If you were swayed by the newest features of Windows 10 and used the loophole for a free Windows 10 upgrade, one of the first issues you may encounter is a glitched or otherwise problematic screen.
For example, some users are bewildered when Windows 10 only uses about two-thirds of their screen, leaving thick black borders around the edges. Others experience distorted or pixelated graphics that are hard to discern. Or the problem could be as mundane as not being able to select a certain resolution.
The solution may be different for each issue, but the very first step you should take is always the same: check and see if your graphics drivers are up to date.
Fortunately, this is surprisingly easy in Windows 10. Just follow these steps and you'll likely be good to go:
- In the Start Menu, search for Device Manager.
- Open the Display Adapters submenu.
- Find your graphics adapter, which will usually match your graphics card. For me, it was Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200. Yours might say something related to Radeon or NVIDIA, for example.
- Right-click on it and select Update Driver Software.
- When prompted, select Search automatically for updated driver software. This will look through Microsoft's database of driver updates and, if it determines that your driver is out of date, will update yours to the latest version.
At this point, you may or may not need to restart your computer.
Most screen issues can be solved with a driver update, but keep in mind that it takes time for manufacturers to provide such updates. If Windows 10 just put out a new version and that's when your problem started, you may need to wait a few days or weeks for your driver to be updated.
If updating to the latest driver causes a different issue, you can always roll back and revert to a previous version. Avoid using third-party driver managers because they tend to be inaccurate at best or malware-ridden at worst.
Did this solve your screen issues? Let us know below! If it didn't but you found another solution, let us know what worked.