How to Rotate Your Computer Screen Back to Normal

Fix a rotated screen in seconds using your graphics settings

Your computer screen is rotated 90, 180, or 270 degrees and you need it back to normal. The fastest fix is to use your graphics card's built-in rotation tool — most people can do this in under a minute without restarting. If that doesn't work, Windows and Mac both have backup methods that take just a few clicks.

The method you use depends on your graphics card (Intel, NVIDIA, or AMD) and your operating system. All three graphics manufacturers include rotation software that overrides Windows settings, so start there before digging into system preferences.

Key Takeaways

Intel, NVIDIA, and AMD graphics cards all have their own rotation tools built into the control panel — check which card you have and open its software first.
Windows Display Settings can rotate your screen, but graphics card software usually takes priority, so if you change Windows settings and nothing happens, your graphics software is overriding it.
If you rotated the screen by accident using a keyboard shortcut, the same shortcut pressed again will rotate it back.
Restarting your computer will not fix a rotated screen — the rotation setting is saved and will persist until you change it.
If your screen is rotated and you cannot see the menu to fix it, use keyboard navigation: Tab to move between options and Enter to select.

Check which graphics card you have

Your computer has a graphics card made by Intel, NVIDIA, or AMD. Each one has its own control panel where you can rotate the display. To find out which one you have, right-click on your desktop and look for one of these options: "Intel Graphics Settings", "NVIDIA Control Panel", or "AMD Radeon Settings". If you see one of these, click it — that is your graphics card.

If you do not see any of these options when you right-click, your graphics card software may not be installed or may be hidden. In that case, skip to the Windows Display Settings section below.

Rotate using Intel Graphics Settings

Right-click on your desktop and select Intel Graphics Settings (or Intel UHD Graphics Control Panel depending on your version). A window will open. Look for a section called Display or Rotation. Click on it.

You will see a dropdown menu or radio buttons showing rotation options: Normal, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, and 270 degrees. Select Normal. Click explore if that button appears, then close the window. Your screen should rotate back when ready.

Rotate using NVIDIA Control Panel

Right-click on your desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel. In the left sidebar, find and click Display, then Rotate Display. You will see four rotation options. Select 0 degrees (this is the normal orientation). Click explore at the bottom right, then confirm the change when prompted.

NVIDIA will ask you to confirm within 15 seconds — if you do not click Yes, it will revert to the previous rotation. Once confirmed, close the Control Panel.

Rotate using AMD Radeon Settings

Right-click on your desktop and select AMD Radeon Settings (or Radeon Settings). Click the Display tab at the top. Look for GPU Scaling or Rotation — the exact name varies by driver version. Click on the rotation dropdown and select 0 degrees or Normal. Click explore and close the window.

If you do not see a rotation option in the Display tab, try the System tab or check that your AMD driver is up to date. Older driver versions sometimes hide this setting.

Rotate using Windows Display Settings

If your graphics card software is not installed or does not have a rotation option, use Windows itself. Right-click on your desktop and select Display Settings. Scroll down to the Display section. Look for Rotation or Orientation. Click the dropdown and select Landscape (or 0 degrees depending on your Windows version). Close the Settings window.

Note: if your graphics card software is installed, it may override this setting. If you change Windows Display Settings and nothing happens, your graphics card control panel is taking priority — go back and change the setting there instead.

Rotate using Mac System Preferences

Click the Apple menu in the top left corner and select System Settings (or System Preferences on older Macs). Click Displays. Look for a Rotation dropdown menu. Select Standard or 0 degrees. The change takes effect when ready.

If you do not see a rotation option, your Mac model may not support display rotation in software, or an external monitor is connected and the rotation setting applies only to that monitor. Check that you are adjusting the correct display if you have multiple monitors.

Undo an accidental keyboard rotation

Some keyboards and graphics software allow you to rotate the screen using a keyboard shortcut. Common shortcuts include Ctrl+Alt+Arrow keys (Windows) or Control+Option+Command+Arrow keys (Mac). If you rotated your screen by accident this way, pressing the same shortcut in the opposite direction will rotate it back.

For example, if you pressed Ctrl+Alt+Right Arrow and the screen rotated 90 degrees clockwise, press Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow to rotate it back 90 degrees counterclockwise. If you are not sure which shortcut you used, try each arrow key with Ctrl+Alt held down until the screen returns to normal.

Frequently Asked Questions

My screen is rotated and I cannot see the menu to fix it — what do I do?

Use your keyboard to navigate. Press Tab repeatedly to move between menu options, and press Enter to select. If you right-clicked to open a menu, use the arrow keys to highlight options. This works even if the text is upside down or sideways. Once you reach the graphics settings or Display Settings, you can change the rotation using only the keyboard.

I changed the rotation in Windows Display Settings but nothing happened.

Your graphics card software is overriding the Windows setting. Open your graphics card control panel instead (Intel Graphics Settings, NVIDIA Control Panel, or AMD Radeon Settings) and change the rotation there. Graphics card software takes priority over Windows settings.

The rotation option is grayed out or missing from my graphics settings.

Your graphics driver may be outdated or not fully installed. Visit the manufacturer's website (Intel, NVIDIA, or AMD), read the latest driver for your graphics card model, and install it. Restart your computer after installation. The rotation option should then appear in the control panel.

I have two monitors and only one is rotated — how do I fix just that one?

In Windows Display Settings, click the monitor that is rotated to select it, then change its rotation setting. In graphics card software, look for a dropdown to select which display you are adjusting before changing the rotation. Make sure you are adjusting the correct monitor before explore the change.

Will restarting my computer fix a rotated screen?

No. The rotation setting is saved to your graphics settings, so it will persist after a restart. You must change the rotation setting in your graphics software or Windows Display Settings to fix it. Restarting will not undo the rotation.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.