How to Change your Screen Resolution (Windows and Mac)

This guide will show you how to change your screen resolution in both Windows and macOS.

Choose your operating system:

Windows 10
macOS
Windows XP


Change the Windows 10 Screen Resolution

  1. Right-click anywhere on your Desktop and select Display settings from the menu.
  2. Windows 10 Desktop context menu with Display settings highlighted

  3. Scroll down until you find the Display resolution. Click the ‘arrow’ to open up the full menu.
  4. the Display section of the Windows 10 control panel

  5. Select from any of the available screen resolutions.
  6. list of available screen resolutions in windows 10

  7. Some are going to look better than others so after you’ve made your selection a window will appear asking if you’d like to keep the current display settings. Select either Keep changes or Revert and try a different one.
  8. windows 10 screen resolution changed dialogue box

Change the macOS (OS X) Screen Solution

  1. Click the ‘Apple button’ from the main Menu Bar and select System Preferences… from the list of options.
  2. the Apple menu with System Preferences highlighted

  3. Select Displays from the list of System Preferences.
  4. the macOS System Preferences with Displays highlighted

  5. In all likelihood Default for display will be the selected Resolution:. Choose Scaled
  6. changing the macOS screen resolution

  7. Now you can choose between the various screen resolutions available to your Mac.
  8. list of available screen resolutions for macOS

Windows XP

  1. To change your desktop resolution, click once on your desktop with the right mouse button and select Properties from the pop-up menu.
  2. the windows Xp desktop context menu

  3. On the Display Properties window, select the Settings tab.
  4. the windows xp display preferences

  5. In the area labeled Screen resolution, drag the arrow to the right until you reach at least 1024 by 768 pixels. Click OK to change your screen resolution.
  6. the windows xp screen resolutions with the default changed to a larger size

  7. Depending on your computer configuration, you may be prompted to make a choice between restarting your computer, or applying the changes without restarting. It is usually safe to make the changes without restarting.
  8. the windows xp restart menu


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7 thoughts on “How to Change your Screen Resolution (Windows and Mac)”

  1. SUNIL KUMAR PATHAK

    I have P4 System that have Windows Server 2003 Operating System. In the area labeled Screen resolution, when dragging the arrow ( ) to the right for until we reach at least 1024 by 768 pixels, it doesn’t moved. Please Help me

  2. I do like to use Windows XP every so often, but I just can’t get the screen resolution right, 1680×1050 on a 22 inch monitor. I know how to do it normally, but it seems that Windows drivers just don’t support that many display resolutions for monitors or display adapters. On my dual boot system running Linux and Windows, Linux has a wonderful screen at full resolution, but Windows XP is distorted, stretched and hard on the eyes.

    What can one do to correct the problem if there is a way to do it? Can one edit the drivers?

  3. I went to change my screen resolution on my laptop windows xp and I hit the number 2 box on the settings and my screen turned blue and there is a little black box.if i right click i get properties but nothing else.What should i do. I was hooking up my laptop to my tv. my laptop screen is no good,thats why I was going to watch with my tv screen

  4. shrikant sharat

    I am using windows xp sp2. I get a black blank screen when i do the above. After a while i see the old 800X600 resolution. It does not change to 1024X768. I could not understand the problem. Please help.

    Thank you.

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