How to find out the screen resolution - all methods for all devices. How to find out and change the screen resolution (the image is too large)

It is difficult to argue with the statement that today the computer is an integral part of our life. And it is rather difficult for most of the population to imagine their everyday life without him. As you know, a PC consists of several components. - This is an extremely important peripheral device, which displays an image of information supplied from the system unit. One of its characteristics is screen resolution. We will tell you how to find out the monitor resolution, and what this data is for.

What is screen resolution?

If you visit a computer hardware store, you will see that the monitors and their screens come in different sizes. The monitor resolution is the number of dots invisible to the eye that will participate in the formation of an image on the monitor. However, the screen size often does not match its resolution. In fact, resolution is a qualitative characteristic that determines the number of dots (pixels) per unit length. Hence, the higher the resolution (that is, more dots are applied), the higher the image accuracy.

One of the geometric characteristics of the screen is the aspect ratio and diagonal. There are standard monitor resolutions. There are many of them, more than thirty, and they have their own abbreviations. For example, a 1200x600 resolution has a 2: 1 ratio. They call it WXVGA.

Today the best resolution for a monitor is 1920 x 1080. It is also called Full HD.

And now let's move on to why you need to know such a characteristic of the monitor screen. Firstly, it so happens that you will like some picture on the Internet or a personal photo that you want to install on your desktop. And in order for the picture to be displayed as accurately and in the right proportion as possible, without distortion, you first need to find out what resolution you have and then download the file with the appropriate characteristics. Secondly, this information is useful for those users who like to enjoy high-quality movies on a monitor screen. Thirdly, the knowledge of what screen resolution should be on the monitor is necessary for gamers when installing games.

How to find out what resolution the monitor has?

Now that we figured out when you need to be aware of the screen resolution, it's time to get acquainted with how to identify this parameter. There are several options here.

According to the first one, you need to go to the Desktop of the computer and just right-click in any unused area. After that, a window will appear in which you need to select the "Screen Resolution" section (for Windows 7). After completing these steps, a window should appear on the screen used to configure the characteristics of the screen. In the "Resolution" section, select the option labeled "Recommended" in brackets.

For Windows XP, we do the same - right-click on the Desktop, and then in the display settings window, select the "Properties" section. After that, go to the "Parameters" tab, then the inscription "Screen resolution" will be found above the scale. The numbers under the scale, for example, in the form of 1024x768 - this is the screen resolution in pixels.

If you want to change the screen resolution, select the required option and click the “Apply” button at the bottom of the window, then “OK”. If such manipulations are not to your liking, and you are looking for easier ways, try to solve the problem by asking a question in a search engine. There are many website servers that automatically determine the parameter in pixels and indicate it when you go to their page. The last option is to view the specifications of the monitor in the User's Guide or on the manufacturer's website.

The screen resolution directly depends on the diagonal of the monitor (physical characteristics). It determines the number of dots (pixels) horizontally and vertically, as well as their ratio. The higher the resolution, the smaller the screen image and vice versa. Choose one resolution for widescreen monitors, and another for square monitors.

If initially it was set incorrectly, then the picture quality will be noticeably lower. These can be defects such as:

  • black stripes on the sides;
  • a disproportionate "slid to the side" image;
  • blurry, indistinct picture (especially seen in the text);
  • too large or, conversely, small icons, etc.

To prevent this from happening, the resolution must be set based on the technical characteristics of the device. You can find it out from the instructions or look at the manufacturer's official website. Typically, after downloading the latest drivers for your graphics adapter (video card), your computer will automatically set the recommended settings. If this does not happen, then the user will have to do it manually. The article will address the question of how to find out the screen resolution on Windows 10.

There are several ways to define this parameter. The simplest and fastest is through the desktop. For this:

  1. Right-click on an empty area (wallpaper) on the desktop. In the context menu that appears, select the "Display settings" item.

  1. A new window will open with the current display settings. The resolution, scale, orientation (landscape, portrait, portrait format) of the monitor are indicated here. If other screens are connected to the PC, they will be displayed in this menu. As for the main one, you can specify the desired parameters for them, turn them over.

