Saving Display Properties in a Shortcut

Kenn's
Tech
Notes

20001008: Saving Display Properties in a Shortcut

October/2000
Tech Note #8

In Division labs, there are a number of applications in common use which for one reason or another work best (or only) at a particular screen resolution. For examples, Kid Works 2 favours 640x480x256, while Drawing for Children likes an 800x600 screen. While the QuickRes system tray shortcut does allow you to switch resolutions on the fly, some techs and lab facilitators may be interested in a nifty little freeware utility which Mike C came across, called QRes. If you already have QuickRes installed, installing QRes will allow you to store resolution information right in the start menu shortcut for a program. In other words, you can set Kid Works to load at 640x480x256 every time it starts, regardless of what the current screen resolution is.

Visit the QRes web site for more information.

You can download the latest version from that web site, or obtain QRes 1.0.9.0 from the shop ftp site.

There are two minor points I'd like to make about this utility.

If you use the shell enhancement to apply QRes properties directly to a shortcut (which is a nice feature), it changes the icon for the shortcut to the QuickRes icon. On the one hand, it's nice to know which shortcuts have been changed just by looking at them, but on the other hand, it doesn't do this when you use the QRes Configuration utility to do the same thing, so it's not consistent, and if you modified a lot of shortcuts, they'd all start to look the same. Unless you used QRes Configuration instead.

Secondly, if you run two (or more) programs at the same time which have been configured via QRes, you don't get the original screen settings back when you close them unless you happen to close the first program opened last. For example, if your original Windows screen resolution is 640x480x256 and you set Drawing for Children to 800x600x24bit and Paint to 1024x768x16bit: open Drawing for Children - screen switches to 800x600x24bit, then open Paint - screen switches to 1024x768x16bit, close Drawing for Children - screen switches to 640x480x256 - this had been your original Windows screen resolution, close Paint - screen switches to 800x600x24bit - this is your new Windows screen resolution. Again, this is a minor issue, but it might cause a little confusion. And again, it would be more likely to cause problems if many of the shortcuts were configured via QRes, than if just a small handful were.

Overall, though, I think some technicians and lab facilitators may find this an invaluable tool.

DISCLAIMER: This document is intended for the reference of computer support personnel within Winnipeg School Division No. 1. There is no warranty or liability if procedures recommended here have an adverse affect on any systems. Use them at your own risk. Any trademarks mentioned are the property of their owners, none of whom have certified any information provided here. Opinions expressed here are personal only and do not represent the policy of Winnipeg School Division No. 1 or any other organization anywhere.

Got a Tech Note to share? Submissions are most welcome! [Click here.]
To return to the Tech Notes home page, click here.
To download a copy of all the October/2000 Tech Notes in Rich Text Format, click here.

Click here to visit the Information "Super-Cul-De-Sac". This page was updated
2001 June 9

This page hosted by
Get your own Free Homepage
Check out my neighbours here in Silicon Valley Peaks by clicking here.