A Wild Vista

( This article relates to Adobe Lightroom version 2, running on Windows XP )

Adobe Lightroom has a frustrating flaw when used on devices with limited vertical screen resolution. Most of today’s netbook computers fall into this category, typically having only 600 pixels to play with from top to bottom.

The Problem

The problem manifests itself quite early in the Lightroom workflow. The contents of the Import dialog may be cut-off some way from the bottom, as shown below:

Lightroom Import dialog with missing controls

The dialog box cannot be moved or resized in any way that enables the missing parts of the form to be revealed. This is frustrating to say the least. The usual methods don’t work (e.g. trying to grab the edges or corners of the dialog, and dragging to resize; right-clicking the title bar and selecting Move). Initially, there seems to be no way to access the hidden controls (including the all important Import button!).

The Solution

If you set the vertical resolution to a value that’s greater than the native resolution supported by your screen (for example, to 1024x768 instead of 1024x600), Windows XP will display a scrollable “virtual” desktop, enabling you to access the full Import dialog.

Follow the steps below to change your screen’s vertical resolution, and work effectively with Lightroom using a virtual desktop.

Note that this procedure will affect all applications running on your Windows XP computer — not just Lightroom. Instructions for reversing this change are given at the end of the procedure.

1. Right-click on a blank area of your desktop, and select Properties from the context menu.

   The Display Properties dialog is shown.

2. Select the Settings tab, then click Advanced.

   A new dialog is displayed.



3. Select the Monitor tab, then clear the Hide modes that this monitor cannot display check box.

   

   The text beneath the check box hints at possible dire consequences (damaged hardware) if you go on to select an unsupported display mode. This is highly unlikely to happen with today’s monitors (LCD or CRT), and was really only ever an issue with older fixed-sync CRT screens.

4. Click Apply, then click OK.

   The dialog closes, revealing the Display Properties dialog again.

5. On the Settings tab, drag the Screen resolution slider to the right to select a screen resolution that has a vertical resolution of 768 or more. (The second figure shown beneath the slider is the vertical resolution.)

   Screen resolutions get larger as you drag the slider further to the right. You should stop at the first resolution that has the required 768 or more vertical pixels.

   

6. Click OK.

   The Display Properties dialog closes, and your desktop should now be displaying a higher vertical resolution.

   To see the “extra” bits of the desktop, move your mouse pointer to the top or bottom edge of the screen, which will then automatically scroll up or down.

   Now, when you use Lightroom, you will be able to access every part of the Import dialog.

To reverse any changes you make to your screen resolution, repeat the above procedure, setting the screen resolution back to its original values in step 5.