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6 Quick Ways to Change the Screen Resolution on a PC Download Article Understand how to fix your desktop monitor's screen resolution in Windows Written by Rain Kengly
Last Updated: February 18, 2025 Fact Checked
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Windows 11
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Windows 10
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Windows 7 and 8
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Windows Vista
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Windows XP
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Windows ME
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Q&A
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Tips
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This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly. Rain is a tech writer and editor for wikiHow with over 5 years of professional writing experience. In the past, Rain has worked with other creative writers as a Writing Tutor at San Francisco State University and has published gaming features, guides, and news articles for a variety of media outlets. Rain shares a lifelong passion for writing and gaming and is eager to grow alongside new tech inventions. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 654,521 times. Learn more...
If you want to change your monitor's screen resolution to 1920x1080 or another resolution, this can be adjusted in the Windows settings. This can affect your desktop screen size and make images more high-quality. This wikiHow will show you how to change the screen resolution on a PC.
Things You Should Know
To change the screen resolution, right-click the desktop and click "Display settings".
Select the drop-down menu next to "Display resolution" and pick a new resolution.
Click "Keep changes" to apply the new resolution or "Revert" to select a new one.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 6:
Windows 11
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1 Right-click the desktop and select Display settings. This will be in the middle of the menu.
2 Click the drop-down menu next to "Display resolution". This will be under the Scale & layout header.[1]X Trustworthy Source Microsoft SupportTechnical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
If you have dual monitors, select a monitor underneath Display first.
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3 Select a new resolution. Picking the proper resolution can fit your screen to your monitor and even make images more crisp.[2]XResearch source This could also improve gaming performance.
When a new resolution is selected, a prompt will appear.
4 Click Keep changes. This will set your new resolution.
If you don't like the new resolution, click Revert or wait the specified time for Windows to automatically revert to the last setting. [3]XResearch source
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 6:
Windows 10
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1 Right-click the desktop and select Display settings. It's toward the bottom of the menu.
You can change your screen resolution to maximize your monitor's potential. [4]XResearch source
2 Click the drop-down menu next to "Display resolution". This will be underneath the Scale and layout header.
3 Select a new resolution. Once selected, a prompt will appear.
4 Click Keep changes. This will set your new resolution.
If you don't like the new resolution, click Revert or wait the specified time for Windows to automatically revert to the last setting. [5]XResearch source
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 6:
Windows 7 and 8
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1 Right-click the desktop and select Screen resolution. It's toward the bottom of the right-click menu.
2 Click the "Resolution" drop-down menu. This opens a slider with different resolution values.
On Windows 7, you may have a vertical slider here that allows you to click and drag a MacButton up or down to increase or decrease the resolution.
3 Click a resolution value. The resolution best-suited to your computer's screen will say (Recommended) next to it.
The higher the resolution number is, the smaller your computer's text and icons will appear.
4 Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will prompt you to confirm your choice.
5 Click Keep changes when prompted. Doing so will save your resolution settings.
If you don't like the new resolution settings, you can click Revert or simply wait a few seconds for your computer's resolution to revert to your computer's default.
Advertisement Method 4 Method 4 of 6:
Windows Vista
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1 Right-click the desktop and select Personalize. It's toward the bottom of the right-click menu.
2 Click Display Settings. This link is at the bottom of the "Personalize" window.
3 Click and drag the "Resolution" slider left or right. It's near the bottom of the "Display Settings" window. Dragging the slider to the left will decrease your screen resolution, while dragging it to the right will increase the resolution.
Raising your resolution will make things smaller, while lowering the resolution will make things larger.
If you are having difficulty seeing things on your computer, try lowering your resolution.
If you want the clearest picture possible, raise the resolution to the size recommended for your display.
4 Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will prompt you to confirm your choice.
5 Click Yes when prompted. Doing so will save your resolution settings.
Advertisement Method 5 Method 5 of 6:
Windows XP
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1 Right-click anywhere on the desktop and select Properties. It's at the bottom of the menu. This will open the "Display Properties" window.
If "Display Properties" doesn't open to the Settings tab, click it at the top of the window.
2 Click and drag the "Resolution" slider left or right. It's near the bottom of the "Display Settings" window. Dragging the slider to the left will decrease your screen resolution, while dragging it to the right will increase the resolution.
Raising your resolution will make things smaller, while lowering the resolution will make things larger.
If you are having difficulty seeing things on your computer, try lowering your resolution.
If you want the clearest picture possible, raise the resolution to the size recommended for your display.
3 Click Apply and then Yes. Doing this will save your resolution settings.
If you don't like the new resolution settings, wait for a few seconds; the screen will revert to the old settings.
Click OK to close the "Display Properties" window. Your new resolution will be saved.
Advertisement Method 6 Method 6 of 6:
Windows ME
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1 Right-click on an empty part of the desktop. There should be a pop-up menu that appears.
