How to change screen resolution with command on Windows 10

You can change your computer's screen resolution using Command Prompt on Windows 10 — here's how.

Change screen resolution using Command Prompt
Change screen resolution using Command Prompt
  • To change resolution with commands on Windows 10, open the “QRes” app with Command Prompt and run the “QRes.exe /x:1680 /y:1050” command.
  • In the command, change the horizontal (x) and vertical (y) values with the screen resolution you want to apply.

On Windows 10, it’s possible to change the resolution through Command Prompt, but you’ll need a third-party app, and in this guide, you will learn how.

Although you can always change the screen resolution using the “Display” settings, Windows 10 doesn’t include a command-line equivalent feature for adjusting the screen resolution using Command Prompt or PowerShell. Such a feature would come in handy to quickly change the screen resolution for certain apps and games that work best at specific resolutions. Also, using a command-line tool allows you to automate the process with a script and even with the Task Scheduler.

However, if you must change the monitor’s resolution with commands, you can use QRes by Anders Kjersem. This small tool doesn’t require installation and allows you to adjust the display pixel resolution through Command Prompt.

This guide will teach you the steps to select a different display resolution for your monitor on Windows 10 using commands.

Warning: This is a third-party application, and it’s offered without guarantee. Use it at your own risk. You have been warned.

Change screen resolution on Windows 10 from Command Prompt

To change screen resolution with commands on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Download QRes from this website.

  2. Right-click the QRes.zip file and select the Extract All button.

  3. Click the Extract button.

  4. Type CMD and press Enter in add “QRes” folder address bar to open Command Prompt in the location.

  5. Type the following command to change the Windows 10 screen resolution and press Enter:

    QRes.exe /x:1680 /y:1050

    Change screen resolution using Command Prompt

    In the command, change the path for the “QRes.exe” file, and enter a supported width (x) and height (y) pixel resolution. For example, 1366 x 768, 1440 x 900, 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1080, 2560 x 1440, etc.

Once you complete the steps, the screen will change to the specified resolution.

Change screen resolution on Windows 10 from script

Alternatively, you can use QRes to create a file script, which you can double-click or schedule with Task Scheduler to change the display resolution automatically.

To create a script to change the screen resolution on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for Notepad and click the top result to open the app.

  3. Copy and paste the following command:

    %homepath%\Downloads\QRes\QRes.exe /x:1680 /y:1050

    Script to change resolution automatically

    In the command, change the path for the “QRes.exe” file, and enter a supported width (x) and height (y) pixel resolution. For example, 1366 x 768, 1440 x 900, 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1080, 2560 x 1440, etc.

  4. Click the File menu.

  5. Select the Save As option.

  6. Save the batch file with a descriptive name and a “.bat” file extension.

After completing the steps, double-click the batch file, and the screen resolution should change automatically without extra steps.

If you need to change the display resolution constantly, creating another batch file is recommended to restore the original resolution. You can always find out about all the solutions supported by your monitor on Settings > System > Display.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.