Determining the current and native screen resolution of a monitor in Windows. How to find out monitor resolution

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

How to find out the current screen resolution in Windows 10

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

Click an empty space on your desktop and select Display Settings.
Using the desktop context menu, open “Display Settings”
In the window that opens, scroll down the page and click on “Advanced display options.”
In Display Settings, go to Advanced Settings
The Resolution filter shows the current screen dimensions. 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 “Advanced Screen Settings” tab provides comprehensive information about connected monitors

Desktop Settings is an environment for adjusting screen extension, 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 permissible resolution for which the display is designed, just go to “Advanced screen settings”, as shown above, and in the “Resolution” filter find the item with a digital value and an additional signature “(recommended)”.

The optimal screen resolution is labeled “(recommended)”

How to change screen resolution in Windows 10

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

Using Windows 10 Settings

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

You can also change the screen resolution as follows:

In the Advanced Display Settings menu, click the Graphics Adapter Properties link.
Through additional options, open “Graphics adapter properties”
In the window that opens, click on the “List of all modes” button.
In the graphics adapter properties, click on “List all modes”
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.

Press the Win + R key combination, enter control and click OK.
Through the Run window, launch Control Panel
Change the "View" filter to "Small Icons" and after changing the view, select the "Screen" applet.
Through the “Control Panel”, enter the “Screen” applet
In the left column, click on “Setting screen resolution”.
Fill out the interface, which is similar to “Options”: select the resolution and click “OK” to save the changes.
Select the required value in the “Resolution” filter and click “OK”

In certain builds or after some OS updates, this method may not work, and the “Adjust screen resolution” item may result in the Windows Settings environment. The reason for this is the gradual abandonment of 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 - driver problems. But there are many reasons for errors to occur:

the virus can damage system files;
overheating can cause the video card to malfunction;
launching many processes that consume video memory can cause problems with the video card;
Malfunctions in the electrical network can damage the capacitors, and this will lead to instability in the operation of the video card.

As practice shows, some older games can also change the resolution of the entire screen. Moreover, they do this in such a way that when minimizing the game, the desktop resolution does not return to normal. In cases with such games, the only way to return the original settings is to completely close the application.

How to solve the problem of self-changing screen resolution

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

Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Video: how to update video card drivers in Windows 10

What problems may arise when adjusting screen resolution

There are two types of screen resolution problems that are most common:

the resolution changes every time you restart the computer;
The screen resolution cannot be changed at all.

If the resolution change occurs only after rebooting or resuming from sleep mode, the problem is in the system configuration settings:

The problem with the prohibition on changing the size of the screen extension is a little more complicated. The Group Policy Editor is responsible for enabling and disabling Windows settings. It is in this service that some changes need to be made.

Screen extension is the number of pixels that the monitor contains vertically and horizontally. The quality and size of images, as well as their effect on the user’s vision, depend on it. That's why it's so important to be able to change and fix screen sizes in Windows 10.

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

What is screen resolution?

If you visit a computer store, you will see that monitors and their screens come in different sizes. The resolution of the monitor is the number of points invisible to the eye that will participate in the formation of the image on the monitor. However, the screen size often does not match its resolution. Essentially, resolution is a qualitative characteristic that determines the number of dots (pixels) per unit length. Hence, the higher the resolution (that is, the greater the number of points used), 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 resolution of 1200x600 has a ratio of 2:1. They call it WXVGA.

Today, the best resolution for a monitor can be considered a ratio of 1920x1080. It is also called Full HD.

Now let’s move on to why you need to know this characteristic of the monitor screen. Firstly, it happens that you 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 as possible and in the required proportion, without distortion, you should first find out what your resolution is 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 their monitor screen. Thirdly, knowing what the screen resolution on the monitor should be is necessary for gamers when installing games.

How to find out what resolution your monitor has?

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

According to the first, you need to go to the computer desktop and simply right-click in any unused area. After this, 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 screen characteristics. In the “Resolution” section, you need to select the option that says “Recommended” in brackets.

