Fast User Switching & screen resolution

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Level 4

1,666 points

Fast User Switching & screen resolution

Hello,
There are two users on this Mac (specs below), each with their own preference for screen resolution. When switching from the user with the lower screen resolution setting (1280 x 960) to the user with the higher resolution setting (1600 x 1200), the high-resolution user's screen briefly flashes at the lower resolution and windows are resized and rearranged to suit the lower resolution. Then the resolution change takes effect and the desktop appears at the proper (higher) resolution, but with the windows resized/rearranged.

Differences in eyesight make it difficult to keep both users at the same resolution. Is there a way to prevent the resizing/rearranging for the higher-resolution user?

Thanks and regards!

G4 400 MHz AGP (Sawtooth) Mac OS X (10.4.5) 768 MiB

Posted on Sep 1, 2006 2:24 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Dr. Smoke

Level 9

56,586 points

Sep 1, 2006 3:10 PM in response to Declan MacLeod

Hi, D. M.

AFAIK, there's no way to prevent this: whenever screen resolution is changed to a lower res, the size and position of open windows is adjusted accordingly. When you then move to a higher res, things are where they were at the lower-res, w.r.t. size and position, relative to the new higher-res.

As a possible workaround, I suggest having the higher-res user minimize all open windows to the Dock before the switch is performed to the low-res user. After switching back to the high-res user and after the display is clearly at the higher res, click the icons for minimized windows in the Dock. However, objects on the desktop may still be repositioned on the high-res user.

Good luck!

😉 Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

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Answer 2

Declan MacLeod Author

Level 4

1,666 points

Sep 3, 2006 6:42 AM in response to Dr. Smoke

Bummer. I was afraid that the answer would be along those lines. It's especially inconvenient in that the higher-res user (i.e. me) keeps a lot of windows open, all the time. Right now I have 8 apps running with an aggregate of about a dozen or so windows open.

As clean and seamless as Apple likes to make things, I'm surprised that they let this bug through. Time to submit feedback, I guess.....

Cheers!

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Answer 3

Declan MacLeod Author

Level 4

1,666 points

Sep 4, 2006 3:33 PM in response to Declan MacLeod

Any one else have any ideas before I close this thread?

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Answer 4

biovizier

Level 5

7,925 points

Sep 4, 2006 4:01 PM in response to Declan MacLeod

Not much of a workaround, but you could create a third account set to the higher resolution, and switch to that first, before switching to your main account. It's still a hassle, but at least you won't have to manually resize / reposition any windows...

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Answer 5

Declan MacLeod Author

Level 4

1,666 points

Sep 5, 2006 4:03 AM in response to biovizier

That's a thought. Thanks!

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Answer 6

msuper69

Level 6

8,689 points

Sep 5, 2006 6:37 AM in response to Declan MacLeod

What about having the higher resolution user use Exposé to show the Desktop before swiching to the other user?

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Answer 7

Declan MacLeod Author

Level 4

1,666 points

Sep 6, 2006 3:07 PM in response to msuper69

I'll try that and see if it prevents the shuffling. What that would effectively mean is that the high-res user would have to get into the habit of showing the desktop whenever he walked away from the machine, because he wouldn't know when the other user might want to log in.

Cheers!

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Answer 8

msuper69

Level 6

8,689 points

Sep 6, 2006 3:21 PM in response to Declan MacLeod

Another idea is to press F11 to show the Desktop, then use FUS to go to the login window.

If another user logs in, the orginal user can simply enter his password and return to his Desktop and press F11 again.

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