How to Fix Overscan in Windows 10 to Fit to Screen (2024)

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Overscaling, also referred to as overscanning, is when a computer’s display renders outside of the viewable area of a monitor or TV screen. It’s like having the outer edges of a photo partially covered by a picture frame due to the picture being too large.

“How do I fix my desktop overscaling?” and “How do I get Windows 10 to fit my TV screen?” are two questions asked by new monitor and TV owners. Fortunately, there are proven solutions that are relatively simple and quick to implement.

Causes of Overscan on Windows 10

A simple miscommunication between the Windows 10 computer and the connected display usually causes overscan. While monitors, TV screens, and Windows 10 devices generally have features that can auto-detect and implement the best resolution and display settings, sometimes they don’t work. The user is left to adjust settings until everything looks as it should.

Sometimes an out-of-date operating system or driver can also cause overscaling.

How to Fix Desktop Overscaling and Overscanning

“So, how do I fix overscan monitor issues?” Whether you’re experiencing overscan on Windows 10 or you suspect that your TV may be the problem, there are some proven solutions that you can try. Here are the best ways to fix overscaling listed from quickest to more advanced.

1. Disconnect and reconnect the HDMI cable. One problem could be behind your Windows 10 computer’s display, not correctly mirroring or projecting onto your TV. Unplug the HDMI cable and then plug it back in again to see if this fixes the problem.

2. Adjust your TV’s display settings. After connecting your Windows 10 computer to your TV, use the TV’s settings to adjust the aspect ratio and viewable screen area. The names of these settings do change depending on the manufacturer but are usually called Display, Screen, or Picture.

   Some smart TVs, such as those made by LG, Sony, and Samsung, may hide these options in a secondary Settings menu within the TV’s Home screen, not within the commonly used Action Menu or popup options.

3. Change the Windows 10 screen resolution. After connecting to the TV screen or computer monitor, experiment with different screen resolutions within Windows 10 Settings until you get to one that looks the way you want.

4. Use Windows 10 display scaling. These display settings can adjust how text, apps, and other aspects of Windows 10 render on monitors. Changing them could fix any desktop overscaling issues that you’re experiencing.

5. Manually adjust your monitor’s display settings. Most monitors have physical buttons that bring up a menu with various display settings. You can usually use these settings to resize or rescale a Windows 10 computer’s display and unhide cropped content due to overscan.

6. Update Windows 10. The update process can fix various bugs and improve support for many monitor types.

7. Update your drivers. Like the Windows 10 operating system update, updating your drivers can also squash any bugs or glitches you’re experiencing. In this case, update the drivers for your monitors and display adapters.

8. Use AMD's Radeon Software settings. If your computer has an AMD GPU, you can use the Radeon Software app to fix overscan issues by opening it, clicking Settings > Display, and adjusting the HDMI Scaling slider.

9. Use the Intel Graphics Control Panel. Have a Windows 10 computer running on an Intel CPU? Open the Intel Graphics Control Panel and click Display. Experiment with the various options until the preview looks the way you want, and then click Apply to apply the settings.

10. Fix desktop overscaling with the Nvidia Control Panel. If your Windows 10 computer has an Nvidia GPU, open the Nvidia Control Panel and click Display > Adjust desktop size and position, check off Enable desktop resizing and then click Resize while connected to the monitor.

11. Calibrate your monitor. Windows 10 has a built-in calibration tool that you can use to fix various display issues associated with your monitor. There are also third-party monitor calibration apps that can be downloaded and used.