Buzz
This article provides a detailed guide on adjusting the size of icons and text on your Windows computer screen by increasing or decreasing the resolution.
Steps
Windows 10
Right-click on the desktop. A menu will appear here.
Click on Display settings. This option is located at the bottom of the menu.
Scroll down and click on Advanced display settings. This link appears at the bottom of the page.
Click on the bar under the "Resolution" heading. You will see a list of different resolutions displayed (e.g., "800 x 600").
Select a resolution. The resolution that best fits your computer screen usually has "(Recommended)" next to it.
- Higher resolutions will make text and icons appear smaller on your computer.
Click on Apply. This button is located below the "Resolution" bar. Your screen will now adjust to the selected resolution.
Click on Keep changes. If you don't like the new resolution, you can click Revert or wait a few seconds for the screen to automatically return to the default resolution.
Windows 7 and 8
Right-click on the desktop. This action will bring up a menu.
Click on Screen resolution. This option is located at the bottom of the right-click menu.
Click on the resolution adjustment bar. This bar appears below the "Resolution" heading. You will see a list of options with various resolutions, such as "1920 x 1080".
- On Windows 7, this will be a vertical slider that allows you to click and drag the adjustment button up or down to increase or decrease the resolution.
Select a resolution. The resolution that best fits your computer screen will have "(Recommended)" next to it.
- Higher resolutions will make text and icons appear smaller on your computer.
Click on OK. This button is located below the window. This action will prompt you to confirm your selection.
Click on Yes when prompted. This will save the resolution you just selected.
- If you don't like the new resolution, you can click Revert or wait a few seconds for the screen to automatically return to the default resolution.
Windows Vista
Right-click on the desktop. A menu will appear here.
Select Personalize (Customize). This option is located at the bottom of the right-click menu.
- On some versions of Vista, this option is also labeled as Properties.
Click on Display Settings (Screen Settings). This path appears at the bottom of the "Personalize" window.
Click and drag the slider on the "Resolution" bar to the left or right. You will find this adjustment bar below the "Display Settings" window. Moving the slider to the left decreases the screen resolution, while dragging it to the right increases the resolution.
- As the resolution increases, the display size of items on the screen becomes smaller; decreasing the resolution makes them larger. If the screen is hard to read, lower the resolution. For the sharpest image quality, adjust the resolution to match your screen's capabilities.
Click on OK at the bottom of the window. This action will prompt you to confirm your selection.
Click on Yes when prompted. This will save the new resolution you have selected.
Windows XP
Right-click anywhere on the screen. This action will bring up a context menu.
Click on Properties. This option is located at the bottom of the menu. The "Display Properties" window will appear after this step.
- If the "Display Properties" window does not automatically open to the "Settings" tab, click on it at the top of the window.
Click and drag the slider on the "Resolution" bar to the left or right. This option is found below the "Display Settings" window. Moving the slider to the left reduces the screen resolution, while dragging it to the right increases it.
- Increasing the resolution makes on-screen items appear smaller, while decreasing it makes them larger. If the screen is hard to read, lower the resolution. For the sharpest image quality, adjust the resolution to match your screen's capabilities.
Click on Apply. This option is located at the bottom of the window. After this step, the screen resolution will change, and a confirmation dialog will appear.
Click on Yes (Yes) when prompted. This will save the resolution you have selected.
- If you are not satisfied with the new resolution, wait a few seconds; the screen will revert to the previous resolution.
Click on OK to close the "Display Properties" window. Your new resolution will be saved.
Windows ME
Right-click on an empty area of the screen. A menu will appear here.
Scroll to the View section. Next, adjust the size of the icons.
Advice
- Each screen will use a different resolution. For example, if you want to view your computer screen on a TV, choose the resolution that offers the best display quality.
Warning
- The display quality of the screen will decrease as the resolution decreases.