You can get to this menu in another way. It is convenient to use if you have a laptop, and the key responsible for calling the context menu (via the right mouse button) does not work on the touchpad. For this:

  1. Call "Start" and in the list that appears, start typing "Options". Choose a classic app from the Best Match category. Or just click on the gear icon.

  1. Windows Settings will open. Find and click on the "System" category. She will be the first on the list.

  1. By default, you will immediately be taken to the screen with the desired settings. If this did not happen, then from the list on the left side of the window, click on the inscription "Display" to display the resolution on the right side.

  1. Alternatively, on the main Windows Settings page, immediately start typing the keyword Display into an empty field to start the search automatically. From the options provided, select Change Display Settings.

The correct extension for the monitor will be marked with “Recommended” next to the number. It is detected automatically if there are drivers for the video adapter.

If any other is selected, then it must be changed to the one recommended by the system. If none of the parameters have such an inscription, then this indicates that there are no drivers for the video adapter. In this case, download them.

How to change

You can change the value to the desired one through the display parameters. It will be possible to get into them by following the instructions described above. Or you can use another method:

  1. Run the system utility "Run". It can be found through the Start menu or by pressing the Win + R key combination on your keyboard.

  1. In the opened window, enter the command "desk.cpl" and click "OK" to call the display settings.

  1. The screen options will open. Change the resolution through the appropriate category. To do this, click on the digital designation (which is currently installed) and select the desired parameter from the drop-down list.

  1. You can do the same if you scroll down the page and click on the "Graphics adapter properties" label.

  1. A small window will appear in which you need to select the "Adapter" tab, and then click on the "List of all modes" button.

  1. All extensions available for the monitor are displayed here. And even those that are not available through the "Display" menu (for example, 1920x1080 Full HD). This is useful if you want to set a custom parameter. Select the one you want and then click the "OK" button.

  1. Confirm the action to save your changes.

Please note that in the properties of the graphics adapter there will be no corresponding inscription opposite the recommended parameter. Therefore, to check if the selected option is suitable for your computer, try switching to each one in turn. If you choose the right one, you will immediately notice improvements in image quality.

Possible problems

By default, Windows OS (x32 Bit and x64 Bit) automatically determines the optimal display settings. In some cases, this does not happen, and when you try to specify the required extension manually, it simply is not in the list of available ones.

Most often this happens due to the lack of drivers for the graphics adapter or monitor (especially for non-standard devices). You can update them directly by downloading from the official website of the developer, or through special software.

Other reasons:

  1. If you are sure that the latest version of the drivers is installed on the PC, then try installing the required extension through the properties of the graphics adapter (mode selection). The method is described above and differs in the presence of a wider selection of available permissions.

  1. If you are using a non-standard monitor (for stationary PCs), then make sure that the drivers are loaded for it as well (not to be confused with the drivers for the video card). Some monitors require additional software to work properly. It can be downloaded from the manufacturer's official website.

The problem with the choice of resolution may arise when using low-quality adapters, adapters, cables. Even if you are using a laptop and connect an additional monitor to it via HDMI. In this case, try connecting the screen with a different method.

Sometimes the reason for a bad image on the screen is the diagonal of the monitor (physical characteristic) does not match the screen resolution. If so, try:

  1. Go to screen settings. To do this, open Start and start typing "Display" in the search box. Select and run "Change display settings" from the list found.

  1. In the window that opens, find the "Scale" item and check if the recommended parameters are set. If not, then return them to the default.

  1. If the recommended settings do not suit you and the image is too small at the optimal resolution, then increase its size by choosing a different value. For example, scale it up from 100% to 125%.

  1. For more detailed settings, click on the inscription: "Custom scaling". Here specify the desired parameter (the maximum available is 500%) and save the changes. To do this, click "Apply".

In some cases, this helps to eliminate a number of problems associated with poor image quality. If you wish, you can try to choose a different screen resolution, adjust the scale. To solve other problems, most often it is enough just to download the latest drivers for the video card.

How to find out the video card model

To download drivers for your graphics adapter, you need to know your graphics card model. Without this information, you will not be able to download them manually, since automatic online device detection does not always do it accurately.

