Keeping Your Screen in Portrait (and Fixing Mouse Alignment Issues)
So, this is where I ran into trouble a few nights back. I rotated my monitor to portrait, expecting everything to switch seamlessly, but instead, my mouse still behaved as if the screen was in landscape. Quite frustrating, really — the display was rotated, but the input devices weren’t playing ball. As it turns out, the fix isn’t always obvious and can vary depending on your hardware and software setup.
First things first: try a quick restart
If you’ve recently changed your display orientation — say, in Display Settings via Settings > System > Display — but your mouse isn’t updating, give your PC a reboot. Windows sometimes takes a moment to recognise the new display orientation. Once restarted, it usually registers the change properly and updates how input devices like your mouse behave. Just double-check that the orientation under Display Settings is set to Portrait or Portrait (flipped), depending on your preference.
Often, the monitor’s orientation isn’t enough — check your graphics control panel
If a reboot doesn’t do the trick, your next step is to look into your graphics driver’s control panel. Display rotation settings might be managed there separately from Windows. This confusion caught me out before — these menus aren’t always straightforward, and hotkeys or settings may not match expectations.
For NVIDIA users
Right-click on your desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel. If it’s not there, you might need to update or reinstall your NVIDIA drivers. Inside, navigate to the Display section and find Rotate display. Set it to Portrait or Portrait (flipped). This ensures the driver’s rotation matches your monitor’s orientation, which can influence how Windows and your mouse respond. You can also try hotkeys like Ctrl + Alt + Left/Right/Up/Down Arrow. Sometimes they work, sometimes they’re disabled — you might need to enable hotkeys in the NVIDIA panel or disable global hotkey overrides from other software.
For Intel integrated graphics
Open the Intel Graphics Command Centre — just search for it in the Start menu. Head over to the Display tab and look for Display Orientation. You’ll see options like Landscape, Portrait, Flipped, or Portrait Flipped. Pick the one that matches your actual monitor orientation. Sometimes, the display can auto-rotate or reset itself, so double-checking ensures the mouse remains in sync with the screen’s rotation.
For AMD GPU users
The process is similar but using AMD’s tools. Hotkeys like Control + Alt + Left Arrow can rotate your display, but they’re hit-or-miss—especially after driver updates or if hotkeys are disabled. To set it properly, open AMD Radeon Software (right-click your desktop > AMD Radeon Software) and navigate to the Display section for rotation options. Keep in mind, driver updates can reset these settings, so check them again after any update.
Updating your graphics drivers can sort out a lot of weird behaviour
Old or faulty drivers are often the culprit in these situations. If your orientation looks right but the mouse still misbehaves, heading to your GPU manufacturer’s website—NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD—to grab the latest drivers is your best bet. Using official tools like GeForce Experience, Intel Driver & Support Assistant, or AMD Radeon Software makes life easier. When installing, opt for the Custom or Clean Install option—particularly with NVIDIA—to remove any lingering old driver files that could mess things up.
Don’t forget your mouse driver — sometimes, driver conflicts or corruption can cause issues. Check Device Manager (Win + X, then select Device Manager), locate your mouse under Mice and other pointing devices, right-click, and choose Update driver. If that doesn’t help, try uninstalling it (right-click, then Uninstall device), unplug your mouse, and reconnect it. Windows will then reinstall its driver fresh, which often resolves alignment issues.
Hardware considerations? Check your monitor and mouse first
If software tweaks don’t work, it might be a hardware issue. Test with another mouse — if the new one aligns well with your portrait display, your old mouse might be on its way out. Also, some monitors include input calibration or orientation options in their on-screen menus (OSD). Check if any settings there could be affecting input or display rotation. Changing the cable, such as switching from HDMI to DisplayPort or trying a different cable, can also fix signal issues that cause misalignment.
As a last resort, reinstall your mouse driver
Uninstall the mouse driver via Device Manager, reboot your PC, then reconnect your mouse. Windows will automatically install a fresh driver — often resolving odd alignment or response issues after rotation. Sometimes, driver corruption or conflicts linger, and a clean reinstall does the trick.
Going deeper: clean boot and software conflicts
If problems persist, try a clean boot. This disables third-party apps and background processes that might interfere with display or input. To do this, open msconfig (Win + R, type msconfig), go to the Services tab, hide all Microsoft services, and disable the rest. Then, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and disable startup programs. Restart your PC — if the mouse works correctly now, re-enable services one by one to identify the culprit. It’s not always straightforward, but this process can help uncover conflicting software causing the issue.
Finally, stay patient — it’s worth the effort
This stuff can be pretty fiddly, and I’ve had nights where I felt like I was chasing shadows. Usually, a combination of updating drivers, checking control panels, and confirming hardware can get everything sorted. Just bear in mind: monitor settings, driver versions, hotkeys—these vary a lot depending on your hardware and Windows version, so a bit of trial and error is normal.
Hopefully, this helps you get your portrait setup working smoothly. It took me a fair while to sort out, but once everything clicked, it was a relief. Good luck, and don’t forget to double-check all those little settings and updates!