How to Fix Monitor Not Displaying Full Screen in Windows 11 (Fix Black Bars & Blank Space)

If your monitor is not showing full screen in Windows 11 and you see black bars on the sides, top, or bottom of the screen, then this problem is usually caused by wrong display resolution, scaling settings, graphics driver issues, HDMI scaling, or monitor settings. Many users also face stretched display, side blank black space, or up and down black space issues after Windows updates, changing monitors, or connecting TVs and external displays.

In this guide, you will learn all working methods to fix monitor full screen issues in Windows 11 step by step.

1. Set the Correct Display Resolution

Wrong resolution is the most common reason for black space around the monitor screen.

1. Right-click on desktop and open Display Settings
2. Scroll to Display Resolution
3. Select the resolution marked as Recommended
4. Click Keep Changes
5. Check if the monitor now displays full screen properly
   
   
   

2. Change Display Scaling Settings

Incorrect scaling can create black borders or stretched screen problems.

1. Open Settings
2. Go to System > Display
3. Under Scale, select 100% or the recommended value
4. Restart the PC
5. Check the monitor screen again

3. Use Monitor Auto Adjust Option

Many monitors have an Auto Adjust or Auto Fit option.

1. Press the monitor’s physical Menu button
2. Open monitor settings
3. Find Auto Adjust, Auto Fit, or Screen Fit
4. Select it and wait for adjustment
5. The monitor should automatically fit the screen

4. Fix HDMI Scaling Problem in NVIDIA Graphics

If black bars appear after connecting with HDMI, scaling settings may be wrong.

1. Right-click desktop and open NVIDIA Control Panel
2. Open Display > Adjust Desktop Size and Position
3. Under Scaling, select Full-screen
4. Enable Override the scaling mode set by games and programs
5. Click Apply
   
   
   

5. Fix AMD Radeon Scaling Issue

1. Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition
2. Go to Settings > Display
3. Enable GPU Scaling
4. Set Scaling Mode to Full Panel
5. Restart the PC

6. Fix Intel Graphics Black Border Issue

1. Open Intel Graphics Command Center
2. Go to Display
3. Find Scale option
4. Select Scale Full Screen
5. Save settings and restart the system

7. Update Monitor & Graphics Drivers

Old drivers can cause display fitting problems.

1. Right-click Start Menu
2. Open Device Manager
3. Expand Display Adapters
4. Right-click graphics driver and select Update Driver
5. Select Search Automatically for Drivers
6. Also expand Monitors and update monitor driver
7. Restart the PC

8. Reconnect HDMI or Display Cable

Loose or damaged cables can create display scaling issues.

1. Turn off the computer and monitor
2. Remove HDMI or DisplayPort cable
3. Reconnect the cable properly
4. Turn the monitor back on
5. Check if the full screen issue is fixed

9. Change Refresh Rate

Sometimes wrong refresh rate causes blank spaces or improper scaling.

1. Open Settings > System > Display
2. Open Advanced Display
3. Select the correct monitor
4. Change Refresh Rate to recommended value
5. Check the display again
   
   
   

If the screen becomes worse, revert to the previous refresh rate.

10. Enable Full Screen Mode in Games or Apps

Some apps and games run in windowed mode.

1. Open the game or app settings
2. Find Display Settings
3. Select Fullscreen instead of Windowed
4. Save settings and restart the app

11. Run Windows Display Troubleshooter

1. Open Settings
2. Go to System > Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooters
3. Run available display-related troubleshooters
4. Apply recommended fixes

12. Reset Graphics Driver Quickly

This shortcut can instantly fix display glitches.

1. Press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B together
2. The screen will blink once
3. Wait a few seconds
4. Check if black bars are removed

Common Problems & Fixes

Black bars on left and right side

Usually caused by wrong scaling or GPU scaling settings.

Black space on top and bottom

Often happens due to incorrect screen resolution.

Monitor screen stretched

Caused by unsupported resolution or scaling mode.

HDMI monitor not full screen

Mostly fixed by changing NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel scaling settings.

TV connected to PC not fitting screen

Enable Just Scan, Screen Fit, or Full Pixel mode from TV settings.

Final Words

Monitor not displaying full screen in Windows 11 is usually easy to fix by changing resolution, scaling, refresh rate, or graphics settings. Follow all methods one by one carefully, and your monitor should start showing proper full screen without black bars or blank spaces.