Adjust the screen resolution, color depth, refresh rate, and font and icon size on your Window 10 desktop

Summary:

  •  Set or change the screen resolution
  • Adjust the color depth
  • Setting the refresh rate
  • Change the size of fonts and icons

For instructions on changing video settings, click your operating system below: Windows 10

Set resolution under earlier versions of Windows 10

  1. Close all open programs.
  2. Click Start , and then click Control Panel .
  3. In the Control Panel window , click Appearance and Themes , and then click Display .
  4. In the Display Properties window , click the Settings tab .
  5. Under Screen Resolution , click and drag the horizontal slider to change the screen resolution, and then click Apply .
  6. When prompted that Windows will resize your screen, click OK.

Note: If a Compatibility Warning window appears, select Apply the new settings without rebooting, and then click OK.
7.If the new settings are compatible, the screen will reappear with the new settings.
8.Click Yes if you want to keep the new settings.

Note: If the new settings do not work, Windows® will automatically attempt to return to the original settings. If the video has become corrupted or an Out of Scan Range error occurs and can not be corrected automatically, restart the computer. Press onduring startup, highlight Safe Mode in the boot menu, and then pressto start the computer in safe mode. In safe mode, change the screen resolution to the original settings and reboot normally.
9.Restart the computer to ensure that the changes take effect.

Adjust the color depth in Windows 10

  1. Close all open programs.
  2. You can right-click Start , click Control Panel , or click Start, enter Control Panel , and then click the icon that appears.
  3. In the Control Panel window , click System , and then click Display .
  4. If multiple screens are connected to your computer, select the one you want to change.
  5. Click the View Adapter Properties link .
  6. Select List all modes .
  7. Choose the resolution, color depth, and refresh rate for your computer from the list, and then click OK
  8. Click OK again to exit the Properties window.

Adjust the refresh rate in Windows 10

  1. Close all open programs.
  2. You can right-click Start , click Control Panel , or click Start, enter Control Panel , and then click the icon that appears.
  3. In the Control Panel window , click System , and then click Display .
  4. If multiple screens are connected to your computer, select the one you want to change.
  5. Click the View Adapter Properties link .
  6. Click the Screen tab .
  7. Click the Monitor Refresh Rate drop-down menu under Monitor Settings .
  8. Select the refresh rate that you want from the available options, and then click Apply .
  9. When you are informed that Windows will now adjust the refresh rate, click OK .

Change the size of fonts and icons

  1. Close all open programs.
  2. You can right-click Start , click Control Panel , or click Start, enter Control Panel , and then click the icon that appears.
  3. In the Control Panel window , click System , and then click Display .
  4. Under the heading Change the size of text, apps, and more , click the drop-down list and select the font size you want.
  5. Set the ppp parameter.
  6. This option is no longer available under Windows 10 without making changes to the registry, which we can not recommend.

Practical Tips content is published by Dell technical support professionals, who resolve technical issues on a daily basis. In order to achieve a quick publication, the Practical Tips are simply partial solutions or new approaches that are still under development or waiting for validation. Because these Tips have not been reviewed, validated, or approved by Dell, they should be used with care. Dell will not be responsible for any loss, including, but not limited to, loss of data, loss of profit or revenue that may be suffered by customers as a result of using the Tips on this page.