Most operating systems offer the user the ability to change the screen orientation. This option is very useful when working with an external monitor, but it can be a double-edged sword when a person, by mistake, changes the orientation of the image displayed on the main computer monitor, by flipping it or rotating it 90 °. This article shows you how to solve the problem using the appropriate hotkey combination or system configuration settings.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Windows
Step 1. Press the Ctrl, Alt = "Image" and one of the directional arrows at the same time
Some graphics cards use the hotkey combination Ctrl + Alt + ↓ to flip the image displayed on the screen quickly and easily. To restore the correct orientation use the reverse key combination Ctrl + Alt + ↑. If you need to rotate the image shown on the screen by 90 °, left or right, you can choose to use one of these two key combinations: Ctrl + Alt + ← or Ctrl + Alt + →.
- Some video cards allow you to achieve the same result using the key combination ⇧ Shift + Alt + ↑.
- Remember that you need to use the alt="Image" key located on the right side of the space bar. On some keyboards, it is sometimes indicated with the words alt="Image" Gr.
Step 2. Change the screen orientation manually
Systems running Windows 7 or later provide the option to choose between the horizontal or vertical orientation of the image projected on the screen. To change this settings follow these steps:
- Select an empty spot on the desktop with the right mouse button;
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From the context menu that appeared, choose the Display settings option (Windows 10 systems) or Screen resolution (Windows 7 and Windows 8 systems).
Alternatively, access the Start menu, click on the Control Panel icon, select the Screen item, then choose the Screen settings or Screen resolution option.
- Open the "Orientation" drop-down menu and choose an option between "Landscape" or "Portrait", depending on your monitor.
- Press the "Apply" button to save and apply the new settings and restore the correct screen orientation.
Step 3. Access the graphics card configuration options
If the instructions described have not had the desired effect, it is very likely that you will have to intervene directly on the settings of the computer's video card. Depending on the model of the latter you will have to choose one of these items: "Graphics Options", "Graphics Properties", "Nvidia Control Panel", "AMD Catalyst Control Center" or "Intel Control Panel". You can locate these items using the Windows search bar or within the context menu of the desktop by selecting an empty spot on the latter with the right mouse button.
Step 4. Change your screen rotation settings
There is no standard screen rotation menu when using the graphics card configuration options, so you'll need to do a little visual research. In some cases you will find "Rotation" or "Orientation" in the "Display" section of the main menu of the graphics card.
- You may need to go to the "Options / Advanced Settings" section to find the controls with which to adjust the screen orientation.
- The problem may have occurred simply because you accidentally pressed the hotkey combination to change the screen orientation. You can verify this information by looking for the "Hotkeys Manager" or "Hotkeys" section of the graphics card settings and disable key combinations related to screen rotation.
Method 2 of 2: Mac
Step 1. Press the Command and Option keys simultaneously
Start by holding down the ⌘ Command and ⌥ Option keys. Do this for the duration of the procedure described in this section.
If you're using a Windows keyboard that you've connected to your Mac, you'll need to hold down the Ctrl + Alt keys
Step 2. Go to "System Preferences"
Click the Apple logo icon in the upper left corner of the screen. At this point choose the System Preferences option from the drop-down menu that appeared.
If the "System Preferences" window is already open, you will need to close and reopen it while holding down the indicated keys
Step 3. Access the display settings
To do this, click the Monitor icon. Keep pressing the "Command" and "Option" keys at the same time.
If you are using multiple displays, you will need to select the one with the incorrectly oriented image before continuing
Step 4. Change the orientation of the image
Holding down the "Command" and "Option" keys at the same time helped to access the screen orientation options in the "Monitor" window. Select the Standard option from the "Rotation" menu to restore the default screen orientation.
