How to fix resolution on pc

Monitor resolution is often automatic and adjusts to fit the screen, but it can default to the wrong view. Another common scenario involves accidentally changing the resolution while working on the settings. When adjusting display settings, it’s possible to change the monitor’s resolution to a point that the screen turns off and you can’t see what you’re doing. In these instances, you can use Windows' built-in recovery modes to get your system up and running in the default settings.

Press and hold the power button on your computer for 10 to 15 seconds, to force the computer to shut down. Wait for a few seconds, then turn the computer back on, steadily tapping the F12 key to access the advanced boot menu. If your keyboard doesn’t have an F12 key, press and hold the Shift key during the startup process.

Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to select an option from the nine advanced boot options. Windows has a built-in mode for troubleshooting video problems, called Enable low-resolution video. Press the 3 key or F3 to select this option. Windows will boot using a basic video driver, overriding the resolution settings you changed. When your Desktop loads, its icons will be much larger than normal.

Click on the top-right corner of the Desktop once Windows loads, and type Display. Click Settings and Display to access your computer’s display settings. Click the drop-down arrow beside Resolution to see the available resolutions for your monitor. One of the settings will say Recommended beside it. This is the best resolution your monitor can display as detected by Windows.

Choose the Recommended resolution or any lower resolution, and click “Okay.” The screen flickers while it adjusts to the new setting. Click OK to accept the change and keep these settings. As long as you chose a resolution your monitor could support, Windows will not override it. Reboot the computer to access Windows normally; your newly selected, appropriate resolution will be ready.

The reboot process will reset to the original display settings but you also can simply enter the monitor settings menu and make adjustments as needed. The nice thing about this process is the fact that you only touch the display settings and will not reset any other unrelated settings.

Simply right click on the home screen to retrieve a menu and choose Settings. You can also access this from the menu bar or a general search on Windows 10 and many other programs as well. Click on Display and navigate to your screen resolution settings. You can decrease the resolution within this menu. Test several different settings before settling on the lowest possible option. Your monitor may work with a moderate resolution.

By simply adjusting the monitor resolution settings without a full reboot, you can easily work through each individual option to find the best possible end result.

Windows 10 changed the game somewhat by introducing a scaling resolution model. It functions in the same manner as on a Mac. Luckily, adjusting the settings is straightforward. The resolution sits on a scale that you can access and reduce the scale to fit, as desired.

Click on the gear icon followed by Settings to open a menu. Choose Display and locate the drop down menu labeled Resolution under the Scale and Layout settings header. It will show the recommended monitor resolution percentage setting, but you have the option to adjust this and to reduce the resolution to a lower percentage.

Play with the various options and change screen resolutions, until you find the best resolution setting for your monitor.

A computer outputs the image you see on the monitor at a specified size, which is called "resolution." High-resolution images are clearer and cleaner-looking, but their elements appear smaller. In certain cases, the computer may be outputing the image at a resolution that's too high for the monitor to display properly. If this happens, you will only be able to see a small portion of the desktop, and it will be huge -- making it practically impossible to do your work.

1. Right-click on an empty area of the desktop and choose "Screen Resolution" from the menu. You may have to move an icon depending on how much of the desktop is visible. The Screen Resolution Control Panel window will open. If you can't see it, press "Alt-Space," tap the "Down Arrow" key four times and press "Enter" to maximize the window.

2. Click the "Resolution" drop-down list box and select a resolution your monitor supports. If one of the listed resolutions says "recommended" next to it, choose that one. Otherwise, 1024 x 768 is a safe bet until you can visit the monitor manufacturer's website to find out what resolution is recommended.

3. Click "Apply." The screen will flash as the computer switches to the new resolution. If the screen goes black, wait 15 seconds and it will revert to the previous resolution.

4. Click "Keep Changes," then click "OK."

Whether you’re gaming, streaming movies, or working, screen resolution problems ruin the experience. Fixing the issue depends on the cause, which can range from hardware to settings problems. Windows offers a variety of settings to customize your screen resolution to best fit your monitor type and situation.

Common Causes of Screen Resolution Problems

Most screen resolution issues come down to one of the following causes:

• Settings aren’t optimized or have been changed
• Installing a new monitor
• Windows Update problems
• Driver issues
• App-specific issues
• Hardware problem (monitor, graphics card)

While everything else involves changing settings, if you have a hardware issue, you’ll likely need to replace the failing hardware. This happens as screens wear out. However, if you’re trying to play a game or watch something in a higher resolution than your graphics card and screen support, you’ll have issues no matter what you do. The signs that this is the problem include:

• Flickering screen
• Screen randomly going black or staying black
• Fuzzy screen no matter what settings you change
• Lines through the screen
• Certain colors are off

In this case, you’ll need to choose a lower resolution before playing or watching anything. For instance, YouTube allows you to change the video quality, which helps it to display better and stream faster.

For the other issues, tweaking a few settings is often all you need to do.

Before diving into your display settings, let’s take a look at Windows Update issues. If your screen-resolution problems didn’t begin until right after installing a Windows Update, the issue is normally caused by an update changing your display settings or changing your display/graphics driver.

2. Adjust the Resolution

You can solve many screen resolution problems in Windows just by adjusting the resolution. Windows updates, apps, second monitors, and more can all change your default or custom settings.

