Orientation settings in Windows 10 allow you to change the display orientation of your screen. This can be particularly useful for rotating your screen for different tasks, such as reading documents in portrait mode or using multiple monitors in a vertical alignment. In this article, we'll explore how to change the screen orientation via the Settings app and using Command Prompt (CMD) and PowerShell.

Changing Screen Orientation via Settings App

1. Open Settings: Press Win + I to open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Display Settings: Go to System > Display.
3. Change Orientation: Under the "Scale and layout" section, find the "Display orientation" dropdown menu. You can choose from:
   • Landscape
   • Portrait
   • Landscape (flipped)
   • Portrait (flipped)
4. Apply Changes: Select the desired orientation and click "Apply". Confirm the changes in the prompt that appears.

Changing Screen Orientation via Command Prompt (CMD)

Unfortunately, Windows does not provide a built-in command-line tool to change the screen orientation directly via CMD. However, you can use third-party tools like DisplaySwitch.exe to toggle between different display modes.

Changing Screen Orientation via PowerShell

PowerShell offers more flexibility and can be used to change the display orientation by modifying the registry settings. Here is a step-by-step guide:

1. Open PowerShell: Press Win + X and select Windows PowerShell (Admin).

2. Run the Script: Use the following PowerShell script to change the display orientation. This example sets the orientation to Landscape:

   $key = "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Configuration"
   $orientation = 1 # 1 = Landscape, 2 = Portrait, 3 = Landscape (flipped), 4 = Portrait (flipped)
   
   Get-ChildItem -Path $key | ForEach-Object {
       $subkey = $_.PSChildName
       Set-ItemProperty -Path "$key\$subkey\00" -Name "PrimSurfSize.cx" -Value 1920
       Set-ItemProperty -Path "$key\$subkey\00" -Name "PrimSurfSize.cy" -Value 1080
       Set-ItemProperty -Path "$key\$subkey\00" -Name "Rotation" -Value $orientation
   }
   
   # Restart the graphics driver to apply changes
   Stop-Process -Name "explorer"
   Start-Process -Name "explorer"

   Replace $orientation with the desired value for different orientations.

Examples

Example 1: Change to Portrait Mode via PowerShell

$key = "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Configuration"
$orientation = 2 # Portrait

Get-ChildItem -Path $key | ForEach-Object {
    $subkey = $_.PSChildName
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "$key\$subkey\00" -Name "PrimSurfSize.cx" -Value 1080
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "$key\$subkey\00" -Name "PrimSurfSize.cy" -Value 1920
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "$key\$subkey\00" -Name "Rotation" -Value $orientation
}

Stop-Process -Name "explorer"
Start-Process -Name "explorer"

Example 2: Change to Landscape (flipped) via PowerShell

$key = "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Configuration"
$orientation = 3 # Landscape (flipped)

Get-ChildItem -Path $key | ForEach-Object {
    $subkey = $_.PSChildName
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "$key\$subkey\00" -Name "PrimSurfSize.cx" -Value 1920
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "$key\$subkey\00" -Name "PrimSurfSize.cy" -Value 1080
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "$key\$subkey\00" -Name "Rotation" -Value $orientation
}

Stop-Process -Name "explorer"
Start-Process -Name "explorer"