preferences for Google Calendar synchronization in Act!
List of Contact Sync Sets is empty and the Define Sync Sets button is grayed out under the Synchronize Contacts tab in Microsoft Outlook synchronization preferences
Answer ID List of Contact Sync Sets is empty and the Define Sync Sets button is grayed out under the Synchronize Contacts tab in Microsoft Outlook synchronization preferences
Unable to save a related contact after adding it under the Relationships tab
Answer ID Unable to save a related contact after adding it under the Relationships tab