1. Right-click anywhere on your desktop and choose “Display Settings.”

1. Scroll down until you see “Display resolution.” Open the drop-down box to view your options. Typically, the “recommended” option is what’s best for your current screen. However, test out other options to customize the resolution for you.

From the Display settings, you can also adjust the brightness, scaling, and the settings for additional connected screens.

If you need a brighter or more vibrant display, and HD is supported by your monitor, click “Windows HD Color settings.” You’ll only be able to change the settings if your monitor supports them, which mine doesn’t, so no HDR games and video for this writer. In Windows 11, look for the HDR setting under “Display.”

You can also access advanced settings by clicking “Advanced display settings” in the Display settings. Select the display you want to change to view details, then click “Display adapter properties for Display” at the end of the details.

From here, you can adjust the adapter properties, screen refresh rate (Monitor tab), and the color management (Color Management tab).

For something so necessary for hardware to work properly on Windows, drivers cause many problems sometimes. For example, a flickering screen is often a driver issue. Drivers are often the culprit behind stretched screens, fuzzy resolution, poor refresh rates, and more. They can also make your screen look more like a Windows 95 desktop than the modern, crisp look we’re all used to.

Windows updates may help fix screen resolution problems if the update includes an improved driver. This isn’t always the case, but it’s a good place to start. While Windows loves to force updates automatically, you can run a manual check, too.

Open the Start menu, type “Windows Update” and click “Windows Update Settings.” If Windows doesn’t list any updates or doesn’t automatically check for new ones, click “Check for updates.” Otherwise, you may need to un-pause updates if you’ve paused them.

If updating doesn’t work, you’ll need to update the driver manually. Right-click the Start menu and choose “Device Manager.”

Expand “Display adapters.” Right-click your display adapter and choose “Update driver.” Follow the prompts to search for and install a new driver.

If you’ve installed a new monitor, expand “Monitors” and do the same thing with your new monitor.

If you continue having issues, right-click your display adapter and choose “Uninstall device.” Restart your computer and let Windows reinstall the driver automatically. You can also visit your display adapter’s manufacturer’s website to download the latest driver directly.

4. Tweak App-Specific Settings

If you’ve recently installed a new game, app, video player, or anything similar, the app may be to blame for the screen resolution problems. This is especially true if the resolution problems only occur within that specific app.

Check the app’s settings for resolution or display settings. Also, check the app’s requirements to ensure your screen supports the optimal resolution settings. No setting will fix an app that needs a higher resolution than your screen can offer.

5. Adjust DPI Size

Adjusting your DPI size manually usually isn’t recommended. However, DPI (dots per inch) affects the size of various elements, such as icons. If these look fuzzy, then your screen resolution may seem off. If nothing else seems to work, go to “Display Settings” and select “Scale.”

Enter a number between 100 and 500 in the “Custom Scaling” box. Click the checkmark to save your settings. The default is 100. It becomes problematic when you change the setting, as all display settings adjust accordingly. Make sure you know all your original display settings before you change anything.

6. Change Display Adapter Mode

If your screen resolution problems in Windows are related to low resolution, and you can’t change the resolution using any of the above methods, there may be one more option. (Make a note of the original setting so you can revert to it if this method doesn’t work.)

1. Go to “Settings -> System -> Display -> Advanced Display.”
2. Click “Display adapter properties for [Display name].” If you have multiple monitors with resolution issues, you can repeat the process for each monitor.

1. In the Adapter tab, select “List All Modes.”

1. Select a different mode from the list to see if it makes any difference. As you can tell, you have quite a few to choose from.

1. Press “OK” to save your changes.
2. Click “Apply” to finish saving.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Could the problem be a failing monitor?

Absolutely. If you have an older monitor, screen resolution problems in Windows might have nothing to do with settings, apps, or drivers. It could be a simple issue of your monitor wearing out.

Of course, it could also be a compatibility issue when it comes to an older monitor. Monitors can only support certain resolutions. Older monitors don’t support high-res anything.

If possible, try your PC with a second monitor to see if you have the same issues.

2. Will connecting a second monitor hurt my original monitor’s resolution?

It shouldn’t. However, it’s a common problem that when trying to connect and adjust display settings for your second monitor that you accidentally either change your original monitor’s settings or the settings are applied to both monitors.

In this case, ensure you choose your original monitor in the display settings screen and adjust the settings back to what looks best for your first screen.

3. Will changing my screen resolution help me see my desktop icons better?

Adjusting your screen resolution can sharpen or blur your desktop icons, depending on the resolution you choose. However, if apps and graphics look fine, you don’t have a resolution problem. Instead, you just need to adjust the size of your desktop icons.

Right-click any free area of your desktop and select “View.” From here, choose “Small,” “Medium,” or “Large.” If you want a custom size, press and hold the Ctrl key while using your mouse’s scroll button to adjust the size smaller or larger.

If you need to make text larger overall in apps and on your desktop, go to “Settings -> Accessibility” and choose “Text Size.” Use the slider to adjust it.

4. Why does my screen resolution only look strange at night?

If your screen seems dim or the color is a little off, but only during certain hours, such as night, you likely have Night Light turned on. This feature was introduced in Windows 10 with the Creator’s Update. It’s designed to turn down the brightness slightly and use warm colors to reduce blue light.

You can turn this off, adjust the hours, and change how much blue light is filtered by going to “Settings -> System -> Display -> Night Light.”

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