To change display orientation settings in Windows: right-click the desktop, select 'Display settings', and scroll to 'Scale & layout'. Click the 'Display orientation' dropdown and choose 'Landscape' or 'Portrait' to rotate screen orientation. If your screen is sideways or upside-down, press Ctrl + Alt + Up Arrow to restore the normal landscape view. Click 'Keep changes' when prompted to save your layout.
Display Orientation Settings How to Rotate Your Screen
Your screen's **display orientation settings** control whether your monitor displays in horizontal (landscape) or vertical (portrait) modes. Finding your desktop layout sideways or upside-down is a common issue — and it all starts in your display settings. Whether you are setting up a vertical secondary monitor for coding and reading documents or need to fix an accidental rotation, this guide covers every display orientation option in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
How to Change Display Orientation Settings
To change **display orientation** settings in Windows, you will use the primary system settings panel. This method works for all types of monitors and graphics cards. Follow these simple steps to rotate screen settings:
Open Display Settings
Right-click any empty space on your desktop and select Display settings from the context menu. You can also open this menu by pressing Windows Key + I, navigating to System, and then selecting Display.
Select Your Monitor
If you have multiple monitors, click on the monitor you want to rotate in the visual diagram at the top of the screen. If you only have one monitor, skip this step.
Adjust Display Orientation
Scroll down to the Scale & layout section. Locate the Display orientation dropdown menu. Click the dropdown and choose one of the four options: Landscape, Portrait, Landscape (flipped), or Portrait (flipped).
Confirm Your Choice
Your screen will change instantly, and a prompt will ask if you want to keep the changes. If it looks correct, click Keep changes. If you do not click anything, the screen will automatically revert to its previous orientation after 15 seconds.
Rotate Screen Using Display Settings Layouts
Understanding the four rotation modes available in your **screen layout** settings will help you select the correct orientation for your physical setup:
| Orientation Mode | Rotation Angle | Typical Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | 0° (Default) | Standard desktop monitors, laptops, TVs, gaming setups. |
| Portrait | 90° Counter-Clockwise | Vertical secondary monitors for reading code, articles, or chats. |
| Landscape (flipped) | 180° (Upside Down) | Ceiling-mounted projectors or monitors mounted upside-down. |
| Portrait (flipped) | 270° Clockwise | Vertical monitors with cables exiting from the top edge. |
Display Orientation Settings Keyboard Shortcuts
On some computers, you can use quick keyboard shortcuts to **rotate screen** directions. This is the fastest way to fix a screen that has accidentally gone sideways.
- Ctrl + Alt + Up Arrow: Rotates the screen to standard Landscape (0 degrees).
- Ctrl + Alt + Left Arrow: Rotates the screen 90 degrees to Portrait.
- Ctrl + Alt + Right Arrow: Rotates the screen 270 degrees to Portrait (flipped).
- Ctrl + Alt + Down Arrow: Rotates the screen 180 degrees to Landscape (flipped).
Fix Sideways Screen with Orientation Settings
If your screen is stuck sideways and you cannot navigate with your mouse (since mouse movements rotate with the screen), try these solutions to restore your layout:
1. Use Keyboard Hotkeys
Press Ctrl + Alt + Up Arrow on your keyboard. If hotkeys are supported, your screen will return to normal landscape mode immediately.
2. Navigate Settings via Keyboard
If mouse tracking is too difficult: press the Windows Key, type "display settings", and hit Enter. Press the Tab key repeatedly to move selection to the Display Orientation dropdown, use arrow keys to select Landscape, and hit Enter.
3. Check for Rotation Lock
On convertible laptops and tablets, Windows may lock screen layout settings in place. Open the Action Center (press Win + A) and ensure that Rotation Lock is turned off. If Rotation Lock is active, physical rotation of your device will not trigger orientation changes.
Lock Display Orientation Settings
For hybrid computers (like Microsoft Surface devices), you may want to prevent Windows from auto-rotating the screen as you move the device. Under the Scale & layout section of your display settings, toggle the Rotation Lock setting to the "On" position. This ensures your screen layout remains static, whether in portrait or landscape, regardless of physical device movement.
Configuring your screen layout with the correct **display orientation settings** optimizes your workspace, whether you're using a single landscape screen or a multi-monitor vertical desktop. Make sure to choose the orientation that physically matches your display mounting. For setting up resolutions that complement your orientation, visit our screen resolution settings guide. To manage multiple monitors together, check out our guide on multiple display settings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Display Settings
Open display settings by right-clicking the desktop and selecting Display settings. Under Scale & layout, click the Display orientation dropdown. Choose Landscape, Portrait, Landscape (flipped), or Portrait (flipped). Click Keep changes within 15 seconds to apply the settings.
Your screen is sideways or upside down because your display orientation settings were accidentally changed, often via a hotkey combination. Press Ctrl + Alt + Up Arrow to restore normal landscape display settings instantly, or go to the display settings panel and manually select Landscape.
On Intel-based computers, you can rotate screen using Ctrl + Alt + Up Arrow (Landscape), Ctrl + Alt + Left Arrow (90 degrees Portrait), Ctrl + Alt + Right Arrow (270 degrees Portrait), and Ctrl + Alt + Down Arrow (180 degrees Flipped Landscape). Newer graphics drivers have disabled these keys, meaning you must use Windows display settings.
To lock screen layout rotation, open Action Center (Win + A) and toggle the Rotation Lock button. Alternatively, go to display settings and check the Rotation Lock checkbox under Scale and layout. This is essential for tablets and 2-in-1 laptops to prevent accidental screen rotation.
Yes. Open display settings, click on the secondary monitor in the layout diagram at the top, scroll down to the Display orientation option, and select Portrait. This allows you to run one horizontal monitor and one vertical monitor in a dual display settings configuration.