How to: Change Display Resolution and Magnification Settings in Windows 11

Tags windows-11

Overview

If text and icons appear too small or too large on your screen, you can adjust your display resolution and magnification (scaling) settings. This guide walks you through how to make things larger or smaller, depending on your preference.

Change Display Resolution

Adjusting the display resolution can affect how much content fits on the screen and how sharp it looks. Higher resolutions make things appear smaller but sharper, while lower resolutions make things larger but less sharp.

Steps to Change Resolution

  1. Right-click on the desktop and select Display settings.
  2. Scroll down to the Display resolution section.
  3. Click the dropdown menu to see available resolutions.
    • To make things appear larger, choose a lower resolution.
    • To make things appear smaller and sharper, choose a higher resolution.
  4. Click Apply.
  5. When prompted, select Keep changes to confirm, or Revert to go back.

Adjust Magnification (Scaling)

If text and icons are too small, adjusting the scaling percentage can make them easier to read without lowering resolution.

Steps to Adjust Scaling

  1. Right-click on the desktop and select Display settings.
  2. Scroll down to the Scale & layout section.
  3. Click the dropdown menu under Scale.
    • To make things larger, choose a higher percentage (e.g., 125% or 150%).
    • To make things smaller, choose a lower percentage (usually 100% is the default).
  4. The change will apply automatically.

Additional Tips

  • If the display looks blurry after changing settings, try logging out and back in or restarting the computer.
  • Some apps may not scale correctly at higher settings. If text looks fuzzy, check the app's display settings.
  • If you have multiple monitors, you may need to adjust settings for each one separately under Multiple displays in Display settings.

Need More Help?

If your screen doesn't look right after adjusting these settings, you can always return to the Recommended settings. If you need further assistance, contact the  IT Service Desk at 616-331-2101 or it@gvsu.edu.

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