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How To Change a Monitor’s Screen Orientation

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Updated Jun 27, 2022 11:11 PM

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Table of Contents

Learn More About Computer Monitors

Key Takeaways:

Changing a monitor’s screen orientation can be useful in a number of scenarios, including accessing particular coding software suites.
On a PC running Windows 10, complete this process by heading to the “Display Options” settings tab via the control panel or by right-clicking on a mouse.
If you are having trouble changing the orientation, you may need to download new video drivers.

If you are looking to switch up the way you use your computer, you may be thinking about changing the screen orientation of your favorite PC display just like a phone or other mobile device.

Changing a Monitor’s Screen Orientation

There are many uses for changing up a screen’s orientation, as rotating the desktop to a vertical position in portrait mode can be useful for programmers, coders to code more efficiently, those who need to read portrait-oriented files, and those who are watching vertically shot videos on a device. This way, you can use more of the monitor real estate space for a task versus half of the screen being your work and the other half being wasted blank space when you view content in landscape. In other words, you may want to understand this process fully so you can make use of different screen orientations at will.

It’s also a good idea to learn about other feature adjustments on your monitor, like how to monitor your display’s temperature, especially if you use it frequently with graphics-heavy programs. You’ll want to avoid burning it out.

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How to Flip or Rotate Screen on a Windows PC

Here are some general guidelines and tips to help you successfully change up your screen orientation so you can flip or rotate your monitor while using a Windows PC.

Windows 10 Process

To adjust the screen orientation while using the Windows 10 operating system, you should begin by performing a right-click with your mouse and selecting an icon or button option called “Display Settings.” You can also get to display settings by clicking “Settings” from the control panel, and then “System Settings” and finally “Display Settings.” After you have reached the display settings, click on “Resolution” and then click the dropdown menu. There should be a number of screen orientation settings or icons, including Portrait and Landscape mode. That’s it! You should now be free to flip and rotate your display orientation at will to suit whatever task necessary. If this does not work for your device orientation, it may be an issue of incorrect video drivers (see below.)

Tip: To adjust the screen orientation while using the Windows 10 operating system, you should begin by performing a right-click with your mouse and selecting “Display Settings.”

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Windows 7 Process

If you are running the Windows 7 operating system, the screen orientation adjustment process will be slightly different. Start by right-clicking on the mouse and selecting “Screen Resolution.” You can also get there by clicking on the control panel, then “Appearance and Personalization,” and then “Display” and finally “Display Settings.” Once you are on the desired settings page, locate the “Orientation” option, which should allow for instantaneous switching between a number of options, including Landscape (horizontal orientation) and Portrait orientation.

Tip: Start by right-clicking on the mouse and selecting “Screen Resolution.”

Update the Video Drivers

If neither of the above procedures is doing the trick, or if you simply do not have access to the display settings, you may need to update the relevant video drivers. Once the new drivers have been installed, you should be able to perform the above procedures to change the screen orientation. As a warning, only download video drivers from an official site provided by Microsoft or the manufacturer of your monitor.

But, if the video driver updates don’t work, sometimes a little calibration is all that’s needed. For more info, check out our resource article about how to calibrate your computer monitor.

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STAT:

The most common screen resolution in 2020 was 1920×1080. (Source)

Links:

https://gs.statcounter.com/screen-resolution-stats

https://www.wikihow.com/Rotate-Your-Computer-Screen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Page_orientation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_monitor

*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACaK4chUgIk

Changing a Monitor’s Screen Orientation FAQ

How do I rotate my screen with hotkeys?

Some computers allow for hotkeys to instantaneously change a monitor’s screen orientation. To rotate your screen with hotkeys, press Ctrl+Alt+Arrow. For example, Ctrl+Alt+Up Arrow returns your screen to its normal upright rotation, Ctrl+Alt+Right Arrow rotates your screen 90 degrees, Ctrl+Alt+Down Arrow flips it upside down (180 degrees), and Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow rotates it 270 degrees.

Why would you need to rotate your screen?

There are many reasons to rotate a computer screen, including providing for an easy programming or coding setup. Basically, whenever you need to see a vertical image, a screen rotation could be handy.

How do I disable automatic screen rotation on Windows 10?

Head to the control panel and look for the “Rotation Lock” setting.

Lawrence Bonk

Lawrence Bonk is a copywriter with a decade of experience in the tech space, with columns appearing in Engadget, Huffington Post and CBS, among others. He has a cat named Cinnamon.