Need to flip the screen to see graphics from another angle, adjust the monitor's imperfection, or prank a friend? Whatever your reason for flipping the screen, you can easily do it.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Windows
Step 1. Try the shortcut keys
If you are using an Intel graphics card, you can use the following shortcut to flip the screen. If the shortcut doesn't work, read the next step.
- Ctrl+Alt+↓ - Flip the screen display.
- Ctrl+Alt+→ - Rotates the screen display to the right by 90°.
- Ctrl+Alt+← - Rotates the screen display to the left by 90°.
- Ctrl+Alt+↑ - Restores the default screen orientation.
Step 2. Try rotating the screen via the Screen Resolution or Display Properties window if the shortcut doesn't work
Right-click on your desktop, then select Screen Resolution. If you are using Windows XP, click Properties, then click Display.
Use the Orientation menu to select the screen display. The view will return to its original state within a few seconds, unless you save your changes
Step 3. Know the graphics card used in your computer
The process for rotating the screen display varies depending on the graphics card used, and the graphics card driver may override the Windows rotation settings. Knowing the type of graphics card used in your computer will make it easier to find the rotation settings.
- Press Win+R, then type dxdiag. The DirectX Diagnostic Tool will open.
- Click the Display tab. If your graphics card is NVIDIA, read the next step, and if your graphics card is ATI/AMD, read step 5.
Step 4. Rotate screen display on computer with NVIDIA graphics card
You can use the NVIDIA Control Panel to rotate the screen display. If you are using an AMD/ATI graphics card, read the next steps.
- Right-click the desktop, then select "NVIDIA Control Panel".
- On the left menu, under the Display category, select Rotate Display.
- Select the screen you want to rotate.
- Select the screen orientation, or use the buttons to rotate the screen by 90°.
Step 5. Rotate screen display on computer with ATI/AMD graphics card
You can use the Catalyst Control Center to rotate the screen display.
- Right-click the desktop, then select "Catalyst Control Center".
- Under Common Display Tasks, select Rotate Desktop. If this option does not appear, you will need to update the driver, which is explained in the next step.
- Select the screen you want to rotate.
- Select a screen orientation.
Step 6. If you can't rotate the screen, please update the driver
The most common problem that causes you to be unable to rotate the screen is an outdated version of the driver. Updating the driver to a newer version will generally allow you to rotate the screen. Also, by updating the drivers, your graphics card may also get a performance boost.
- Visit the NVIDIA or AMD site, depending on your graphics card type. If you don't know your graphics card type, follow step 3 to run the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
- Run an auto-detect program so the site can detect your graphics card type, or use the information from the DirectX Diagnostic Tool to find the graphics card model on the site.
- Download and install the latest drivers. The installation program will replace the old driver with the new driver. Generally, users do not need to change the installation settings.
- Try rotating the screen again. With the new driver, you should be able to use the method above to rotate the screen.
Method 2 of 3: Mac OS X
Step 1. Click the Apple menu, then select System Preferences
If you're using OS X Mavericks (10.9) or lower, you can force your Mac to rotate any screen, but OS X Yosemite limits the screen playback feature to only supported screens.
Step 2. Open the Displays option
The Rotation option is located in a different menu, depending on your version of OS X.
- Mavericks (10.9) and earlier - Hold down Command+⌥ Option, then click Displays.
- Yosemite (10.10) and later - Click the Displays option. Using Command+⌥ Option to open the Displays options in OS X Yosemite will cause serious errors.
Step 3. Click Rotate, then select a screen orientation
If you don't find the Rotate menu in OS X Yosemite and above, your screen doesn't support this function. Generally, MacBook and iMac's internal screen won't rotate.
Step 4. In OS X Yosemite, click the Arrangement tab
If you're using OS X Yosemite and have multiple screens connected, the entire screen rotates too. You can prevent the entire screen from being rotated by going to the Arrangement tab, then unchecking the Mirror Displays box
Method 3 of 3: Chrome OS
Step 1. Use a shortcut on the keyboard
Press Ctrl+⇧ Shift+rotate. This shortcut will rotate the computer screen by 90 degrees. Repeat to rotate the screen another 90 degrees until it's to your liking.