For Windows XP, we do the same - right-click on the Desktop, and then in the screen settings window select the “Properties” section. After this, go to the “Parameters” tab, then above the scale you will see the inscription “Screen resolution”. The numbers under the scale, for example, in the form 1024x768, are the screen resolution in pixels.

If you want to change the screen resolution, select the desired option and click the “Apply” button at the bottom of the window, then “OK”. If you don’t like such manipulations and 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 review the monitor's specifications in the User's Guide or on the manufacturer's website.

Any computer owner must know the size of their screen. This is necessary to calculate the space it will take up on the table, as well as for many other little things. Another important parameter is 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 in this article.

Monitor size

The size is the diagonal of the monitor and is measured 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 monitor box.
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 is the number of pixels it consists of. It is written in width x height format. For example, the number 1600x900 means that your screen has a width of 1600 pixels and a height of 900. It is important to know the screen resolution for comfortable work with the computer. Let's figure out how to do this.

A universal way to find out screen size

This method is suitable for users of any operating system. It requires an Internet connection. There are many sites online 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 “Properties” line (for Windows 7 users – the “Screen Resolution” line. In the window that opens, you will see the desired value).
In the window that opens, select “Properties: Screen”.
Open the “Options” tab.
The screen resolution will be indicated under the corresponding inscription.

Mac OS Screen Size

Finding out the screen resolution in this operating system is very easy. For this:

Go to system settings.
Select “Monitors”.
Go to the “Scale” menu.
Of all the values, the current monitor resolution is the selected one, and the rest are possible.

Monitor screen resolution is the size of the image produced on the screen in pixels, and refers to the resolution relative to the physical dimensions of the screen, rather than a reference unit of length such as 1 inch. Resolution is an important screen parameter, which also affects the quality of the image itself. So, if the resolution is low and the screen is small, then, firstly, the picture itself will be large, and secondly, you can see the pixels without even straining your eyesight. Modern high-resolution monitors do not have this problem.

It is not necessary to use the maximum resolution - the optimal one is enough, when a person sees a beautiful, high-quality and correct picture. Not all users know where to look, so let’s fill this gap today.

Before we begin, I want to say right away that this method is suitable for any PC or laptop - there is no difference.

Windows Settings

Of course, the easiest way to find out the information you need is to use the standard Windows settings. To do this, find an unused area on the desktop, right-click and select “Screen Resolution”.

Now a window with screen settings will appear in front of you. Here you can see the current resolution of your monitor.

As you can see, the recommended resolution is currently being used. Of course, you can change it to something else if you wish, but from experience I can say that the recommended resolution usually allows you to get the highest quality picture in every sense of the word.

By the way, it is quite possible that the recommended resolution of your screen will be less than the maximum, and in some cases the maximum resolution is not available at all. This is due to the fact that drivers for the video card are not currently used or are used but are outdated. You simply need.

Third party software

You can see the monitor resolution using third-party software. Take even utilities for a video card, which always show the current resolution.

Here, for example, you see the screen resolution based on the Catalist Control Center (for ATI Radeon). Here you can see not only the current resolution, but also the maximum. Of course, you can change it yourself.

Search engines

You can find out the resolution of your monitor on the manufacturer's website. To do this, enter the model name of your monitor or laptop in the search engine and get comprehensive information. Just remember that the specifications usually indicate the maximum screen resolution, not the recommended one.

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 image on the screen and vice versa. For wide-format monitors you should choose one resolution, for “square” monitors - another.

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

black stripes on the sides;
disproportionately “moved to the side” image;
blurry, unclear picture (especially visible 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. As a rule, after downloading the latest version of drivers for the graphics adapter (video card), the computer will automatically install the recommended settings. If this does not happen, the user will have to do it manually. This article will discuss how to find out the screen resolution on Windows 10.

This parameter can be determined in several ways. The easiest and fastest way is through the desktop. For this:

Right-click on an empty area (wallpaper) on the desktop. In the context menu that appears, select “Display Settings”.

