Games Won't Go Full Screen on PC: 9 Quick Ways to Fix

Some users report that they are unable to run games in fullscreen mode on Windows. According to them, the game just switches to desktop and stays that way while game sounds play in the background.

Since we’ve had this problem ourselves, here’s what you can do if the game won’t switch to full screen.

What do I do if Windows is not running games in full screen?

1. Run your game in windowed mode

If your game comes with a configuration file, or if you can set its configuration before starting it, just make sure that you set it to run in windowed mode.

This isn’t the best solution, but it’s a workaround that will allow you to play your favorite game in just a few seconds.

For the best experience, be sure to select borderless windowed mode and the same resolution that you use on your desktop.

2. Set display scaling to 100%

1. Open the Settings app and go to System > Display.
   
2. Find the Change the size of text, apps, and other items and set it to 100%.

It has been reported that many games won’t run properly unless the display scaling is set to 100%, so use the above steps to set display scaling to 100% in Windows 10.

You might have to sign out of your account and sign back in order to apply the changes, so be sure to do that. Up next, check if your games are working again.

Even more, there’s a game booster that will get rid of low FPS, freezes, lags, and other issues while playing. If you like the idea of a better gaming experience, don’t hesitate to give it a try as well.

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3. Change your main screen

You can experience problems with fullscreen and games if you’re using dual monitor setup. However, you can fix this problem simply by changing your display settings.

In order to do so, right-click on your Desktop and choose Display settings from the menu. When the Display settings window opens, you should see two monitors labeled with numbers.

In the Display settings window, click Identify.  A number should appear on your screen. Now in Display settings set the monitor with the same number you got as the main monitor.

Save the changes and try running games in fullscreen. This is a simple trick confirmed by users, so give it a try too.

4. Disable Teamviewer

Many users reported various fullscreen issues with their favorite games, and according to them, the common cause is Teamviewer.

If you’re not familiar with Teamviewer, it’s a remote assistance application that allows you to control any other PC remotely.

This is a rather popular application and many users have it installed. Even though Teamviewer is a great application, sometimes issues do occur.

They all know how to fullscreen a game, that’s for sure. However, this isn’t possible all the time. They were able to solve the problem simply by disabling Teamviewer.

If doing so doesn’t help, you might want to try uninstalling the application and check if that solves the problem instead.

If you need another remote control application that won’t interfere with fullscreen games, try out one with bank-level encryption and an impressive speed. We suggest you try Mikogo, one of the best remote control software that won’t interfere with your running games in full screen mode.

5. Change Nvidia Control Panel settings

1. Open Nvidia Control Panel.
2. Go to Manage 3D settings > Global settings.
   
3. Change Preferred graphics processor from Auto-select to High-Performance Nvidia processor.
4. Click on Apply to save the changes and try running games in fullscreen mode.

If you own both integrated and dedicated graphic you might need to change few Nvidia Control Panel settings to fix this issue.

Certain users reported that they fixed the problem simply by adjusting their desktop size and position in Nvidia Control Panel. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Open Nvidia Control Panel.
2. Go to Display > Adjust desktop size and position.
   
3. Locate the scaling option and set it to No scaling and click on Apply to save changes.
   

After making these changes, you should be able to run games in fullscreen without any problems. If you use AMD graphics, you should be able to find similar options in Catalyst Control Center.

Can’t open Nvidia Control Panel on Windows 10? In such a case, rest assured that this detailed guide will help you fix the issue in no time.

6. Use the Compatibility mode

1. Locate the problematic application, right-click it, and choose Properties from the menu.
   
2. Navigate to the Compatibility tab and check Run this program in compatibility mode for an option. Now select the desired version of Windows, then click on Apply and OK to save changes.
   

If you’re having problems with fullscreen games on your PC, you might want to try running them in Compatibility mode.

This mode is specially designed for older applications that aren’t fully compatible with Windows 10. To run a certain application in Compatibility mode, you need to complete the above procedure.

