Why can't I change the screen resolution. How to find out and change the screen resolution (the image is too large)

Windows 10 won't let you set your screen resolution higher than 1024 x 768? Is the image stretched on a monitor or laptop? Flew panoramic modes? There are ways to fix it all.

What to do if you can't set a resolution higher than 1024 x 768 in Windows 10

Windows 10 update packages do not include system components and new features, but sometimes drivers, such as video cards or other devices. It may happen that the drivers provided by Microsoft do not work properly, as a result, the screen resolution in Windows 10 does not change and the video card shows a picture in poor low quality. Installing the latest drivers from the manufacturer's website does not help, because Windows constantly overwrites them on its own.

This problem has been encountered by some users who use laptops and computers with ATI Radeon HD 4000 series graphics cards and below. After updating "Advanced Micro Devices, Inc." There is an issue with Radeon cards that causes panoramic modes to stop displaying. Only screen resolutions available are 640x480, 800x600 and 1024x768. How to fix?

Step 1Disable automatic device updates in Windows 10

First of all, you need to disable automatic update devices, as it is the source of the problem in this case. The system constantly changes the manufacturer's driver with its own from the Center windows updates which ends up causing problems.

First, open a File Explorer window. In the side menu on the left side, right-click on the label "This PC" and in context menu select Properties.

The System tab opens. Pay attention to the left part of the window with the list of available bookmarks. Click on the "Advanced system settings" field.

The System Properties window will be displayed. Click the Hardware tab, and then click the Device Installation Options button.

Here you can choose to allow the system to automatically install manufacturer applications and custom icons.

This feature also includes drivers for specific devices, such as ATI graphics cards Radeon or NVIDIA GeForce. Check this box for "No (device may not work properly)".

The first step is done - the system will not change the current driver to a new one that causes problems with screen resolution. Now you need to restore the original for the video card so that all resolutions are available again.

Step 2: Restore original video card driver

First, you should try to do this in a simple way, that is, using the Device Manager. Open the Control Panel in Windows 10 (if there is no "parked" tile, you can find it with search engine), then go to the Hardware and Sound - Device Manager tab.

Then find your graphics card, go to the Driver tab and use the "Repair Driver" option. Windows should automatically restore the original one that was previously working correctly, and thanks to the fact that we turned off automatic updates in the first step, it will no longer be overwritten.

Immediately after the restore, the screen will turn black for a moment and then return to the correct resolution.

What to do if the driver recovery function does not work

If the restore option from the second step does not work, then you must first completely remove the existing drivers, and then manually install the original ones using the official installer from the AMD or Nvidia website.

Instructions for Radeon cards

If your computer has a Radeon graphics card, download the AMD CleanUninstall Utility. This is the official driver removal tool for Radeon cards.

Run it, click on OK to confirm the deletion and wait for it to complete. After a while, a window with the results will be displayed - click "Finish" and confirm the restart of the computer. Now you can install new drivers.

Uninstalling AMD Drivers

If you have Radeon HD 2000, 3000, or 4000 series graphics cards installed, download the AMD Catalyst 13.4 Legacy Beta Driver utility.

For newer ones, you can install the drivers automatically with AMD programs Driver Autodetect.

After installing them, the resolution will be restored to the correct value, compatible with the hardware-supported monitor or laptop screen.

Instructions for NVIDIA cards

Remove the current driver for NVIDIA cards- the easiest way to do this is with the DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) utility.

Then download and install the original one for your device from the NVIDIA website.

After installing them, the screen resolution should return to its original values.

Windows itself chooses optimal resolution screen based on: monitor (display) size, video adapter, installed drivers. The article will tell you how to change the screen resolution in Windows 10, 7, 8 if you notice any deviation in the display (fuzziness, size mismatch, black bars on the sides).

Screen resolution is measured in pixels horizontally and vertically. With small resolutions of LCD monitors (displays), for example, 800 by 600 objects on the screen fit less and they will appear larger. At higher resolutions, such as 1920 by 1080, the objects will be smaller, thus you will see a larger amount of displayed elements. Modern monitors(displays) allow you to set a resolution lower than native without loss in quality. To set the most acceptable picture, follow the recommendations below.

Manual screen resolution change

To change the screen resolution on Windows 7, 8, right-click on a free space on the desktop. In the pop-up menu, select "screen resolution" to open the display settings (they helped in the last article).

