How to Reset Display Settings in Windows

Changing your PC’s display settings might not always give you the results you’re looking for. You might end up with a weird screen resolution, text that’s too large, or colors that don’t look right. A simple fix is to reset your display settings to how they were before.

Windows 11 does not have a one-click option to factory reset all display-related preferences, but it’s pretty easy to manually restore the most important settings to their defaults.

Reset the Display Resolution

If your Windows screen looks off, with items appearing too big, too small, or blurry, the display resolution is likely to blame. Falling back to the operating system’s recommended resolution should allow for a better viewing experience. To do that:

Note: If nothing happens when you attempt to change resolutions, restart the graphics driver—pressWindows+Ctrl+Shift+Buntil the screen flickers—and try again.

Reset the Scaling Settings

If the size of text, apps, and other Windows items continue to appear too big or small on your screen, try resetting the scaling percentage for the display.

To do that, open the Settings app in Windows, go toSystem>Display, and choose the recommended percentage next toScale—100%or125%.

Reset Display Orientation

If you use a monitor that can rotate, but the resolution is stuck in the wrong orientation, go toSettings>System>Display, open the drop-down menu next toDisplay orientation, and pick the setting that matches the orientation of the display—LandscapeorPortrait.

Reset HDR Calibration

Displays that supportHDR (High Dynamic Range)require calibration for best results. If your adjustments haven’t worked out well, it’s best to reset the HDR settings to their defaults before recalibrating them. To do that:

Reset Night Light Preferences

Night Lightis a handy feature thatdecreases the blue light from your displaytoreduce eye strain and improve sleep. However, setting the strength of the filter to a value that’s too high or too low can diminish its effect or make colors look washed out. To reset Night Light:

Reset Windows Colors

Color effects in Windows, such as dark mode, accents, and borders, significantly impact the user interface’s general look and feel. To undo any changes to the color settings:

Reset the Mouse Pointer

If the mouse pointer in Windows appears too big, in a different color, or both, you must visit the operating system’s accessibility options to reset it. Here’s how:

Disable Color Filters

Windows has loads of color filters that can radically transform the appearance of the user interface. If you’d like to disable them:

Disable Contrast Themes

Contrast themes in Windows use distinct colors to make text and apps more accessible. If you do not like how they look and prefer the default theme instead:

Reset the Windows Theme

Themes encompass multiple settings related to how Windows looks, such as the desktop background and color effects. If you’d like to switch back to the theme that Windows ships with:

Reset Visual Effects

By default, Windows uses multiple animation effects to make interactions with the user interface appear fluid. If you don’t see them:

Customize Your Display Settings Again

Resetting your display settings in Windows 11 is a good starting point for dealing with unwanted visual changes or screen-related issues. If you continue encountering problems with how the operating system renders the display, we recommend updating orrolling back the graphics card driver. If that does not resolve the issue, considerrestoring Windows to factory settings.

Dilum Senevirathne is a freelance tech writer and blogger with three years of experience writing for online technology publications. He specializes in topics related to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Google web apps. When he isn’t hammering away at his Magic Keyboard, you can catch him binge-watching productivity hacks on YouTube.Read Dilum’s Full Bio

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