UserPreferenceWidth
Note Starting with Windows 10, version 1703, this setting can no longer be used in provisioning packages. For more information on changes to the Windows Provisioning Framework, see Windows Provisioning Framework. This setting may have a Configuration Service Provider (CSP) equivalent that can be used instead. To determine if a CSP for this setting exists, see the description below.
Allows OEMs to override auto-detection of the device's screen size.
The device's screen size is determined by the OS, based on the Extended Display Identification Data (EDID). The Start tile defaults to the following layouts based on the HORZSIZE value, in millimeters, returned by the GetDeviceCaps function:
| HORZSIZE (mm) | Screen size | Start tile layout |
|---|---|---|
< 62 |
Small |
4-column |
62 ≤ HORZSIZE ≤ 74 |
Medium |
6-column |
≥ 74 |
Large |
6-column |
The following table shows the device categories and resolutions that are supported for medium and large screen sizes.
| Display type | Resolution | Aspect ratio | Diagonal size | Medium size supported | Large size supported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1080p (FHD) |
1080 x 1920 |
16:9 |
3.7" to 7" |
Yes |
Yes |
720p (HD) |
720 x 1280 |
16:9 |
3.7" to 7" |
Yes |
Yes |
WXGA |
768 x 1280 |
15:9 |
3.5" to 5" |
No |
No |
WVGA |
480 x 800 |
15:9 |
3.5" to 5" |
No |
No |
FWVGA |
480 x 854 |
16:9 |
3.5" to 5" |
No |
No |
Note The screen width matrix shown above will not work for 15:9 panel definitions. WXGA and WVGA, which are 15:9 panels only, support the small screen size.
For devices that are automatically calculated to have medium and large screen sizes, the entire UI is scaled down unless the screen or an application has opted out of the behavior. For devices with medium screens, the UI is scaled 93%. For devices with large screens, the UI is scaled to 78%. Across devices, in case of a fixed size UI element, these will appear to be the same physical size. If the item is full screen width, the item's width will increase with the size of the screen, but the height will maintain the same physical size. Other changes in the UI include the following:
- More text is displayed horizontally
- More items are displayed on a vertical list
- Spacing between UI elements, such as text or icons, is proportionally scaled down
- Image sizes are proportionally scaled down
OEMs can use the UserPreferenceWidth setting to override the default behavior based on the screen size and specify the physical width of the device (instead of using the automatically calculated HORZSIZE value). The value for UserPreferenceWidth influences the screen resolution scale factor. A reboot is required for the change to take effect on the chrome process or any apps that are already running. Note that this only has a meaningful impact on 720 x 1280 and 1080 x 1920 devices.
Set the value of UserPreferenceWidth to the physical width of the device, in millimeters, to override the default screen layout. Use either the decimal or hexadecimal (with the 0x prefix) value.
For OEMs using UserPreferenceWidth, Microsoft recommends using the following values for each screen size category to ensure that Windows device apps that have scaling support will provide a consistent user experience.
| Screen size | Value |
|---|---|
Small |
59 |
Medium |
64 |
Large |
75 |
| Edition | x86-based devices | x64-based devices | ARM-based devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 Mobile | N/A |
N/A |
Supported |