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How to change RDP resolution

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How to change RDP resolution

Why change your RDP resolution

By default, Remote Desktop Connection opens in full screen mode, matching the resolution of your local monitor. This works well for a single-monitor setup, but there are good reasons to change it:

  • Windowed mode — Run your VPS in a window alongside local applications so you can monitor trading charts on the VPS while working on other tasks locally.
  • Multi-monitor setups — Set a specific resolution so the VPS window fits neatly on one of your screens.
  • Lower resolution for performance — A lower resolution uses less bandwidth, which can make the RDP session feel snappier on slower connections.
  • Higher resolution for more charts — If your VPS supports it, a higher resolution gives you more screen space for multiple MetaTrader chart windows.

💡 Tip: FXVPS uses port 41011 for RDP instead of the default 3389. Always enter your connection as IP:41011 — omitting the port will cause the connection to time out.

Method 1: Windows RDP client (before connecting)

The built-in Windows Remote Desktop Connection application has a resolution slider you can adjust before you connect.

💡 Tip: Lower your RDP resolution to 1280x720 or 1024x768 if your connection is slow. This reduces bandwidth usage and makes the remote session more responsive, especially on mobile connections.

  1. Press Win + R, type mstsc, and press Enter to open Remote Desktop Connection.
  2. Click Show Options at the bottom-left of the window to expand the settings panels.
  3. Click the Display tab.
  4. You will see a slider labelled “Display configuration.” Drag it left to reduce the resolution or right to increase it. The far-right position is “Full Screen.”
  5. Common resolution stops on the slider include 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x1024, 1600x900, 1920x1080, and Full Screen.
  6. Select your desired resolution, switch back to the General tab, enter your VPS IP with port (YOUR_IP:41011), and click Connect.

The RDP session will open in a window at the resolution you selected. You can drag and resize this window, but the internal resolution stays fixed at what you set.

Method 2: Editing an .rdp file directly

If you saved an .rdp file for your FXVPS connection (see how to access your VPS using RDP), you can edit the resolution settings directly in the file.

  1. Find your saved .rdp file (e.g., My FXVPS.rdp on your Desktop).
  2. Right-click the file and select Edit to open it in the RDP client with settings visible. Or, to edit the raw text, right-click and select Open with > Notepad.
  3. Look for these two lines (or add them if they do not exist):

💡 Tip: Save your VPS connection as an .rdp file on your desktop for one-click access. Include the port number in the saved config so you never have to type it again.

desktopwidth:i:1920
desktopheight:i:1080
  1. Change the numbers to your desired resolution. For example, for a 720p window:
desktopwidth:i:1280
desktopheight:i:720
  1. You can also control full-screen behavior with this line:
screen mode id:i:1

Set it to 1 for windowed mode or 2 for full screen.

  1. Save the file and double-click it to connect with the new resolution.

Method 3: Microsoft Remote Desktop on Mac

The Mac RDP client handles resolution differently from the Windows version.

  1. Open Microsoft Remote Desktop on your Mac.
  2. Find your FXVPS connection in the list. Right-click it (or click the pencil icon) and select Edit.
  3. Click the Display tab.
  4. Under Resolution, choose from the dropdown:
    • Default for this display — Matches your Mac’s current display resolution.
    • 1280 x 720, 1920 x 1080, or other preset resolutions.
    • Custom — Enter any width and height you want.
  5. You can also toggle Start session in full screen on or off.
  6. Click Save and connect.

The best resolution depends on how many charts and tools you need visible at once:

ResolutionBest for
1920 x 10804 or more MT4/MT5 charts tiled side by side. This is the most popular choice for serious traders.
1600 x 900Good middle ground — fits 2-4 charts comfortably in a window that does not take over your entire screen.
1280 x 720Single chart monitoring or quick check-ins. Works well as a smaller window while multitasking.
2560 x 1440High-resolution monitors. Gives maximum chart space but text may appear small without scaling adjustments.

Fixing small text and DPI scaling

If you choose a high resolution like 1920x1080 or above on a smaller monitor, text and icons on the VPS may appear too small to read comfortably. To fix this:

  1. On the VPS desktop, right-click on an empty area and select Display settings.
  2. Under “Scale and layout,” change the scaling percentage from 100% to 125% or 150%.
  3. Some applications may require you to sign out and back in for scaling changes to take full effect.

Alternatively, in the Windows RDP client, you can enable Smart sizing under the Display tab. This scales the entire RDP window to fit your local display, though it can make text slightly blurry.

For more VPS setup tips, see how to access your VPS using RDP or how to copy files from Mac to your VPS.