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Published on in How to, Troubleshooting

Guide to Fix TeamViewer Display Resolution Issues

Author: Durga Prasad
Durga Prasad Article author

TeamViewer users face some common display issues, such as too small screens, images cropped, and no changes in display resolution. Due to the above issues, users face trouble working remotely. This can also create an illusion that the remote PC is broken. However, the real culprits are scaling mismatches, GPU adapter limitations, and DPI conflicts in TeamViewer. 

Let’s learn more about these issues in detail and how to apply beginner and advanced fixes for each issue in TeamViewer.  

Note:  There is an immediate alternative available if you don’t want to resolve the TeamViewer issues at all. HelpWire is a reliable remote support solution that reduces errors, such as scaling, DPI, and display parameters.

Common Causes of Display Resolution Problems in TeamViewer

TeamViewer users may face display issues, such as screen resolution not changing or problems while you change screen resolution TeamViewer. There are four reasons for it:
  • • Software Glitches: Temporary glitches in the TeamViewer software, such as stuck background services, outdated client version, or cached display settings, may freeze the display when you initiate the remote access.
  • • Retina / HiDPI Scaling / DPI Dispute: This conflict occurs due to the usage of various scaling modes in your local or remote devices. This may cause TeamViewer to stretch, shrink, or display images inaccurately. 
  • • Problems with GPU Driver: TeamViewer often falls into a low-quality fallback mode due to corrupted, virtual, or outdated drivers. This may create issues with the Display Resolution. 
  • • Restrictions and Permissions of OS: Windows sometimes have strict server policies, virtual machine limitations, a headless state where your remote PC doesn’t have any physical display, and limited user permissions. Due to this, TeamViewer struggles to adjust the screen resolution. 
 

Top TeamViewer Display Issues and Their Solutions

Let’s discuss major problems that users might face, along with a brief explanation. You’ll also learn how to change screen resolution on TeamViewer using beginner and advanced solutions.

Display Resolution Appears Too Small

Explanation: When TeamViewer receives a low-quality display in remote devices or applies scaling modes, such as Best Fit, inefficiently because of HiDPI conflicts, resulting in the TeamViewer screen resolution too small. 

Beginner Fixes:

  1. Modify Scaling to its Original: You need to change the scaling ratio of the resolution to its original size. For this, go to View → Scaling → Original (100%). This will help you set the image to its native size and fix the screen resolution issue easily. 
  2. Manually Change Native Resolution: You can change the Display Settings on the remote PC by manually setting the monitor to its original size, such as 1920×1080.
  3. Reopen: You can try to close and reopen the session again to make sure the automatic settings apply correctly. 

Advanced Fixes:

  1. Deactivate DPI Override for Windows: You need to right-click on the TeamViewer app shortcut in Windows. Go to Properties → Compatibility → Tick the box “showing Override high DPI scaling behavior” and modify the scaling performed to “Application”.
  2.  Use an HDMI dummy plug: For monitor-less or headless servers, you need to add a physical dummy plug to your remote device so that your system can account for a permanent virtual resolution, such as 4K. 
  3. Set Resolution using Command: You can use the command below on your remote PC to modify TeamViewer adjust screen resolution. This will require high authority and a display module. Here is the command: Set-DisplayResolution -Width 1920 -Height 1080

Fails to Modify Resolution

Explanation: In TeamViewer, you’ll not find administrative permissions or any modifications for remote OS prevention. Due to this, when you try to modify the screen resolution of TeamViewer, the resolution doesn’t change. 

Beginner Fixes:

  1. Reestablish Connection as Administrator: You need to disconnect and reconnect the remote session. For this, you need to access the remote machine by logging into an account as an administrator (the user with administrator-level privileges). 
  2. Confirm Complete Access: Launch settings in the TeamViewer Host Application and check whether it is set to “Full Access”. Here is the path: Settings → Advanced → Access Control. 
  3. Turn off Automatic Scaling: Check on the View menu to ensure that the automatic scaling or “Best Fit” option is disabled. By doing this, you can avoid locking the resolution. 
  4. Apply the resolution directly: You can directly modify the screen resolution in your remote device’s settings manually without accessing the TeamViewer window. 

Advanced Fixes:

  1. Enable the Desktop Experience Feature in Windows Server: Set up the Desktop Experience Feature through Server Manager and allow display management and full GUI. This can only be done if your remote device is running on a Windows Server OS. 
  2. Review Group Policy Settings: Run gpedit.msc on your Windows and review whether the display blocking changes or resolution in the settings. For this, go to User Configuration → Administrative Templates → Control Panel → Display. 
  3. Validate Virtual Adapter Settings: Confirm whether the Improved Session Mode or the Guest Additions tools are completely active and ready to use for VMs, such as VirtualBox or Hyper-V. 

Cropped Screen in TeamViewer Showing Partial or Cut-Off Image

Explanation: When the remote screen resolution is not aligned properly, or the viewport mode is in action, the cropped screen in TeamViewer issue arises. As a result, a partial image on your screen has been cut off. 

