Disable Hardware acceleration option move?

Question

I installed the latest Microsoft Office build, Version 2107 Build 4228.20226, and now the option to disable hardware accelleration is gone or has moved.

Anyone else noticing this, is there another way to disable hardware accelleration in Outlook?

Thanks,

Brandon

Answer 1

Wincomp is currently at 15% of Current Channel in builds 14026.20000 and higher.

That statement is a problem. You are saying right now 1 in 6 that someone will have this "improvement". But users have no way of telling why the change is happening. In the rest of the real world a user would look at the version and build number and they could tell something was different between 2 machines. But in MS's "lala land" a build number does not define the exact feature set a person sees. We really need MS to expose what ever tool, presumably registry keys/flags, so users aren't left in the dark, asking questions like Brandon's.

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I know you can't do anything. I've submitted a feedback to MS on this subject, but we need more people making this suggestion to MS to convince them to act on it.

Answer 2

This is not something that can be "fixed" with an Office repair or re-install. It is a (dis)'improvement" made by MS without telling us. Once again causing confusion.

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Here is current Excel 365 Options dialog

Here is Word from the same installation

This is my version number: Version 2107 (Build 14228.20226 Click-to-Run)

Here is a screen capture of Word 2016 that did have the option

Answer 3

I did find the option to disable hardware accelleration in Excel but not Word, Outlook or Powerpoint.

Answer 4

Please note that this option is being deprecated in Outlook as the new Wincomp rendering engine rolls out to production.  Wincomp is currently at 15% of Current Channel in builds 14026.20000 and higher. If you still need to alter Hardware Acceleration settings to diagnose a rendering issue, you can do so through the following Windows settings:

Choose which Graphics Adapter Office apps use:

• Navigate to: Settings > Display > Graphics Settings

• From here you can add a Desktop application using the "Browse" button.

• For each Desktop application clicking "Options" will allow you to override which GPU is used when there are multiple GPUs on the machine.

Disable one or more Graphics Adapters via Device Manager:

• Navigate to: Start > Device Manager

• Expand the "Display Adapters" node

• Right-click and choose "Disable device" on the Graphics Adapter you wish to disable.

• If all Graphics adapters are disabled, Windows will default to Software rendering via the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter.

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This is the current guidance on display issues, Display issues in Office client applications. - Office | Microsoft Docs.  This should get updated as Wincomp continues to roll out.

Answer 5

I've read that MS is dis(improving) it out of some of the app. Try the Options in other Office applications, I think it remains in some and the setting works on all Office apps.