You turn on your computer and find that your screen has suddenly shrunk, with black bars on both sides? You dont know why the screen is shrinking on both sides and how to fix it? Dont worry, if you encounter this error, check out the simple causes and solutions in the article below.
The problem of a computer screen shrinking and having black edges is probably not unfamiliar to those who frequently use computers and adjust screen resolution . There are many causes for this error, but if the user adjusts the resolution incorrectly, they will immediately encounter the problem of the screen shrinking and the left, right, top, or bottom edges turning black.
Fixing a computer screen that is shrunken with black sides.
Computer screen shrinks on both sides: causes and solutions.
Reasons why your computer screen is shrinking.
The image above shows your computer screen being minimized, and the reasons could be as follows:
- The monitor resolution is incorrect.
- The user's computer's display driver is faulty or incompatible.
- Your computer's VGA card may be damaged.
How to fix a computer screen that is shrunken.
1. Adjust your computer screen resolution.
For computers running Windows 10
Step 1: Right-click on the Desktop -> select Display Settings .
Step 2: Find the Resolution option to select a suitable resolution.
To fix the issue of your computer screen shrinking on both sides, you should select the resolution recommended by the system.
As shown in the image, the resolution is 1366 x 768 (recommended) -> then select "Keep changes" to apply the changes.
For computers running Windows 7 or Windows 8
Step 1: Right-click on the Desktop screen -> then select Screen resolution.
Step 2: The Screen resolution windowwill appear -> you will adjust the Resolution setting to change the resolution. You should also set the system's suggested resolution (1366 x 768 in the image below).
Step 3: Finally, click OK to apply the changes and you're done.
For computers running Windows XP (which is now rarely used)
Step 1: Move your mouse cursor to the Desktop screen -> then right-click and select Properties
Step 2: In the Properties interface, click on Settings . Then, adjust the resolution to a suitable setting for your computer screen.
Step 3: Finally, click Apply -> then OK to apply the settings.
2. Reinstall the graphics card driver and fix the faulty VGA card.
If, after trying the troubleshooting steps above, your computer screen is still shrunk, it's likely due to a VGA driver issue. To fix this, you need to reinstall the VGA driver.
Step 1: Right-click on the computer icon on the Desktop (on Windows 7 it's the Computer option , on Windows 10 it's This PC ) -> select Manage .
Step 2: The Computer Management windowwill appear -> select Device Manager to check and remove drivers.
Step 3: To uninstall the driver, right-click on the driver and select "Uninstall Device" .
After successfully uninstalling, download the new version to reinstall it on your computer. You can use DriverEasy to update drivers (see more instructions on how to install DriverEasy to update computer drivers HERE ).
If that doesn't work, you may need to reinstall or reset Windows , or take it to a computer/laptop repair center to have the VGA card checked, as it may be damaged and need repair or replacement.
Above is a guide on how to fix the problem of your computer screen shrinking on both sides, along with the causes and specific solutions. From now on, if you accidentally encounter this error, please follow the instructions that TipsMake has just provided above to fix it.
Additionally, if you play games that require full-screen display, please refer to our guide on how to adjust the game display to full screen on Windows. Good luck!
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