People often tweak settings in the NVIDIA Control Panel to fix refresh rate problems. For example, if someone can’t get their monitor to run at 144hz or 240hz, changing to a custom resolution might help. This trick is handy for gamers or professionals who need smooth visuals and top performance.
But sometimes, when you try to create a custom resolution, the “Customize” button you need is unavailable (it looks grey and you can’t click it). This can be really annoying, especially when you need to change your resolution fast. Here are some ways to fix that problem and make the “Customize” button work again.
Also see: 144Hz Monitor Only Showing 60Hz in Windows 11, Why?
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Solution 1: Disabling Dynamic Super Resolution (DSR) Factors
The first fix for the “Customize” button being greyed out in the NVIDIA Control Panel is to turn off the Dynamic Super Resolution (DSR) factors. If you see this button greyed out, the Panel might even tell you to do this. Here’s a simple guide:
- Right-click on your desktop and pick “NVIDIA Control Panel” to open it.
- In the panel on the left, click “Manage 3D Settings” under the 3D Settings category.
- Go to the “Global Settings” tab.
- Find “DSR – Factors” in the list. This option makes your games look better by running them at a higher resolution and then shrinking the picture.
- Click “DSR – Factors” and uncheck any boxes that are checked. When you’ve unchecked everything, it should say “Off” next to “DSR – Factors”.
- Click ‘Apply’ to save your changes.
- Go back to the “Change Resolution” settings under the Display category in the NVIDIA Control Panel.
- The “Customize” button should work now. Click on it to add and adjust your resolutions.
Turning off DSR factors tells the NVIDIA software you want to control resolution settings yourself, which lets you customize them.
Linked issue: Windows 11 Screen Resolution Greyed Out, What to do?
Solution 2: Switching to a lower resolution first
If turning off DSR factors doesn’t work, another trick is to lower your resolution for a bit. This idea is popular on forums like Reddit. Here’s how to do it:
- Right-click on your desktop and select “NVIDIA Control Panel”.
- Click “Change Resolution” under the Display category.
- Choose a lower resolution than you’re using now. For example, if you’re at 1920×1080, try 1600×900.
- Hit “Apply” to switch to the new, lower resolution. Confirm if asked.
- Now, the “Customize” button should work. Use it to set up your custom resolution.
- After that, you can go back to your original or preferred resolution.
This method refreshes the Control Panel’s settings, fixing the glitch with the “Customize” button.
Related resource: How to Change Desktop Screen Refresh Rate in Windows 11
Solution 3: Restarting the computer after disabling DSR Factors
Sometimes, the easiest fix is just to restart your computer. This is especially true if you’ve already turned off the DSR factors. Restarting makes sure all changes take effect and can fix lingering problems. Here’s what you should do:
- Make sure DSR factors are off, as described in the first solution.
- Save any work and restart your computer. You can do this through the Start menu or by pressing the power button on your device.
- Once your computer is back on and you’ve logged in, right-click on the desktop and open the NVIDIA Control Panel again.
- Go to the “Change Resolution” section. The “Customize” button should work now.
Restarting can fix temporary software problems or conflicts stopping the NVIDIA Control Panel from working right. It’s a simple but effective method.
Reinstalling NVIDIA Control Panel
If nothing else works, you might need to reinstall the NVIDIA Control Panel. This can fix problems caused by corrupted software or outdated parts. Here’s how:
- Uninstall the NVIDIA Control Panel:
- Open “Settings” on your computer.
- Click “Apps” then “Installed apps”.
- Find NVIDIA Control Panel in the list, click on it, and choose “Uninstall”. Follow the steps to finish uninstalling.
- Restart your computer to remove all parts of the NVIDIA Control Panel completely.
- Reinstall NVIDIA drivers:
- Go to the NVIDIA website and download the latest drivers for your graphics card. This usually comes with the NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Run the installer and follow the steps to put in the drivers and Control Panel. If it asks, do a clean install to remove old settings that might cause problems.
- Go to the NVIDIA website and download the latest drivers for your graphics card. This usually comes with the NVIDIA Control Panel.
- After installing, right-click your desktop and pick “NVIDIA Control Panel” to open it.
- Go to “Change Resolution” to see if the “Customize” button works now.
Reinstalling makes sure you have the latest NVIDIA Control Panel and drivers, fixing any issues from old or damaged software.
Summing up
In most cases, the “Customize” button is greyed out because of NVIDIA’s Dynamic Super Resolution (DSR) factors. Turning these off usually lets you use the button to set up custom resolutions.
But if that doesn’t work, try lowering your resolution temporarily or restarting your computer. These simple steps can refresh the settings and fix the problem. If all else fails, reinstalling the NVIDIA Control Panel and drivers is a sure way to tackle any deeper issues.