After enabling Compatibility mode, try to run your game again. Note that you might have to try several different compatibility modes before you find the one that works for the selected game.

Compatibility mode is a useful feature that allows you to run old software on your PC, so feel free to try it out.

7. Set the Fit setting to Fullscreen

If you’re having problems with fullscreen in your favorite games, you might be able to fix this issue simply by setting the font size to 100%.

We already showed you how to do that in Solution 2, so be sure to check it out for detailed instructions.

After doing that, you need to open Intel HD Control Panel application and make a few changes. When Intel HD Control Panel opens, navigate to the Display section and set the Fit setting to Fullscreen.

Now check the Override application settings checkbox and save changes. After doing that, you should be able to run older games without any problems on your PC.

Keep in mind that this solution works only if you’re using Intel HD integrated graphics.

If you’re using AMD or Nvidia graphics, be sure to check their Control Panel software to change the aforementioned settings.

8. Restore your Taskbar to the default position

1. Press Windows key + I keyboard shortcut to open the Settings app.
2. Now navigate to the Personalization section.
   
3. From the menu on the left select Taskbar. Now in the right pane, enable Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode option.
   

According to users, problems with fullscreen games can occur if your Taskbar isn’t in the default position.

Some users like to move their Taskbar to the side or to the top of their screen, but that can sometimes cause this problem to occur.

However, you can easily fix this issue simply by moving your Taskbar to its default position on the bottom.

Once you move your Taskbar to the bottom of the screen, the issue should be resolved and you’ll be able to play your favorite games in fullscreen once again.

If you don’t want to move your Taskbar to the default position, you can fix the problem by setting the Taskbar to hide automatically.

After you enable this option, you should be able to run games in fullscreen mode without any problems.

If Taskbar is not working, do not hesitate to take a look at our quick guide to find out how to solve the issue with ease.

9. Change your resolution in the Catalyst Control Center

1. Open Catalyst Control Center and navigate to Graphics/Desktop & Display section.
2. Click the triangle button in the big Screen model section and then click on Properties.
3. Now set your resolution to the lower one and save changes.
4. Navigate to Graphics/Desktop & Display and click on the bottom left small laptop triangle icon.
5. You should see several options available. Click on Fullscreen and save changes.

According to users, you might be able to fix this problem simply by changing your resolution in the Catalyst Control Center.

After doing that, you just need to change the resolution on your PC and set it to the desired value. Now your problem should be resolved and you’ll be able to enjoy games in fullscreen mode once again.

If the issue persists, do not hesitate to repeat the entire procedure after minimizing the game.

As you can see, solving full-screen issues on Windows 10 is relatively simple, and we hope that you managed to solve this problem using one of our solutions.

You may often experience issues while trying to run certain games in fullscreen mode. Do keep in mind that the above solutions cover all these problems:

• PC game won’t go fullscreen – Many users reported that Windows 10 isn’t running games in fullscreen. This is usually caused by your game or graphics card settings.
• Fullscreen games keep minimizing – If your fullscreen games keep minimizing, the problem might be a third-party application. Don’t hesitate to take a look at this dedicated guide right away.
• Windows 10 fullscreen games black screen, flickering, crash – Many users reported flickering, crashes, and black screen on Windows 10. These often occur if you have a dual monitor setup.
• Taskbar showing in fullscreen game – Another relatively common issue on Windows 10 is the taskbar overlaying on top of games. If the taskbar won’t hide in fullscreen games, just force-hide it.
• Windows 10 game resolution problem – Sometimes, you just need to adjust your screen resolution to 1024 x 768, then try playing your game again.
• Windows 10 not using full screen – That’s a relatively common problem, and it’s most likely caused by your settings. However, you should be able to fix it by using our solutions.
• Windows 10 full screen not working – This is just a variation of this issue, but you should be able to solve it easily with one of the above procedures.

Let us know if you managed to fix all your fullscreen game issues in Windows 10. Make sure to use the comments area in that regard.