How to Fit Screen to Monitor in Windows 10?

If you’ve ever connected your Windows 10 computer to an external monitor, you may have noticed that sometimes the screen doesn’t fit perfectly. This can be frustrating, especially if you’re seeing black bars on the sides, top, or bottom of your screen, or the display appears stretched or distorted. Fortunately, there are several ways to fix this issue and ensure that your screen fits properly on your monitor.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to adjust the screen to fit your monitor correctly on Windows 10, covering common fixes for scaling, resolution, and display settings.

Table of Contents

1. Check the Display Resolution Settings

The first step in making sure your screen fits your monitor properly is to check and adjust the screen’s resolution. The resolution determines how many pixels are displayed on the screen and should be set to match your monitor’s native resolution for the best fit.

Steps to adjust screen resolution:

Right-click on the Desktop and select Display settings.
Scroll down to the Display resolution section.
Under Display resolution, select the recommended resolution for your monitor. This is typically the native resolution, and it’s usually marked as (Recommended).
Once selected, Windows will apply the new resolution. If everything looks good, click Keep changes.

Tip: If you’re unsure about the native resolution, you can find it in your monitor’s user manual or check the manufacturer’s website.

2. Adjust Scaling Settings

Sometimes, the screen might not look right because the scaling settings are misconfigured. Scaling affects how the content (text, apps, etc.) is displayed on your screen. If the scaling is too high or too low, it can cause parts of the screen to be cut off or make things look blurry.

Steps to adjust scaling settings:

Right-click on the Desktop and choose Display settings.
Scroll down to the Scale and layout section.
Under Change the size of text, apps, and other items, choose a scaling percentage that fits your display. Typically, 100% (recommended for most screens) works best for monitors with Full HD resolution, while 125% or 150% may be necessary for higher-resolution displays.
After selecting the appropriate scaling, the display will automatically adjust. You may need to log out and log back in for the changes to take effect fully.

Tip: Some monitors (especially ultra-wide or 4K monitors) may require a custom scaling factor for the best fit.

3. Adjust the Monitor’s Display Settings

Most modern monitors come with built-in settings that allow you to adjust the screen’s display. You can use the monitor’s on-screen display (OSD) menu to adjust various parameters like position, size, and aspect ratio.

Steps to adjust monitor settings:

Press the Menu Button on your monitor to bring up the OSD.
Look for the Position, Aspect Ratio, or Screen Fit options in the OSD menu.
Try adjusting the Aspect Ratio to Auto, 16:9, or Native (whichever applies to your monitor).
If your monitor has a Screen Fit option, enable it to ensure that the screen fits correctly to the edges of the monitor.

Note: The exact steps vary by monitor manufacturer. Consult your monitor’s manual for specific instructions on adjusting the OSD settings.

4. Update or Reinstall Graphics Drivers

Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers can cause screen resolution and display fitting issues. Ensuring that your graphics drivers are up to date can often resolve these types of problems.

Steps to update or reinstall graphics drivers:

Right-click on the Start button and select Device Manager.
Expand the Display adapters section and right-click on your graphics card.
Select Update driver.
Choose Search automatically for updated driver software. If an update is available, Windows will download and install it.
If updating doesn’t fix the issue, you can try right-clicking on your graphics card again and selecting Uninstall device. Restart your computer, and Windows will attempt to reinstall the graphics driver automatically.

Tip: For the latest and most optimized drivers, it’s recommended to visit the manufacturer’s website for your graphics card (e.g., NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel) and download the latest version directly.

5. Check for Overscan or Underscan Settings

Some TVs or monitors connected via HDMI may have an overscan issue, where the screen appears zoomed in and parts of the display are cut off. On the other hand, underscan might result in the display not filling the entire screen.

If you’re using an HDMI connection to connect to your monitor or TV, adjusting the overscan/underscan settings can help.

Steps to adjust overscan or underscan:

Right-click on the Desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel, AMD Radeon Settings, or Intel Graphics Settings, depending on your graphics card.
In the control panel, look for the Display or Adjust desktop size and position section.
Look for an Overscan or Scaling option and adjust it to make sure the image fits perfectly on your screen.
- NVIDIA users: Under the Adjust Desktop Size and Position tab, choose Full-screen scaling or adjust the underscan/overscan slider.
- AMD users: Under Display, look for Scaling Mode and set it to Full Panel.

Tip: This step is mainly useful if you’re using a TV or large monitor and experiencing zoomed-in images with parts of the screen cut off.

6. Use the Windows 10 Projection Settings (for Multiple Monitors)

If you’re using more than one monitor, Windows 10 offers several projection settings that can affect how your screen is displayed. You can choose to extend, duplicate, or project to a second screen in different modes.

Steps to adjust projection settings:

Press Win + P to open the Project menu.
Choose one of the following options:
- Duplicate: Show the same content on both screens.
- Extend: Expand your desktop across both screens.
- Second screen only: Display content only on the second screen.
If you want to ensure the display fits properly on both monitors, use Extend or Duplicate, and ensure both monitors have the correct resolution and scaling settings applied.

7. Perform a System Restart

If you’ve adjusted all the necessary settings and the screen still isn’t fitting properly, try restarting your computer. Sometimes, a simple restart can help Windows apply display settings more effectively, especially after a resolution or driver update.

Conclusion

Getting your screen to fit properly on your monitor in Windows 10 is usually a matter of adjusting the right display settings. By checking the resolution, scaling, and monitor settings, as well as ensuring your drivers are up to date, you should be able to eliminate any issues related to screen fitting. If all else fails, troubleshooting your monitor’s settings or adjusting overscan/underscan options can help perfect the display fit.