How To Fix a Blurry Second Monitor

If you have a two-monitor setup, there are many reasons why the second monitor can become blurry. This problem usually occurs when you open files or pages on browsers, attach a second monitor, or incorrectly adjust the settings on your PC. Whatever the reason, in the article below, you can find solutions to this problem.

How to Fix Your Blurry Second Monitor

If you’re using Windows 10 or 11, you may occasionally encounter problems with your second screen being blurry. There are many ways to fix this problem, so let’s start with the most common one.

Wrong Display and Scale Settings

The most common reason for the blurry second screen is different scaling settings and display resolution. The Windows operating system sometimes can’t configure this automatically, so you’d have to fix it manually. The scaling setting for each screen needs to be set to the recommended 100% or 125%. This is done in the display settings via the following steps:

1. Tap the “Windows” and “I” buttons on your keyboard simultaneously. This will open “Settings.”
   
2. Click “Display” on the left side of the screen under “System.”
   
3. Click on “Scale & Layout.”
   
4. Click on “Display Resolution” to open the drop menu.
   
5. Choose the compatible resolution.
   
6. Click “Scale” in the same window to open the drop menu.
   
7. Choose the scale percentage.
   

Restart Your PC

Even though this is probably the first thing to do that comes to mind when there is a problem with the PC, make sure you restart it before attempting to fix it any other way. In most cases, restarting the PC can solve the problem if the cause of the blurry screen is a bug, programs running in the background, cluttered RAM, etc.

1. Press the “Windows” and “X” buttons simultaneously.
   
2. In the menu that pops up, click on the option “Shut down or sign out.”
   
3. Click on “Restart.”
   

If you want an alternative way to restart your PC:

1. Hold the “Alt” and “F4” buttons.
   
2. Tap the arrow next to the “Switch Users” to open the menu.
   
3. Click on “Restart.”
   
4. Click on “OK.”
   

Adjust the Color Settings

You can configure your monitor with the color setting button on the back. But sometimes, the second monitor will become blurry if the color settings on both monitors aren’t matched. This needs to be changed, just like the scale and display settings.

1. Tap the “Windows” and “I” buttons on your keyboard simultaneously.
   
2. This will open “Settings.”
   
3. Click “Display” on the left side of the screen under “System.”
   
4. Scroll down to the bottom for “Advanced Settings.”
   
5. You can change the settings for Display 1 or Display 2. Match the settings and refresh rate for your two monitors.
   

ClearType Text Tool

Enabling the ClearType Text system tool can give your monitor a sharper view and clear text. To avoid pixelation and blurry screens, try this solution.

1. Hold the “Windows” and “I” button simultaneously to open “Settings.”
   
2. Click on “Personalization.”
   
3. Click on the option “Fonts” in the menu.
   
4. In the “Related Settings” on the top right of the screen, you’ll see “Adjust ClearType Text.” Click on this.
   
5. In the open window, follow the instructions to enable this tool.
   

Change DPI Settings on Particular Apps

Sometimes, you need to adjust the DPI settings on a particular app, which might cause a blurry screen. This can occur when the app UI shows as blurry. To fix this:

1. Open File Explorer.
   
2. Click on “Downloads.”
   
3. Access the setup file of the app where you saved it.
   
4. Right-click on the “executable (.exe)” file.
   
5. Click on “Properties.”
   
6. Tap on the “Compatibility” option.
   
7. Under “Settings,” you can find the option “Change high DPI settings.”
8. Check the boxes and click “OK.”

This way, you will change the scaling problems for a particular app and override the high DPI scaling behavior performed by the app.

Change Graphic Settings on Particular Apps

If adjusting DPI settings didn’t fix the blurry screen, there is another way to solve it for individual apps. Changing the graphic performance settings might do the trick, and this is how you go about it:

1. Hold the “Windows” and “I” buttons simultaneously.
   
2. In the “System” option, choose “Display.”
   
3. Scroll down to find the option “Graphic Settings.”
   
4. Click on the app where you want to change settings.
   
5. Click on “Options.”
   
6. There, you can find different options for graphic performance (Let Windows Decide, Power Saving, High Performance). Click on “High Performance.”
   
7. Click on “Save.”
   

Adjust Visual Effects Settings

There are three visual effect settings to choose from: Perform Best, Appear Best, or Let Windows Choose what’s best for your computer. If the second screen is blurry, then the Perform Best and Let Windows Choose won’t work. The visual effects settings must check “Adjust for best appearance” to fix the blurry screen.

1. Hold the “Windows” and “R” buttons simultaneously.
   
2. Type “sysdm.cpl” in the Run dialog box for system properties.
   
3. Go to the “Advanced” tab.
   
4. In the “Performance” section, click on “Settings.”
   
5. Check the box for “Adjust for best appearance.”
   
6. Apply the changes and click “OK.”
   

Windows Memory Diagnostic

One of the reasons for a blurry screen can be RAM or storage problems turning off apps, as mentioned at the start of this article. To solve this, you must run a Windows memory diagnostic, after which the apps will launch without problems.

1. Hold the “Windows” and “S” buttons simultaneously.
   
2. Type in “Windows Memory Diagnostic.”
   
3. Choose the option “Restart now and check for problems,” which is a recommended action.
   
4. When the diagnostics are complete, the suggested data on how to fix your blurry screen will be displayed. Do the instructed action.

Graphics Card Driver

Sometimes app won’t run properly due to the outdated graphics card driver. Even if you don’t have a problem with your PC and apps, graphics card drives should be updated frequently. This way, your PC will run smoothly without encountering app bugs and errors. Updating the driver might fix a blurry monitor problem as well. This is how you do it:

1. Hold the “Windows” and “S” buttons simultaneously.
   
2. In the “Search” window, type “Device Manager.”
   
3. Click on “Open.”
   
4. Expand the option “Display adaptors” by double-clicking on it.
   
5. It will show the current driver you are using.
   
6. Right-click on the driver.
   
7. Choose the option “Update driver.”
   
8. In the “Driver Update” window, choose “Search automatically for drivers.”
   
9. After the process is done, restart the PC.

Other Troubleshooting Problems With the Second Monitor

Problems with a second monitor are frequent. The second monitor can have issues with a black screen, no content, faulty resolution, corrupted display, etc. Most of these problems can be fixed with similar troubleshooting actions.

Furthermore, these problems can also happen when the monitor’s cable is malfunctioning or damaged, the second monitor can’t support display, color, or interface options, or it has issues with drivers. The troubleshooting methods mentioned above can fix these problems if you encounter them. Always try restarting your PC first.

Compatible Monitors

A second monitor appears blurry for different reasons. In most cases, to solve this problem, you have to match the settings on both monitors. Compatible display, resolution, color, and other settings will fix this issue. The above solutions are the best for second monitors that are blurry.

Have you ever encountered a blurry second monitor problem, and if so, how did you fix it? Let us know in the comments section below.