There is another way to get to the resolution settings. . In the preview area, set small or large icons. From the list of options, find "screen", click it.

Note: if all screens are not displayed, click “find”, if you are not sure which display needs to change the resolution, click “detect”. This briefly displays a large screen sequence number to uniquely identify it.

In the screen settings you, by clicking on which a vertical slider will become available. To decrease or increase the screen resolution in Windows, drag the slider. Native resolution is marked as "recommended" and is the highest, which is optimal.

Click OK, then you will see a preview of the selected resolution and a message if you are sure click "save change".

You can change the screen resolution in Windows 7, 8 from the list of ready-made options. In the screen settings, click " Extra options". Next, on the "adapter" tab, click "list of all modes." Modes consist of 3 elements: Resolution, Color Depth, Refresh Rate (in Hz). Select mode, press OK, OK, confirm changes.

In Windows 10, screen resolution changes a little differently. When you call the menu, by right-clicking (on an empty place on the desktop), you need to select "screen settings".

Press on current resolution, then set your own. Do not forget, the optimal one is the one next to which there is a mark “recommended”. Click "apply" and then "save changes". Thus, you can change the screen resolution in Windows 10. If you encounter problems, read on.

I present a program for changing the screen resolution - Carroll. It also allows you to set each account your permission. Download the zip archive, unzip it. Install Carroll on your computer.

Having launched the program, many resolution options (other parameters) will be available in its interface, select the optimal one. To change the screen resolution to Windows and keep it every time you start your PC, click on the first link and in the message "yes".

Enable display settings

Sometimes when you try to adjust the screen resolution on Windows 10, 7, 8, the options become pale and cannot be changed. There are 2 ways to enable these settings.

1. Download the archive with the reg-file, unzip it. Run vkl-razresh.reg, when prompted by User Account Control, click "yes", then "yes", OK. Restart your computer to apply the changes.

2. Open the editor group policy. To call it, enter gpedit.msc, click OK. In the editor, get to the "display properties window" section (see screenshot). AT right side, double-click the screen setting option. In the subsequent window that opens, mark one of the two states: “not configured”, “disabled”. Then click OK, close the windows. At the same time, you can change the screen resolution without restarting the computer.

Troubleshooting resolution changes

Users are faced with the problem that the screen resolution in Windows does not change or changes, but before the first reboot or exit from . It is recommended to start with restarting the system, if the problem persists, try these tips:

  1. Recently installed programs may well have a negative effect on the resolution setting in Windows. You will need .
  2. Make sure there are no graphics driver issues. Check if the drivers are installed at all, and also make sure that they are latest versions.
  3. see if it helps or not.
  4. Press Win + R, type msconfig, press enter. In the system configuration options, navigate to the "boot" tab. Make sure "base video" is unchecked. If unchecked, click OK, restart your PC.

As you can see, changing the screen resolution in Windows 10, 7, 8 is quite simple, especially in most situations it’s not worth it, because by default the OS itself chooses the optimal settings. By following the recommendations, you can easily identify and fix any problems with the display of the monitor (display).

Users in various forums are complaining that they cannot change the screen resolution in Windows 10. They report that the screen resolution dropdown does not display all available resolutions or only displays the current screen resolution. If you are also unable to change the screen resolution in Windows 10, try the following steps. I recommend that you restart your computer once before performing the fix.

More often than not, you cannot change the screen resolution without setting the correct graphics driver display.

Method 1. Press button combination Windows + X and select " Device Manager". Next, expand the column" Video adapters" and you will see whether the video driver is installed or not. If the display driver is not installed, you will see the entry " Microsoft Basic Video Adapter" instead of writing a video card, then right-click on it and click update. If the update fails, then go to the video card manufacturer's website and download from the official website.


Method 2. Sometimes restarting the graphics driver can fix the problem. Press at the same time a combination of buttons Windows + ctrl + Shift + B. Your computer will issue sound signal once and your screen may flicker. Check if you can change the screen resolution in the settings.

Question from user

Hello.

I had an error with the image ... One game was launched, for some reason an error suddenly popped up: "... that the AMD video driver was stopped in mind ...", and then I noticed that everything on the monitor screen became large .

Also, if earlier I could put a hundred shortcuts on the desktop, now it's already 10 - and almost half of the space is gone! How so, what needs to be done to return everything to its previous state?

Anatoly.

Good time everyone!