This can be done through the special utility dxdiag. To run it:

  1. Open "Start" and enter the name of the application. Then click on the found option.

  1. The DirectX Diagnostic Tools window appears. Here go to the "Display" tab. The "Device" block will contain the name of the video card. In our case, this is the Nvidia GeForce GT 220M. Copy its name to find the drivers. The block opposite will contain additional information about the version of the current software, the date of the last update.

If dxdiag does not start or other problems occur in the process, then you can find out the model of the video card in another way, using standard tools from Microsoft. For this:

  1. Open "Options" and go to display settings (the method is described in the instructions above). Here find the inscription "Graphics adapter properties" and click on it.

  1. Click on the "Adapter" tab. The blocks "Type" and "Information" will contain information about the model of the video card.

Knowing the name of the graphics adapter, you can download the driver from the manufacturer's official website. Then you can set the optimal screen resolution on Windows.

How to download drivers

Once you know your graphics adapter model, you can easily download and install the new software version manually. For this:

  1. In the search engine, enter the name of the manufacturer of the video card (for example, Nvidia) + driver. Then go to the official website. To do this, click on the first suggested link from the search results.

  1. The browser will redirect you to the "Drivers" tab, but if this did not happen, then go to it yourself from the main page. Here, specify the product type, series and family, following the information previously obtained and the OS version. Click on the big green Search button.

  1. Agree to the terms of the license and click "Download". The software download starts. Wait for it to complete, then run the installation file and follow the instructions of the Windows wizard.

The screen resolution will automatically change to the optimal resolution. If this does not happen, then follow these steps yourself. Through display parameters.

How to update drivers

You can find out the model of the video card and immediately update the drivers for it through the standard features of Microsoft Windows as follows:

  1. In the Start menu, start typing Control Panel, and then launch the classic application that you find.

  1. For a more comfortable experience, change the way you view the available options to large or small icons. Then find "Device Manager" in the list. Click on the label with the left mouse button to launch the application.

  1. In the window that opens, find the "Video adapters" category. Please note that there may be several subcategories available depending on your computer. If any drivers were installed for the device, then there should be the model name (in our case, it is Nvidia GeForce GT 220M). If they are not available, then you will see the inscription "Unidentified device".

  1. Right-click on the available adapter and select "Update driver" from the context menu.

  1. The update wizard will start. Select Automatic Search to have the OS check for updates over the Internet. Then wait for their installation.

  1. If you downloaded the distribution kit from the official website, disk or removable media, then click the second item: "Search for drivers on this computer."

  1. Specify the path to the files. To do this, click the "Browse" button and select the folder with the downloaded drivers. Click Next to start the installation.

After the process is complete, the best one for your screen will appear in the list of available resolutions. Remember that next to it there will be a corresponding inscription "Recommended".

If you are already using the latest drivers, the system will display a message stating that the most suitable drivers are already installed on this PC. This notification may also indicate that Windows could not find updates. In this case, you can try to download them manually, through the official website (the method is described above).

Conclusion

You can find out the screen resolution through the display parameters or by right-clicking on the desktop. After that, you can see the current value, and if you wish, change it to the required one. Please note that it must correspond to the technical parameters of the monitor (diagonal).

If these characteristics do not converge, then the image quality will be noticeably lower. If the required screen resolution is not available, you will most likely need to update the drivers for your graphics adapter. This can be done using the built-in Windows tools.

Video instruction

Below is a video on this topic.

- Igor (Administrator)

Resolution is a specialized value that determines the number of dots (pixels) on the canvas and is measured in the form of two parameters: width and height. The higher this value, the higher the possibility of high-quality display of graphics (video, images). In addition, the resolution determines the format of the supported images (4: 3, 16: 9 and 16:10). Probably, at least once you've heard such a word "widescreen" (the same movie). Attempting to stretch the image to an inappropriate size may result in the image itself being warped and ugly. Have you heard the same expression "elongated muzzles." It came from that.