Beginner Fixes:

  1. Ensure Correct Monitor View: When you use remote sessions to access your PC, make sure the display number shown is correct, especially if your PC has many display screens. For this, you need to go to  View → Active Monitor and check whether “All Monitors” is selected. 
  2. Turn Off Scaling: You need to disable the scaling mode by avoiding “Best Fit” or “Zoom View” modes in your screen that may result in cropping. To deactivate the scaling mode, go to View and set the scaling mode to “Original 100%”. 
  3. Activate Windows Magnifier: Refresh your display screen forcefully by enabling the Windows Magnifier tool temporarily and then turning it off on your remote desktop. 

Advanced Fixes

  1. Reinitialize the Desktop Adapter: Go to Device Manager → Display Adapters on your remote device. Right-click the adapter, choose Disable, wait a moment, then right-click it again and choose Enable to restart the Desktop Adapter. 
  2. Force Display Resolution (QRes): QRes is a lightweight and standard resolution tool. You need to download and utilize it to force the display resolution using the following command. 

QRes.exe /x:1920 /y:1080

Mac Retina / HiDPI Scaling Issues with Targeted Solutions

Explanation: TeamViewer sometimes fails to interpret the scaled buffer correctly received from macOS. As a result, you see small text or unusual sizing in your remote devices. You’ll find these issues on high-resolution or high-DPI Retina displays. 

  1. Modify Resolution: Open macOS System Settings → Displays → Resolution. Select the “More Space” option in place of the standard setting.
  2. Enable or Disable Retina Quality: In the TeamViewer app, go to the View menu and switch Retina quality on or off to reinitialize the session.
  3. Clear and Reset the Scaling Flag: Execute a terminal command to clear the internal Retina scaling issues manually. It requires admin-level access. Here is the command: defaults write com.teamviewer.teamviewer QSAdvancedRetinaSupport -bool false
Note:   The above command is only valid in older versions of the TeamViewer app (up to v15.30). In its newer version, you need to control the settings directly by following the path View → Toggle Retina Quality menu .

Apart from display-related issues, users often look for TeamViewer alternatives due to broader platform concerns. Over the years, TeamViewer has issues and limitations, which has led some users to reconsider it in favor of more predictable and controlled remote access solutions

Tied of TeamViewer Issues? Try HelpWire as an Alternative

HelpWire is a modern remote desktop solution that you can consider if you want to avoid the delay issues of TeamViewer altogether. 

HelpWire uses an advanced and different rendering pipeline. It is especially designed to maintain a reliable scaling and resolution, irrespective of OS, VM, or monitor type scaling configurations. 

HelpWire provides a reliable alternative solution to access a PC remotely if you want to prevent TeamViewer’s display issues. 

Reasons to Choose HelpWire

  • Fast Setup and Intuitive User Interface: HelpWire offers a quick setup option so you can start accessing your Desktop remotely within minutes. Its user interface is simple and effective, eliminating complex scaling menus and display resolution issues that cause trouble in the TeamViewer app. 
  • Safe Remote Access for Both On-Demand and Unattended Sessions: When you need secure and reliable access to different headless monitor systems, HelpWire allows you initiate sessions immediately or schedule them without requiring on-device interaction. 
  • Consistent Reliability Across all Platforms: HelpWire is cross-platform compatible as it works on Windows, Linux, and macOS. This will help you maintain a stable display resolution in your remote machines, irrespective of running on different scaling modes and OS. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

A black or gray screen is a result of a display driver incompatibility on the remote device. This happens only if the user activates the “Show Black Screen” option in the TeamViewer app for privacy. Because of graphics adapter settings and security limitations, issues like display screen cannot be captured may happen in the TeamViewer app. Always ensure that the “Show Black Screen” option is turned off in the TeamViewer settings. Also, you need to update the remote device’s graphics drivers to avoid a black or gray screen. 

In the TeamViewer app, you’ll find quality and speed settings, which can cause screen blur or a pixelated screen, and do not directly depend on screen resolution settings. If in the View menu, you select “Custom Settings” or “Optimize Speed” with a maximum limit of image compression, the TeamViewer app will decrease the image quality to improve the speed of data transmission. To avoid screen blur, you need to switch to the quality settings to optimize image quality. 

TeamViewer works with different computers simultaneously. To verify if it supports dual monitors, you need to go to the View menu → select the “All Monitors” option to view multiple screens at the same time. You can also switch between individual remote machines by selecting the “Active Monitor” option and configuring the required display number. 

When there is a problem in the remote session initialization, or a connection drops instantly after authentication, you’ll see a gray screen. This often happens because of antivirus software or network conflicts. To solve this issue, you need to first disconnect “Hardware Acceleration” in TeamViewer’s modern settings. This will solve the incompatibility issue with specific GPUs. If you find a similar problem again after following all the steps, restart the TeamViewer app on your remote device. 

Tags:
TeamViewer, Tips & Tricks