Rotate screen in Windows 10
Windows 10 not rotating the screen? If your computer screen is sideways, upside down, you can follow below steps to rotate computer screen on Windows 10 PC. Note that this is different from rotating display screen orientation on computer. If you like to change screen orientation, you can go to Windows 10 >> Settings >> Display >> Orientation, then choose from four display modes: Landscape, Portrait, Landscape (flipped), and Portrait (flipped). Check out below steps for screen rotation in Windows 10.
How to rotate computer screen in Windows 10?
Right click on the desktop of your Windows 10 laptop or desktop, you will get a pop-up menu. Choose Graphic Options from this menu, then choose Rotation from the sub-menu, and choose from four rotation modes in Windows 10: Normal landscape, 90 degress, 180 degress, 270 degrees. 
Windows 10 Rotate Screen Hotkey & Shortcuts
From the above screen to rotate computer screen in Windows 10, you can also find the shortcuts or hot keys to quickly rotate screen in Windows 10 by pressing the key combinations on the keyboard. For example, if you like to rotate screen 90 degrees, you can simply use the hotkey (Ctrl+Alt+Left). If your computer screen is upside down, simply press Ctrl+Alt+Down or Ctrl+Alt+Up keys to turn it to normal.
You can use the following hotkeys to rotate screen in Windows 10.
- Ctrl+Alt+Up to rotate to the default
- Ctrl+Alt+Left to rotate 90 degrees
- Ctrl+Alt+Down to rotate by 180 degrees
- Ctrl+Alt+Right to rotate by 270 degrees
If the hotkeys or shortcuts not workig and Windows 10 still not rotating computer screen, the hotkeys might be disabled. To enable screen rotation hot keys in Windows 10, go to Graphic Options >> Hot Keys >> Enable.
How to rotate screen on Windows 10
Source: Windows Central
On Windows 10, the ability to rotate the screen can come in handy in many scenarios. For instance, if you’re a programmer using an external monitor, turning the screen to portrait mode can improve efficiency when viewing code. If you’re using a tablet, switching the orientation of the screen can be a better way to read a book or document. You can even flip the screen upside down to play a prank to a friend, or to return to landscape mode after accidentally invoking the rotate shortcut.
Whatever the reason it might be, Windows 10 includes multiple ways to rotate the screen in landscape, portrait, or flipped mode using the Settings app and keyboard shortcuts, or through the vendor graphics control panel software.
In this Windows 10 guide, we’ll walk you through the different methods to rotate the screen on your desktop, laptop, or tablet.
How to rotate screen using Settings
To rotate the screen with the Settings app, use these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Click on System.
- Click on Display.
- Under the «Rearrange your displays» section, select the screen that you want to rotate (if applicable).
Under the «Scale and layout» section, use the Display orientation drop-down menu to select one of the orientation:
- Landscape.
- Portrait.
- Landscape (flipped).
- Portrait (flipped).
Source: Windows Central
Once you complete the steps, the display will change to your preferred orientation.
If the rotation option is grayed out, or the keyboard shortcuts aren’t working, you may need to update the video drivers. In the case that you need assistance, you can use refer to these instructions.
How to rotate screen using keyboard shortcut
Alternatively, if your tablet, laptop, or desktop supports it, you can also use keyboard shortcuts to rotate the screen on Windows 10:
Important: This option may only work with some graphics cards. If it’s not working for you, then use the Settings app option.
- Ctrl + Alt + Up arrow – rotates to landscape mode.
- Ctrl + Alt + Down arrow – rotates the screen upside down.
- Ctrl + Alt + Right arrow – rotates the screen 90 degrees (right).
- Ctrl + Alt + Left arrow – rotates the screen 90 degrees (left).
To return to the normal orientation, use the Ctrl + Alt + Up arrow keyboard shortcut.
How to rotate screen using graphics control panel
Whether you use a graphics card from Intel, NVIDIA, or AMD, each vendor offers a control panel software to control various aspects of the video settings, including an option to rotate the screen.
To rotate the screen using the NVIDIA Control Panel, use these steps:
- Open Control Panel.
- Click on Hardware and Sound.
- Click on NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Under the «Display» section, click on Rotate display.
- Select the display (if applicable).
Choose the orientation (or use the controls on the right).
Source: Windows Central
Once you complete the steps, the screen will switch to the orientation you specified.
We’re focusing these instructions for the control panel from NVIDIA, but you can find similar options in the control panel provided by Intel and AMD.
How to rotate screen disabling rotation lock on Windows 10
If you’re using a tablet or 2-in-1 device, and rotating the device doesn’t rotate the screen, you may need to change the system settings.
To disable rotation lock on Windows 10, use these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Click on System.
- Click on Display.
Under the «Scale and layout» section, turn off the Rotation lock option.
Source: Windows Central
Quick tip: This option is only available on supported devices.
Alternatively, you can also enable or disable the feature from the Quick action settings on Action center (Windows key + A keyboard shortcut), and clicking the Rotation lock button.
In the case that the option is grayed out, then it’s likely that you have a keyboard attached to the device.
More Windows 10 resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
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How to Rotate the Screen on Windows
Last Updated: May 15, 2018 Tested
This article was written by Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions.
The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article’s instructions and verified that they work.
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This wikiHow teaches you how to rotate your Windows PC’s screen back to its original orientation.
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