Remote Desktop SQL Server Management Studio Dialog boxes Font size too small

Question

When I connect from my local machine to a remote server through Remote Desktop Connection.

And then try to use SQL Server Management Studio, the Dialog boxes in the application for example Connection dialog screen shown on launch, Server Properties etc are very small, so small that the text on these dialog boxes is not readable at all.

Can someone please guide how to fix this issue?

I can change Font size of different sections for example, Query Editor, Object Explorer, Query execution results but I couldn't find any option to fix font size of text in Dialog boxes.

I am connecting through a machine with 4K display (XPS 15).

Can anyone please guide how to fix this?

Answer 1

Since you are connecting from a 4K monitor, you you might be running into a DPI scaling issue escpecially if you are using an older version of Management Studio.

Starting with Management Studio v18 there was a lot of added support for High DPI. Make sure you are running the latest version (v18.10).

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/release-notes-ssms?view=sql-server-ver15

Answer 2

Click on Tools Menu Options> In the Environment Section on left had side select Fonts and Colors>There should be a Use Defaults button on the top right hand side of the dialogbox> click on Use Defaults> Restart the SSMS. you should be good now. Enjoy SSMS

Answer 3

I'm accessing SSMS V18.11.1 via remote desktop to a Windows 16 Server. Had the same problem with small text in certain dialogs such as the database connection and Help/About.

To fix:

1. Control Panel/Display
2. Under 'Change Size of Items' click 'Set a custom scaling level'.
3. set to 125%
4. Sign out of Remote session
5. Reconnect to remote session.

I also have the remote desktop connection display option set to full screen. That way you can then reduce the size of the remote desktop session and all the dialogs adjust to whatever screen size you set.