During computer use, there will occasionally be abnormal shrinkage of the screen and black borders on both sides, as if entering “narrow screen mode”. This is often related to incorrect resolution settings, abnormal graphics card drivers, or improper display scale adjustments. This article has compiled several practical solutions to help you quickly restore the normal full-screen display effect.
1. Modify the screen resolution
If there are obvious black bars on both sides of the screen, it is likely that the current resolution does not match the optimal parameters of the display.
1. Right-click on an empty area of the desktop and select “Display Settings”.
2. Check the “Display Resolution” option to confirm the current settings.
3. Change it to a resolution marked “Recommended” (commonly 1920×1080 or other native resolutions).
4. Click “Apply” and observe whether the screen returns to normal.
5. If it still doesn’t work, it is recommended to restart your computer and test again.
2. Update the graphics card driver
Corrupted drivers or outdated versions can cause the graphics card to not recognize the display characteristics correctly, causing the picture reduction problem. It is recommended to use “Drive Life” to automatically detect the hardware model and repair the missing or outdated driver, which is easy to operate and suitable for novice users.
1. Click the download button to install and open “Driver Life”, enter the – Driver management interface, and click the scan now;
2. If the graphics card driver is abnormal or can be upgraded, click the “Upgrade Driver” button to automatically download and install the latest version of the driver.
3. Adjust the zoom ratio through the graphics card control panel
Some discrete graphics software (such as NVIDIA or AMD) provides screen zoom control, which can cause the screen to not fill the screen if set incorrectly. The following is an example of how to do this:
1. Right-click on an empty space on the desktop to open the NVIDIA Control Panel.
2. Select “Adjust desktop size and position” in the left menu.
3. Select “Full Screen” in the zoom mode.
4. Tick the “Alternate Program Settings” option.
5. Click “Apply” to check if the screen is back to normal.
6. Close the panel after the settings are complete.
4. Check the menu settings that come with the monitor
Some monitors may also be incorrectly operated due to OSD (screen menu), which may cause incorrect proportions and black bars.
1. Find the menu key on the monitor and press it to enter the settings interface.
2. Look for options related to “Image Settings” or “Screen Ratio”.
3. Set the aspect ratio to “Full Screen” or “16:9”, or try “Auto-Adjust” to automatically adapt the device to the source.
4. Save your changes and exit to see if the black borders are gone.
5. Reset the system display configuration
If there is no improvement after repeated debugging, the system display parameters may be disordered, and the default state can be restored by resetting.
1. Open Settings→ System→ Display.
2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on “Advanced display settings.”
3. Go to “Show adapter properties” and click the “Properties” button to confirm the information.
Regularly using the driver to detect and update the graphics card driver is not only easy to operate, but also can effectively prevent various display failures caused by driver problems.
