Windows OS comes with an in-built feature to change the monitor refresh rate. Although, the refresh rate of a display indicates the number of times per second that the picture refreshes on the screen. The refresh rate might differ from 60Hz to 240Hz depending on the computer hardware. Unfortunately, many users recently encountered an issue while changing their monitor refresh rate on their Windows computers. This can be daunting, especially when you cannot change the monitor refresh rate.
If you’re encountering such issues on your Windows while changing the refresh rate of your monitor, don’t brood. Generally, the issue appears when there’s an issue with the display cable, outdated graphics driver, and corrupted display settings. Here, in this article, we listed some practical solutions to troubleshoot the ‘Can’t change the refresh rate on your monitor’ issue. Therefore, without further ado, let’s get started.
Ways to Fix Can’t Change Refresh Rate On Monitor
If you’re unable to change the refresh rate on your monitor, then you can follow the below workarounds to address the issue. Use any of the troubleshooting strategies to fix can’t change the refresh rate on your monitor.
So, let’s begin with the first solution.
1. Check Your Display Cable
Before initiating any other solutions, ensure to check the display cable on your monitor, which plays a prominent role in changing the refresh rate. In certain scenarios, the cable you use can affect your ability to change the refresh rate. For instance, if you use HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4, it may support a higher refresh rate. Apart from that, if you’re using an older cable version, you may encounter issues with the refresh rate while trying to change it.
We suggest you check your display cable and ensure you’re using the correct cable that matches your monitor’s hardware. By checking the cable connection, you may effortlessly solve the issue and get back to changing the refresh rate.
2. Unplug & Replug Display Cable
You won’t be able to change the refresh rate on your monitor if the cable is not properly connected. Sometimes, this prevents the computer from changing the refresh rate, causing irritation. In such a case, the only thing you should consider is attaching the display cable correctly to your monitor. Make sure to unplug and then replug the display cable to check whether it is working or not.
Locate the display cable on your monitor and unplug it from the port. After that, wait for a few minutes and then re-plug the display cable back into the monitor. This will refresh the connection between the monitor and cable, allowing you to change the refresh rate without any hurdles. If this method doesn’t work, follow the next solution.
3. Update Graphics Drivers
Sometimes, running on an outdated graphics driver is another main reason that prevents you from changing the refresh rate on the monitor. If you’re attempting to change the refresh rate but it doesn’t work, you should update the graphics driver to fix the issue.
To update the graphics driver on Windows, follow the steps below:
1. Press the Windows + X keys together on the keyboard.
2. Then choose the Device Manager option from the menu that appears.
3. Under the Device Manager menu, expand the Display adapters by clicking on the arrow next to it.
4. Right-click on the dedicated display driver and click Update driver from the menu.
5. In the next window, select the Search automatically for drivers option. This will ensure that your system installs the latest available display driver on your system.
6. Once the driver is installed, close the Device Manager window.
7. Then restart your PC to apply the changes.
Note
4. Check Max Supported Refresh Rate
If you can’t change the refresh rate on your monitor, you should check the maximum supported refresh rate and then switch to the appropriate rate. We suggest you verify whether your monitor supports the desired refresh rate.
To check the maximum supported refresh rate on your Windows, follow the steps below:
1. Press the Windows + I keys together on the keyboard to open the Windows Settings.
2. Click on the System option and then click on Display on the right side.
3. Under the Related Settings section, choose the Advanced display option.
4. Here, select the display for which you want to make changes. Then, under the Display Information, you will find all the information about your display.
5. Now, click on the arrow next to Choose a refresh rate to view the maximum supported refresh rate. The highest value is the maximum supported refresh rate for your display.
6. Choose the refresh rate you want to apply to the monitor, and then the monitor will apply the new settings, starting to use the refresh rate you selected.
This should fix the issues. However, if the issue persists, consider trying the solutions below.
5. Modify Advanced Display Settings
If you’ve tried the above solutions and are still unable to change the refresh rate on your monitor, try modifying the advanced display settings. This method will allow you to change the refresh rate from the list of valid modes, which usually shows all the refresh rates of various models.
Here’s how to change the refresh rate by modifying the advanced display settings:
1. Press the Windows + I to open settings.
2. Click on the System option and choose the Display settings.
3. Scroll down and look for the Related Settings section. Here, click on the Advanced display option.
4. Under the Display information menu, click the Display adapter properties for Display link.
5. This will open the System UHD Graphics Properties.
6. Here, click on the Adapter tab and click on List All Modes.
7. From the pop-up window, select the desired refresh rate to change it on your monitor.
8. Finally, click OK to apply changes and check if the issue is fixed.
Conclusion
That’s it! You now know how to fix the refresh rate issue on your monitor. We have provided some solutions that you can use to tackle this problem. By following these steps carefully, you can optimize your monitor settings for a smoother experience.
If your display supports dynamic refresh rate and you want to enable this feature for improved performance, check out our guide on enabling dynamic refresh rate on Windows 11. Dynamic refresh rate can provide a more responsive and fluid display, particularly beneficial in gaming and other dynamic content scenarios.
