# Upside down computer screen **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020 "2012-02-26T01:26:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/1 "2012-02-26T01:26:20Z")
Okay, my computer screen has just gone upside down for no apparent reason. I’ve turned my laptop off and restarted, and while the initial Dell logo is right side up, as soon as Windows comes up I’m upside down again. Whaddaya think - virus? Odd software glitch that will sort itself out?Avast has not found anthing nasty but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Apologies for any typos - it is remarkably hard to type like this. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/2 "2012-02-26T01:35:08Z")
Try Ctrl+Alt+Up (or if that doesn’t do anything, Ctrl+Alt+Down). ---
**Author:** ![RearEchelon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RearEchelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RearEchelon)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/3 "2012-02-26T01:36:36Z")
Try hitting CTRL + ALT + Up arrow. Some notebooks allow you to change the orientation of the screen. Up arrow for top-up, right arrow for right-up, left arrow for left-up, and down arrow for bottom-up (upside down). Don’t know why it would change spontaneously upon restart, though. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/4 "2012-02-26T01:59:10Z")
Winner(s)! Yep, I must have leaned on the wrong combination of buttons at some point. I had no idea that you could do that, nor indeed why you would want to. The world is the right way around again, and any typos are now down to the usual fumblefingeredness. Thanks very much indeed. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/5 "2012-02-26T02:02:42Z")
˙ƃuısnɯɐ ʎlsnoɯɹouǝ pɐǝɹɥʇ sıɥʇ punoɟ ı ʇnq ' **ǝʇɐɹʎƃ** ǝɯ ǝʌıƃɹoɟ ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/6 "2012-02-26T02:04:01Z")
Nothing is forgiven. ---
**Author:** ![RearEchelon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RearEchelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RearEchelon)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/7 "2012-02-26T02:17:24Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Winner(s)! Yep, I must have leaned on the wrong combination of buttons at some point. I had no idea that you could do that, **nor indeed why you would want to**. > > The world is the right way around again, and any typos are now down to the usual fumblefingeredness. Thanks very much indeed. Sometimes when lying in bed but still surfing I will turn the screen sideways so I don’t have to put any undue stress on my neck. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/8 "2012-02-26T02:17:51Z")
Obviously your display gyrates. What would you expect? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/9 "2012-02-26T02:20:44Z")
> [@RearEchelon](#): > > Sometimes when lying in bed but still surfing I will turn the screen sideways so I don’t have to put any undue stress on my neck. This has just given me an idea. When processing portrait-orientation photographs, I could tip the lappy on its side and use an external keyboard and mouse. Or is that the point? ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/10 "2012-02-26T02:25:13Z")
Glad you got an answer. I had this happen at work once, and had no flipping idea what happened. I Googled the answer, but it was a head-turning experience. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/11 "2012-02-26T02:46:16Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Winner(s)! Yep, I must have leaned on the wrong combination of buttons at some point. I had no idea that you could do that, nor indeed why you would want to. > > The world is the right way around again, and any typos are now down to the usual fumblefingeredness. Thanks very much indeed. The first thing I do when I get a new graphics card and install the drivers is go into the control panel (i.e. Catalyst Control Center for ATI cards) and find the option that says “disable screen rotation” and check it. It was a common prank to pull in my high school computer lab so I do it just to be safe. ---
**Author:** ![RearEchelon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RearEchelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RearEchelon)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/12 "2012-02-26T02:54:34Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > This has just given me an idea. When processing portrait-orientation photographs, I could tip the lappy on its side and use an external keyboard and mouse. > > Or is that the point? That’s one way to use it. I also do it for reading eBooks sometimes; I’ll flip the screen sideways and hold the laptop like a book. Silly, maybe, but that’s how I roll. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/13 "2012-02-26T03:02:12Z")
Changing someone’s screen orientation is a great April Fools Day prank. ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/14 "2012-02-26T12:14:23Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > ˙ƃuısnɯɐ ʎlsnoɯɹouǝ pɐǝɹɥʇ sıɥʇ punoɟ ı ʇnq ' **ǝʇɐɹʎƃ** ǝɯ ǝʌıƃɹoɟ Ok Jjiimm How did you do this? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/15 "2012-02-26T12:24:26Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > Ok Jjiimm How did you do this? [¡oƃ noʎ ǝɹǝH](http://www.upsidedowntext.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/16 "2012-02-26T12:52:36Z")
[QUOTE=Gyrate] . I had no idea that you could do that, nor indeed why you would want to. [/QUOTE] It’s a feature with a number of uses - some monitors swivel through 90 degrees to provide a portrait-aspect display. Some displays tip over backwards so that (for example) a receptionist can show a map to a visitor. Some laptops open out flat so rotating the display means you can present something on screen across a table, etc. ---
**Author:** ![longPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@longPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longPath)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/17 "2012-02-26T13:37:02Z")
> [@Mr.Duality](#): > > Changing someone’s screen orientation is a great April Fools Day prank. An earlier version of this gag required a bit more tech savvy. Loosening the clamp on the deflection yoke of a crt based monitor or TV allowed it to be rotated 180° resulting in an upside down picture. A more subtle trick was to reverse the polarity of the horizontal sweep signal causing a mirror flip. Much fun was had. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upside-down-computer-screen/614020/18 "2012-02-26T15:44:13Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Okay, my computer screen has just gone upside down for no apparent reason. I’ve turned my laptop off and restarted, and while the initial Dell logo is right side up, as soon as Windows comes up I’m upside down again. > > Whaddaya think - virus? Odd software glitch that will sort itself out?Avast has not found anthing nasty but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. > > Apologies for any typos - it is remarkably hard to type like this. Hang it upside down from the ceiling.