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

There is another way to get to this menu. 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:

Call “Start” and start typing “Settings” in the list that appears. Select the classic app from the Best Match category. Or just click on the gear icon.

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

By default, you will immediately be taken to a screen with the necessary settings. If this does not happen, then from the list on the left side of the window, click on “Display” so that the resolution is displayed on the right side.

Or, on the main Windows Settings page, immediately start typing the keyword “Display” into the empty field to start the search automatically. From the options provided, select Change display settings.

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

If any other is selected, then it must be changed to the one recommended by the system. If not a single parameter has such an inscription, then this indicates the absence of drivers for the video adapter. In this case, you need to download them.

How to change

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

Launch the Run system utility. It can be found through the Start menu or called by the Win + R key combination on the keyboard.

In the window that opens, enter the command “desk.cpl” and click “OK” to bring up the display options.

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.

Similar actions can be done by scrolling down the page and clicking on “Graphics adapter properties.”

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

All extensions available for the monitor are displayed here. Moreover, even those that are not available through the “Display” menu (for example, 1920x1080 Full HD). This is convenient if you want to set a non-standard parameter. Select the one you need, then click the “OK” button.

Confirm to save your changes.

Please note that in the properties of the graphics adapter there will not be a corresponding inscription next to the recommended setting. Therefore, to check whether the selected setting 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, OS Windows (x32 Bit and x64 Bit) automatically determines the optimal screen settings. In some cases this does not happen, and when you try to specify the required extension manually, it is simply 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:

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

If you are using a non-standard monitor (applies to 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 function fully. It can be downloaded from the manufacturer's official website.

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

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

Go to screen settings. To do this, open Start and start typing “Display” in the search field. From the list of found ones, select and run “Change display settings”.

In the window that opens, find the “Scale” item and check whether the recommended parameters are set. If not, then return them to default.

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

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 eliminate a number of troubles associated with poor image quality. If you wish, you can try choosing a different screen resolution and adjusting the scale. To solve other problems, most often it is enough to simply download the latest version of drivers for the video card.

How to find out your video card model

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

This can be done through a special utility dxdiag. To launch it:

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

The DirectX Diagnostic Tools window appears. Here, go to the Screen tab. The “Device” block will indicate the name of the video card. In our case it is Nvidia GeForce GT 220M. Copy its name to find drivers. The block opposite will indicate additional information about the current software version and the date of the last update.

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

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.

Go to the "Adapter" tab. The “Type” and “Details” blocks will contain information about the video card model.

Knowing the name of the graphics adapter, you can download the driver from the manufacturer's official website. After this, 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 version of the software manually. For this:

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

The browser will redirect you to the “Drivers” tab, but if this does not happen, then go to it yourself from the main page. Here, indicate the type, series and family of products, following the information received earlier and the OS version. Click on the big green "Search" button.

Agree to the license terms and click “Download”. The software will begin downloading. 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 one. If this does not happen, then perform these steps yourself. Through display options.

How to update drivers

You can find out the model of your video card and immediately update its drivers using standard Microsoft Windows capabilities as follows:

In the Start menu, start typing “Control Panel”, and then launch the desktop application you found.

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

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

Right-click on the available adapter and select “Update driver” in the context menu.

The update wizard will start. Select Automatic Search to have the OS check for updates online. Then wait for them to be installed.

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.”

Specify the path to the files. To do this, click the “Browse” button and select the folder with the downloaded drivers. Click Next to begin installation.

After the process is completed, the most optimal one for your screen will appear in the list of available resolutions. Remember that next to it there will be a corresponding “Recommended” inscription.

If you are already using the latest version of 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 was unable to 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 settings or by right-clicking on the desktop. After this, you will be able to see the current value, and if desired, 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, the image quality will be noticeably lower. If the required screen resolution is not available, then you will most likely have to update the drivers for your graphics adapter. This can be done using the built-in Windows tools.

Video instruction

Below you will find a video dedicated to this topic.