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Windows 11’s screen layout controls are mainly in Settings > System > Display; desktop themes and interface colors are in Settings > Personalization. The right settings depend on which display you select and what your PC, monitor, and drivers support.

Change scale, resolution, or screen orientation

Open Start > Settings > System > Display. If you use more than one screen, select the numbered display you want to change before adjusting its settings. Under Scale & layout, choose a scale; use Display resolution to choose a resolution, or change the orientation on the same page. Windows marks its recommended options, which are a sensible starting point for legible text and a sharp image. A lower-than-native resolution can make text less sharp or make the image look small, centered, bordered, or stretched. Microsoft’s display layout guidance covers these controls.

Adjust brightness and Night light

Brightness

When Windows exposes a brightness control, adjust it from the taskbar’s quick settings or from Settings > System > Display. Some laptops can automatically change brightness based on ambient lighting or the content on screen, but availability varies. If you use an external monitor and Windows has no brightness slider, use the monitor’s physical buttons or on-screen menu. Microsoft’s brightness instructions describe the Windows controls.

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Night light

Go to Settings > System > Display > Night light to turn it on and adjust its strength. You can schedule it for sunset to sunrise or set custom hours. If Night light is unavailable or grayed out, the display driver may not support it; check for an appropriate driver update. With an HDR display, Night light can cause unwanted color effects, so reduce its strength or switch it off if colors become difficult to read. See Microsoft’s Night light guidance.

Set refresh rate for supported motion and power options

Open Settings > System > Display > Advanced display, select the display if needed, and choose one of the refresh rates Windows lists. Available rates depend on the selected screen, and some choices may also change resolution. On supported Windows 11 laptops and tablets, Dynamic Refresh Rate can adapt the refresh rate to activity and may help extend battery life. A higher or different rate does not automatically improve gaming: variable refresh rate support and the game itself affect whether changing it is useful. Microsoft’s refresh-rate instructions explain the available choices.

Turn on and tune HDR

For an HDR-capable screen, select it under Settings > System > Display and review its HDR controls. HDR requires both a compatible PC and display. The balance between standard dynamic range (SDR) and HDR content may need adjustment, and the result depends on the display model, whether it is built in or external, the content, and viewing conditions. Microsoft’s stated criteria for a built-in HDR display include 1080p resolution and recommended maximum brightness of at least 300 nits; these criteria are not a universal guarantee of picture quality or a buying recommendation. See Microsoft’s HDR settings guidance.

Rank #2
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Change Windows colors, accent color, and themes

Light or dark mode and accent color

Go to Settings > Personalization > Colors to choose light or dark mode and select an accent color. An individual app can have its own light or dark setting, separate from Windows, so changing the system mode may not change every app. Microsoft’s color settings guide covers the system options.

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Themes and other desktop elements

Open Settings > Personalization > Themes to apply a built-in theme or browse themes in the Microsoft Store. A theme combines elements such as desktop backgrounds, window colors, and sounds. You can also customize the background, colors, sounds, and mouse cursor separately. See Microsoft’s theme and desktop appearance guidance.

Rank #3
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Manage color profiles and calibrate a display

For supported displays, Windows color management lets you add or remove color profiles, set a default profile for a connected screen, and access calibration. Automatic color management is available only on supported displays. Windows also provides the Windows HDR Calibration app for supported Windows 11 HDR display workflows. These built-in tools cover ordinary profile and HDR adjustments; specialized color-accuracy work may call for a separate calibration tool, but external hardware is not required for everyday appearance changes. Details are in Microsoft’s color management instructions and its Windows HDR Calibration app guidance.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Bestseller No. 2
Dell Latitude 5420 14' FHD Business Laptop Computer, Intel Quad-Core i5-1145G7, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, Camera, HDMI, Windows 11 Pro (Renewed)
Dell Latitude 5420 14" FHD Business Laptop Computer, Intel Quad-Core i5-1145G7, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, Camera, HDMI, Windows 11 Pro (Renewed)
256 GB SSD of storage.; Multitasking is easy with 16GB of RAM; Equipped with a blazing fast Core i5 2.00 GHz processor.
$285.00
Bestseller No. 3
HP 14' HD Laptop, Windows 11, Intel Celeron Dual-Core Processor Up to 2.60GHz, 4GB RAM, 64GB SSD, Webcam, Dale Pink (Renewed)
HP 14" HD Laptop, Windows 11, Intel Celeron Dual-Core Processor Up to 2.60GHz, 4GB RAM, 64GB SSD, Webcam, Dale Pink (Renewed)
14" diagonal, 1366x768 resolution, HD BrightView LED, Glossy NON-TOUCH Display
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Best Value
Windows 11 Laptop with i3 Processor 15.6" Work Laptop for College Students
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Rank #4
15.6 Inch Laptop Computer, N4020, 4GB DDR4 RAM, 128GB eMMC,with Windows 11
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