This happens due to the fact that the selected is not optimal screen resolution (in your case, the video driver may have "flew", and because of this, the resolution has gone astray).

In general, if you explain in simple words, then screen resolution- this is the number of points on which the image is built on the monitor. Of course, the more points - the sharper and more accurate the contours of the image.

Each monitor has its own optimal resolution, which, in most cases, is worth choosing (if you set the resolution higher than the recommended one, then the text and some elements will become too small and it will be difficult to read them; if less than the recommended one, everything on the screen will become large, like the author of the question).

So, let's get down to business...

Screen ratio

In general, as I said above, each monitor has its own optimal resolution, which (usually) sets Windows by default (at least if you have all the necessary drivers installed). In some cases this does not happen...

Permission is associated with monitor diagonal . How more diagonal- the higher the resolution, as a rule. If anyone does not know, the diagonal is measured in inches (1 inch = 2.53 cm).

What is diagonal and how is it measured (1 inch = 2.53 cm)

A little lower I gave a plate in which the diagonal of the monitor and the resolution on it are linked (please note that the numbers are conditional (even though most of the time it is), because each manufacturer sets its own parameters).

Diagonal Permission Designation Format (aspect ratio)
15.0 1024x768 XGA 4:3
15.6 (laptop) 1366x768 HD 16:9
17.0 1280x1024 SXGA 5:4
17.0 1440x900 WXGA+ 16:10
17.3

(a laptop)

1600:900 or Full HD 16:9
19.0 1280x1024 SXGA 5:4
19.0 1440x900 WXGA+ 16:10
20.1 1400x1050 SXGA+ 4:3
20.1 1680x1050 WSXGA+ 16:10
20.1 1600x1200 UXGA 4:3
20.8 2048x1536 QXGA 4:3
21.0 1680x1050 WSXGA+ 16:10
21.3 1600x1200 UXGA 4:3
22.0 1680x1050 WSXGA+ 16:10
22.2 3840x2400 WQUXGA 16:10
23.0 1920x1200 WUXGA 16:10
24.0 1920x1200 WUXGA 16:10
26.0 1920x1200 WUXGA 16:10
27.0 1920x1200 WUXGA 16:10
30.0 2560x1600 WQXGA+ 16:10

Also, monitors can be with different aspect ratios (in the form of a "square", elongated rectangular, etc.). The table below just links the resolution with the aspect ratio.

Setting the optimal resolution

By the way, to find out the current resolution of the monitor, you can use the online services:

Important!

If you do not have the video driver icons in the tray, on the desktop and in the panel Windows controls- most likely you do not have video drivers.

Also, if they are not there, you will not be able to change the resolution (there will simply not be an optimal option in the list). Until you install new drivers (or update the "old ones"), the problem cannot be fixed.

I have a detailed article on updating video adapter drivers on my blog, I recommend it for review:

In the IntelHD video driver (nVidia, AMD)

This is one of the most simple ways quickly change many screen parameters: resolution, brightness, contrast, color gamut, refresh rate, and more.

If you have a video driver installed, then you just need to use the tray icon next to the clock (or right-click anywhere on the desktop). In my case, this is IntelHD, in yours it may also be either AMD (Ati Radeon) or nVidia (GeForce).

In the settings, as a rule, you need to open the main settings section (in IntelHD, these are "Basic Settings". In general, many parameters and menu variations depend on the version of your video driver: all possible options to foresee in the article is unrealistic ☺).

You need to alternately changing the resolution - choose the one that is most convenient and comfortable for work. Focus on what is recommended first. If the elements on the screen are too small, try moving the resolution down by 1-2 points, making it a little smaller.

On Windows 7

If you have Windows 7 - then you just need to right-click in any free space desktop, and in the menu that appears, select "Screen resolution", see the screenshot below.

Next, in the "Resolution" tab, you can see what you have selected in current time and what else can be installed. The optimal resolution is usually marked as "Recommended" (see screenshot below). Most often, they choose either the best option, or 1-2 points lower (so that the picture and text on the screen are larger, relevant for monitors with a large diagonal).

Screen Adjustment in Windows 7

On Windows 8/10

Press button combination Win+R, then enter the command desk.cpl and press Enter. See screenshot below.

Next, the "Screen" section will open and you can change many settings: brightness, text (font) size, resolution, etc. Open additional options, see what resolutions you can set (see example below).

