You have a game to play with a vertical monitor? Or are you trying to set up a unique home computer look? Are you building a retro arcade? Rotating the monitor is not a common procedure, but with the right equipment you can adjust the monitor to your liking. Once the monitor is set up, you can change the appearance of Windows so you don't have to tilt your head to see it. Finally, you can calibrate the monitor so that the colors look as beautiful as possible.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Rotating Screen Orientation
Step 1. Try rotating your screen with a keyboard shortcut
This is the fastest way to rotate the screen display, but it doesn't work on all systems. The quickest way to find out if this action is working or not is to do some testing. If the shortcut below doesn't work, move on to the next step:
- Ctrl+Alt+← will rotate the screen 90° to the left.
- Ctrl+Alt+→ will rotate the screen display 90° to the right.
- Ctrl+Alt+↓ will flip the screen upside down.
- Ctrl+Alt+↑ will return the screen display to its original orientation.
Step 2. Open the Screen Resolution window
In Windows 7 and 8, this can be accessed by right-clicking the desktop and selecting "Screen Resolution". In Windows Vista, select "Personalization" then click the Display Settings option.
In Windows XP, select "Properties" then click the Settings tab
Step 3. Select the rotation option you want
Look for the "Orientation" drop-down menu. This allows you to choose the rotation of your screen display. Select the options you want, then click Apply.
If you don't see the Orientation option, continue to the next step
Step 4. Open the control panel of your video card
Screen rotation is handled by your video card, and not by Windows. While most modern video cards will add a rotation option to the Windows Screen Resolution window, you may have to open the video card control panel to access it.
- You can usually access the control panel by right-clicking the desktop and clicking video card control panel options. You can also access it by opening the Windows Control Panel, then selecting that option from there.
- Select the "Rotation" or "Orientation" section from the control panel. You can use this to rotate the screen to your liking.
- If you can't rotate the screen with a keyboard shortcut, don't have an option in your Screen Resolution window, and don't have an option in your video card control panel or don't have a video card installed in your computer, then you won't be able to rotate the screen.
Part 2 of 3: Adjusting Monitor Settings
Step 1. Open the calibration image
There are many free calibration images available online. The calibration image will help provide a point of reference as you adjust your monitor settings.
Step 2. Open your monitor menu
Most monitors have an on-screen menu that you can use to adjust color, brightness, and contrast. If you do not have a monitor with on-screen menus, you may have dedicated buttons for these functions.
Step 3. Set your color temperature
Monitor calibration images will usually have brightly colored blocks. Use this to find a natural-looking color temperature and allow you to see all colors clearly.
6500K is the standard size for monitors, although some calibration images will require you to convert to 9300K. Not all monitors allow you to set the temperature value
Step 4. Adjust brightness and contrast
Use the brightness and contrast controls to adjust how well you can see dark squares in the calibration image. Usually you can distinguish the subsequent squares, but the first few must be distinguishable. This will ensure that black and dark scenes in movies and games look good.
Step 5. Adjust the screen position
Sometimes the screen doesn't fit exactly at the monitor boundaries, and you may notice that your mouse is slightly off the screen, or that there may be black lines visible around the edges of the monitor. You can adjust this from your monitor's menu.
You can pan the screen horizontally and vertically, and you can expand and shrink it. Use these controls to make the screen fit your monitor perfectly
Part 3 of 3: Physically Rotating the Screen
Step 1. Mount your screen on the wall
If you want to permanently rotate the screen (retro arcade, maybe?), the easiest and safest way to do this is to use a monitor mount kit on the wall. It's not always suitable for all screens, so check to see if the kit is compatible with your monitor make and model.
Step 2. Purchase a rotatable monitor
There are several monitors that you can rotate on the base. This allows you to easily rotate the monitor by 90°. Note that when you rotate the monitor manually, you will still have to adjust its orientation via the video card settings.
You can purchase a backrest that allows you to rotate your existing monitor without spending too much money. Make sure that the backrest is compatible with your monitor model
Step 3. Check if your monitor can be tilted
Some monitors have a backrest that allows you to tilt the monitor up or down. This is especially useful if you have an LCD monitor, as it has a certain angle for good viewing. You can usually tilt the monitor by gently grasping the top and bottom of the monitor, then pulling the bottom or pushing the top.
Step 4. Avoid rotating the monitor without a stand
Many monitors are not designed to be rotatable, especially older CRT monitors. Each time you turn it, the monitor must be supported by a backrest or hook. Using other objects to support the monitor may cause the monitor to become unstable or overheat.
