Everything you needed to know about your PC display settings

If wireless connectivity is in your future, it’s important to make sure your device or devices will work properly with your existing system.

This isn’t a problem if you’re generally familiar with the ins and outs of certain brands or types of hardware. But those new to the world of wireless HDMI solutions should anticipate some amount of experimenting with syncing your receiving and transmitting equipment, your computer’s display settings and updating any necessary drivers before it all comes together.

The good news is that successfully configuring everything is always worth the wait: you’ll feel free, you’ll enjoy streaming HDMI signals and you’ll avoid the usual snarl of cables.
For those wanting to get started figuring out all of this, let’s begin by learning about your computer’s capabilities.

Getting There

In past versions of Windows, the easiest way to access info about your Display was by going to your Control Panel, which was traditionally found under your Start Menu. Then your Display menu would allow you make changes to how you see images, including the resolution of your screen and any background images.

Getting to this point in a Windows 10 system starts by clicking your Start menu. Instead of choosing one of the apps, look at the icons on the far left, and choose Settings. From there, choose System, where you’ll have access to all sorts of tools that affect the overall performance of your machine, from Power to Apps, from Storage to Battery.
(If you remain a fan of the look and feel of the traditional Control Panel, there is still a way to get there in Windows 10, it’s just a longer process: from the Start Menu, go to the Windows System app, and then choose Control Panel. The Display options are found under Appearance and Personalization. If you need or want to add/change drivers, this can be done are under Hardware and Sound.)

Customization

Unlike previous Windows operating systems which let you choose from a menu of different screen resolutions, Windows 10 includes an easy-to-use slider that lets you change the size of your text and other items. Doing so requires you to sign and in and out.

This area also allows you to change the Orientation from Landscape to Portrait, or flipped version of each. It’s also simple to figure out your current Display settings – just click “Identify” or “Detect.”

Advanced Settings

To make more changes or customizations to your display, click “Advanced Settings” at the bottom and go to a screen where you can manage/calibrate your monitor colors from the default choices, or change the resolution. Changing the resolution is as easy as opening the box and choosing one.

Windows 10 also makes it relatively easy to jump to similar tasks rather than going back through menus to find what you’re looking for. For instance, the Advanced Settings menu includes a list of Related Settings, such as Display Adapter Properties, which provide you specific info about your monitor, graphics processor and available/dedicated graphics and video memory.

If you have admin privileges, you can look closer at the properties for your adapter, including making sure everything is functioning properly. This is also the spot where you can get details about drivers, including whether it needs to be updated, disabled or uninstalled.

Projecting

If you want to project your image to a second screen, either an adjacent monitor or a separate screen away, there are several ways to get there: from the main Settings menu and choosing “Projecting to this PC,” from Control Panel/Appearance/Display, or, some laptop keyboards offer this as a function.

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