By the way, if you do not have such a list, and the optimal resolution is not indicated at all - most likely (as I said above) - you simply do not have a video driver. Try to update it (the link to the article was given above).

Important!

If you have an old CRT monitor (these are so thick ☺, there are few of them now, but they are used in some places) - check it out sweep frequency (measured in Hz).

This parameter should not be less than 85 Hz (at 60 Hz, monitor flicker is very noticeable, which causes discomfort and). It's even better if you set it to 100Hz.

What is screen resolution? This is a parameter that determines the clarity of the picture on the monitor. The higher the resolution, the smaller the pixels - colored elements (dots), which, like a mosaic, make up a digital image.

At low screen resolutions, pixels become larger and their total number becomes smaller, so the picture looks grainy and blurry. If you look closely, it all consists of small squares, which is especially noticeable on thin lines and contrasting color transitions. Icons and windows at low resolutions are displayed disproportionately large, their edges often go beyond the boundaries of the screen.

At minimum resolution (800×600) working Windows table 7 looks like this:

At high resolution the number of pixels increases and, accordingly, their size decreases, so the image looks natural and clear, there is no graininess. At maximum resolution (1366x768), the Windows 7 desktop looks like this:

The maximum permissible resolution depends on the technical properties of the display matrix and the capabilities of the video card. If you had to install Windows 7 yourself, you should have noticed that immediately after installation, the screen resolution is minimal - 800 × 600, and you cannot change it to more, even if you have an ultra-modern, powerful video card. This is because the system uses base video, the purpose of which is to provide at least some visibility of what is happening on the computer. To “squeeze” the maximum out of iron, you need to install the appropriate drivers.

How to change screen resolutions?

After installing the video driver, the screen resolution is automatically set to the optimal one and its setting becomes available to the user. You can set one of several standard permissions with Windows tool 7 “Adjusting the screen resolution”.

  • Go to the control panel and from the sub-items of the “Appearance and personalization” category, select “Adjust screen resolution”.

  • Another way to call this setting is the “Screen Resolution” item in the context menu of the desktop.

  • Clicking on one of these items opens the "Screen Settings" window. The resolution setting is available from the list item of the same name, next to which there is a drop-down menu. Inside the menu there is a scale with a slider, by moving which you can change the screen resolution from minimum to maximum. This setting varies on different computers, and this, as already mentioned, depends on the properties of the display matrix and the capabilities of the video card.

  • After setting the desired value, click the “Apply” button. After that, the resolution will change, and a window will appear on the screen asking you to save the change. If everything suits you, press the confirmation button, if not, do not press anything: after a few seconds, the display parameters will return to the previous ones.

That's the whole setup - the screen resolution changes immediately, you do not need to restart the computer for this.

Setting a custom screen resolution in Windows 7

Modern monitors and laptop displays perform best when running at the resolution recommended by the manufacturer. But in the list of available permissions in Windows 7, the required one may not be, that is, system tools won't help you. To set a custom resolution, you will need third party software. These can be branded utilities from monitor manufacturers or video settings programs. As an example, consider one of these programs - PowerStrip - a utility for overclocking and fine-tuning video cards. In it, among other things, it is possible to change the screen resolution over a wide range.

  • Download PowerStrip from the link and install it on your computer.
  • To adjust the display resolution in the main PowerStrip window, in the Connected Monitor section, click the Change button.

  • To create an inf-file where the settings profile of the selected monitor will be stored, click “Create”.

  • In the “Monitor Information” window, in the “Output Options” section, set the desired display resolution vertically and horizontally, then click the button with the floppy icon to save the profile.

  • To apply the settings, you need to restart your computer, click on the PowerStrip icon in the system tray, select “Display Profiles” from the menu and point to the saved profile.

  • By clicking the “Settings” button here, you can get to the section for changing the screen settings. In this window, you can set a different resolution and create more profiles.


Troubleshooting after changing the screen resolution

Sometimes due to installation unsupported resolution display after Windows boot 7 shows only a black screen with a cursor and nothing else. In this case, the settings must be brought to standard. It is done like this:

  • Restart your PC by pressing before restart Windows key F8.
  • From the menu of additional startup options, select “Safe Mode”.

  • After starting the system, go to the screen resolution settings and set one of the standard values, preferably low (then you will change it).

After that, reboot into normal mode, change the resolution to the optimal one and the problem will be solved.