2 Scroll over to View. A list of sizes will expand.
3 Select how big you want your icons to be.
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Community Q&A
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Question How can I make the desktop icons bigger? Community Answer Using a mouse, right click on an empty part of the screen. There should be a pop-up menu that appears. Scroll over to View, and select how big you want your icons to be. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 5 Helpful 4
Question How do I change my screen so that the images are not sideways? Community Answer The simple answer is to hold the camera sideways. The camera has a default direction it considers up and down, the PC will read this from the image file. However, if you open the image with an image editor, most have the option to simply rotate the image. Do this and then save it. Look for the curved left or curved right arrows. It may be a pain to have to do this on each image, but it is certainly preferable to having everything sideways. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 6 Helpful 1
Question I use an LCD TV as a monitor. I have tried changing my screen resolution, but it seems impossible. What do I do? Community Answer Your monitor should have some settings built-in that allow you to change the Screen Resolution. Otherwise, just right-click your desktop and press Screen Resolution Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 15 Helpful 2
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Tips
Different resolutions will work with different displays. For example, if you're casting your computer screen to a television, you might change your display resolution to be as clear as possible. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement
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Written by: Rain Kengly wikiHow Technology Writer This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly. Rain is a tech writer and editor for wikiHow with over 5 years of professional writing experience. In the past, Rain has worked with other creative writers as a Writing Tutor at San Francisco State University and has published gaming features, guides, and news articles for a variety of media outlets. Rain shares a lifelong passion for writing and gaming and is eager to grow alongside new tech inventions. This article has been viewed 654,521 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 29Updated: February 18, 2025 Views: 654,521 Categories: Displays In other languages Spanish Portuguese Chinese Italian Russian French Dutch Indonesian Arabic Hindi Thai Vietnamese Japanese
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Download Article Understand how to fix your desktop monitor's screen resolution in Windows Written by Rain Kengly 
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Written by: Rain Kengly wikiHow Technology Writer This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly. Rain is a tech writer and editor for wikiHow with over 5 years of professional writing experience. In the past, Rain has worked with other creative writers as a Writing Tutor at San Francisco State University and has published gaming features, guides, and news articles for a variety of media outlets. Rain shares a lifelong passion for writing and gaming and is eager to grow alongside new tech inventions. This article has been viewed 654,521 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 29 Updated: February 18, 2025 Views: 654,521 Categories: Displays In other languages Spanish Portuguese Chinese Italian Russian French Dutch Indonesian Arabic Hindi Thai Vietnamese Japanese 
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1 Right-click the desktop and select Display settings. This will be in the middle of the menu. 
2 Click the drop-down menu next to "Display resolution". This will be under the Scale & layout header.[1] 
3 Select a new resolution. Picking the proper resolution can fit your screen to your monitor and even make images more crisp.[2] This could also improve gaming performance. 
4 Click Keep changes. This will set your new resolution. 
1 Right-click the desktop and select Display settings. It's toward the bottom of the menu. 
2 Click the drop-down menu next to "Display resolution". This will be underneath the Scale and layout header. 
3 Select a new resolution. Once selected, a prompt will appear. 
4 Click Keep changes. This will set your new resolution. 
1 Right-click the desktop and select Screen resolution. It's toward the bottom of the right-click menu. 
2 Click the "Resolution" drop-down menu. This opens a slider with different resolution values. 
3 Click a resolution value. The resolution best-suited to your computer's screen will say (Recommended) next to it. 
4 Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will prompt you to confirm your choice. 
5 Click Keep changes when prompted. Doing so will save your resolution settings. 
1 Right-click the desktop and select Personalize. It's toward the bottom of the right-click menu. 
2 Click Display Settings. This link is at the bottom of the "Personalize" window. 
3 Click and drag the "Resolution" slider left or right. It's near the bottom of the "Display Settings" window. Dragging the slider to the left will decrease your screen resolution, while dragging it to the right will increase the resolution. 
4 Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will prompt you to confirm your choice. 
5 Click Yes when prompted. Doing so will save your resolution settings. Advertisement 
1 Right-click anywhere on the desktop and select Properties. It's at the bottom of the menu. This will open the "Display Properties" window. 
2 Click and drag the "Resolution" slider left or right. It's near the bottom of the "Display Settings" window. Dragging the slider to the left will decrease your screen resolution, while dragging it to the right will increase the resolution. 
3 Click Apply and then Yes. Doing this will save your resolution settings. 
1 Right-click on an empty part of the desktop. There should be a pop-up menu that appears. 
2 Scroll over to View. A list of sizes will expand. 
3 Select how big you want your icons to be. Advertisement 
Community Answer Using a mouse, right click on an empty part of the screen. There should be a pop-up menu that appears. Scroll over to View, and select how big you want your icons to be. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 5 Helpful 4 
Community Answer The simple answer is to hold the camera sideways. The camera has a default direction it considers up and down, the PC will read this from the image file. However, if you open the image with an image editor, most have the option to simply rotate the image. Do this and then save it. Look for the curved left or curved right arrows. It may be a pain to have to do this on each image, but it is certainly preferable to having everything sideways. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 6 Helpful 1 
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