In general, resolution is important in many places. Browsing websites on the Internet, playing videos, solving technical problems, setting wallpaper on a Windows table, toys, and more. Therefore, in this article I will consider how to find out the screen resolution in the Windows operating system, as well as explain the difference between the screen resolution and the supported monitor resolutions. But first things first.

How to find out the screen resolution in Windows 7

And the first thing I would like to start with is how to find out the screen resolution in Windows 7. First, what does this mean. Whatever the size of your monitor diagonally, the resolution can be set differently. For example, people with poor eyesight prefer a low resolution, since all labels, buttons, etc. will appear large in this case. Gamers, on the contrary, prefer high resolution, since in this case the picture and level of detail are much better.

And now how to find it out, the entire instruction consists of just a couple of steps:

1. Right-click on the Windows desktop and select "Screen Resolution" from the context menu that appears. Here's an example

2. A window with the same name will open. Opposite the "Resolution" field, the current screen resolution will be indicated.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated and everything is done in less than 10 seconds. I would also like to say that in this window you can immediately change the screen resolution. To apply the settings, you will need to click on the "OK" button, and then confirm in the window that appears that the set resolution suits you.

If you are observant, you may have noticed that I mentioned that the screen resolution can be different. Therefore, I will explain the difference further.

How to find out the monitor resolution

Each monitor can display a certain set of screen resolutions (there are minimum, maximum and intermediate). They are also called supported. Unlike the screen, this set cannot be viewed in Windows tools. Rather, you can look at it, but you cannot guarantee their reliability. The reason for this is the driver. If you have incorrect or inappropriate drivers, then the set may be limited. Please note that the driver is not only the monitor, but also the video card. Therefore, if you need an answer to the question "how to find out the resolution of the monitor", then you should either use programs to collect computer characteristics, or look at the specifications on the manufacturer's website for your monitor model.

I hope my article helped you learn more about screen resolutions and supported monitor resolutions, as well as how to find them out.

Any computer owner must know the size of their screen. This is necessary for calculating the space that it will take on the table, as well as for many other little things. One more parameter is important - screen resolution. You need to know it in order to properly configure the system, choose the right wallpaper and comfortably use various games and applications. You will read how to find out both values \u200b\u200bin this article.

Monitor size

The size is called the diagonal of the monitor, it is considered in inches. There are two ways to find out:

  • Look in the documentation. The technical data section should contain this information. It is also often written on the box from the monitor.
  • Measure the diagonal of the screen with a regular ruler or tape measure and convert the measurement result into inches, dividing by 2.54.

Screen resolution

Screen resolution refers to the number of pixels it consists of. It is written in the format width x height. For example, the number 1600 × 900 means that your screen is 1600 pixels wide and 900 pixels high. It is important to know the screen resolution for comfortable work with your computer. Let's figure out how to do it.

The universal way to find out the screen size

This method will suit the user of any operating system. It requires an Internet connection. There are many sites on the web that will determine your screen resolution for free. Here are some of them:

  • myresolutionis.ru;
  • screenresolution.ru;
  • bilet.pp.ru/calculator_rus/razreshenie_monitora.php.


Screen size Windows XP and Windows 7

You can find out the screen resolution without using the Internet. You need to follow a few simple steps:

  • Right click on the desktop.
  • In the menu that appears, select the line “Properties” (for Windows 7 users - the line “Screen resolution.” In the window that opens, you will see the required value).
  • In the window that opens, select "Properties: display".
  • Open the "Options" tab.
  • The screen resolution will be indicated under the corresponding caption.


Mac OS screen size

It is very easy to find out the screen resolution in this operating system. For this:

  • Go to system settings.
  • Select "Monitors".
  • Go to the "Scaled" menu.
  • Of all the values, the current monitor resolution is the selected one, and the rest are possible.


The quality and size of the image depends on the screen resolution. They, in turn, can relieve eye pressure while working at the computer. But it happens that the screen resolution can spontaneously change and, conversely, cause discomfort.

How to find out the current screen resolution in Windows 10

You can find out the screen resolution using the screen parameters or an external service.

