Top 5 Ways to Fix Screen Resolution Setting Grayed Out Problem on Windows 10

Whether you’ve plugged in a new monitor or are trying to improve video performance, adjusting your screen resolution to the right settings is the key to a better viewing experience. However, if you are unable to change the screen resolution, you are not alone. Several users reported that the display resolution option was greyed out after updating Windows or installing a new graphics card.

For screen resolution issues, the cause could range from a hardware issue to minor configuration issues. If you only encountered the issue after installing an app, game, or software, try changing the resolution after performing a clean boot first.

However, if not, check out the top 5 ways to fix screen resolution issues on Windows 10.

1. Update the Windows operating system

Before diving into display settings, you need to make sure that your Windows 10 PC is up to date. Here’s how.

Step 1: Press Windows key + I to open Settings and select Update & Security. Now click on “Check for Updates” to see if there are any new updates.

2nd step: If there is an update, download it first and install it by restarting your PC.

In most cases, updating your PC will fix the screen resolution issue you are facing. Otherwise, chances are it has something to do with the display drivers installed on your PC.

2. Update the display driver

If Windows Update does not work, try updating the display driver on your PC as they might be corrupted or no longer compatible. Let’s see how.

Step 1: Press Windows Key + X and select Device Manager from the list. Now expand “Graphics Cards” from the list. Then right-click on the name of the graphics card and select “Update Driver”.

2nd step: Select “Automatically search for drivers” and wait for the process to complete.

Now restart your PC to see if the problem is resolved. If not, you can try to install the display driver manually.

3. Install the display drivers manually

Another way to update drivers is to manually download and install the graphics driver from the manufacturer’s website.

Step 1: First of all, you need to know what graphics hardware you currently have. To do this, press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type dxdiag and press Enter.

2nd step: Go to the Display tab and write down the name of the driver used for your display.

4. Install the drivers in compatibility mode

If the above driver installation method fails manually, there may be a compatibility issue between your driver and your operating system. This usually happens if you are using an older computer. Here’s how to fix it.

Step 1: Right-click on the driver configuration file you just downloaded and click Properties. Now go to the Compatibility tab and check the box next to “ Run this program in compatibility mode for ” and select Windows 7 or 8 from the drop-down list.

2nd step: Click on Apply and then on OK. Now right click on the installation file again and choose “Run as administrator” to start the installation. Once the installation is complete, restart your PC.

Now go ahead and check if you can change the resolution by going to Settings> System> Display> Display resolution.

5. Install the Microsoft display driver

If you still cannot change the resolution on your PC, try switching to Microsoft display driver by following the steps mentioned below.

Step 1: Press Windows key + X or right click the Start button and select Device Manager from the list. Now expand “Graphics Cards” from the list and right click on the name of the graphics card to select Update Driver.

2nd step: Select the option “Browse my computer for drivers” and click on the option “Let me choose from a list of drivers available on my computer”.

Step 3: Now select Microsoft Display Driver from the list and hit Next.

Wait for Windows to install the drivers, then restart your PC to see if the issue is resolved.

A new point of view

It should do it. In most cases updating Windows or display drivers will do the trick. If not, you can also try other methods listed above. However, if each method fails, chances are the problem is hardware related and you better consult an expert for that.

Now that the problem is fixed, how about improving your productivity game using split screen on Windows 10?