  1. Click on an empty space on the desktop and select "Display Options".

    Through the context menu of the desktop, open "Display Settings"

  2. In the window that opens, scroll down the page and click on "Advanced display settings".

    In "Screen Options" go to advanced options

  3. The "Resolution" filter shows the current screen sizes. If 2 or more monitors are connected to the computer, to find out the resolution of each of them, you need to click on the corresponding icons with numbers.

    The "Additional display settings" tab provides comprehensive information about the connected monitors

Desktop Preferences is an environment for adjusting screen expansion, brightness calibration, orientation, and other monitor properties.

You can also find out the screen resolution using an external service, for example, Screen Resolution. It is enough to find the desired site on the Internet, open it, and the page script will do the rest.

Screen resolution can be determined by online services

Video: How to find out the current screen resolution in Windows 10

How to determine the maximum monitor resolution

To find out the maximum allowable resolution for which the display is designed, just go to "Advanced display settings", as shown above, and in the "Resolution" filter, find an item with a digital value and an additional caption "(recommended)".

The optimal screen resolution is labeled "(recommended)"

How to change the screen resolution in Windows 10

Changing the screen resolution is easy, but you shouldn't do it often. The maximum number of pixels creates less eye strain. Screen resolution lower than recommended by manufacturers, it is advisable to use only people with vision problems.

Using Windows 10 settings

The easiest way to change your screen resolution settings using options is:


You can also change the screen resolution as follows:

  1. In the Advanced Display Settings menu, click the Graphics Adapter Properties link.

    Through additional options open "Graphics adapter properties"

  2. In the window that opens, click on the "List of all modes" button.

    In the properties of the graphics adapter, click on "List of all modes"

  3. In the drop-down list of modes, select the required one and click "OK".

    Through the "List of modes" you can also change the screen resolution

Using the "Control Panel"

"Control Panel" is an important tool for monitoring and configuring your computer. Therefore, the screen resolution can also be adjusted through the applets of this environment.

  1. Press the key combination Win + R, enter the command control and click "OK".

    Through the "Run" window, start the "Control Panel"

  2. Change the "View" filter to "Small icons" and after changing the view, select the "Display" applet.

    Through the "Control Panel" enter the "Screen" applet

  3. In the column on the left, click on "Adjust Screen Resolution".
  4. Complete the interface, which is similar to "Parameters": select a resolution and click "OK" to save the changes.

    Select the required value in the "Resolution" filter and click "OK"

In some assemblies or after some OS updates, this method may not work, and the item "Adjust the screen resolution" will lead to the Windows settings environment. The reason for this is the gradual abandonment of the developers from the "Control Panel" and the transfer of all PC settings to Windows settings.

Video: How to Change Screen Resolution in Windows 10

Why does the screen resolution change spontaneously

There is only one reason why the screen resolution can change without user intervention - a problem with the driver. But there are many reasons for errors:

  • a virus can damage system files;
  • overheating can provoke a malfunction of the video card;
  • launching many processes that consume video memory can provoke a malfunction of the video card;
  • power failures can damage the capacitors, and this will lead to instability in the video card.

As practice shows, some old games can also change the resolution of the entire screen. And they do it in such a way that when the game is minimized, the desktop resolution does not return to its normal position. In cases with similar games, only complete closing of the application can return the original parameters.

How to solve the problem of changing screen resolutions

In cases where it is necessary to replace capacitors or a general analysis of the video card and motherboard, it is worth resorting to the help of specialists. You can deal with other problems yourself:


Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Video: How to Update Graphics Card Drivers in Windows 10

What problems can arise when adjusting the screen resolution

There are two more common types of screen resolution problems:

  • the resolution changes every time the computer is restarted;
  • the screen resolution cannot be changed at all.

If the resolution change occurs only after a reboot or waking from sleep, the problem is in the system configuration settings:


The problem with disallowing screen enlargements is a little more complicated. The Group Policy Editor is responsible for enabling and disabling Windows settings. This service also needs to make some changes.


Screen expansion is the number of pixels that the vertical and horizontal of the monitor contain. The quality and size of images depends on it, as well as their effect on the user's vision. This is why it is so important to be able to change and fix screen sizes in Windows 10.

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