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sertac's avatar
sertac
Copper Contributor
Sep 25, 2026

Color profile and eye strain

I’m experiencing a color/display issue on Windows 11 with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070

I was having eye strain while using my pc and i found a solution, I was opening my pc and get into the display section and it was applying a color profile and then I was putting it to sleep mode and once i open it again color profile wasn't working, so i was never getting into display section again because once i do, it was applying to a color profile that hurts my eyes. 

But lately after windows update or nivida driver update, that solution for me started not working. Is there anything i can do to continue using like the way i do before? or is there any color profile was applying after i put to sleep mode. I was feeling comfort on my eyes while i was doing this. If you can help me i would be so happy.

configuration

2 Replies

  • SarahWilson1's avatar
    SarahWilson1
    Brass Contributor
    Sep 27, 2026

    Sleep probably wasn’t applying a special “comfortable” profile. It may have been clearing a calibration adjustment, which made the screen look different. The update could have changed how that adjustment is restored after waking.

    Start by checking the profile assigned to your monitor:

    1. Press Win + R, type colorcpl, and press Enter.
    2. Under Devices, select the correct monitor. Take a screenshot of the listed profiles and which one is the default so you can restore the original settings.
    3. If a custom or manufacturer profile is selected, try Use my settings for this device > Add > sRGB IEC61966-2.1, then select it and choose Set as Default Profile.

    This is a comparison test, not a guarantee of accurate colour for your monitor. If it looks worse or makes no difference, restore the previous default.

    Also check NVIDIA Control Panel > Display > Adjust desktop color settings. If brightness, contrast, or gamma have been customized there, record the current values and try restoring that page’s defaults. Change one thing at a time so you can tell what helps.

    If HDR is enabled under Settings > System > Display > HDR, try turning it off separately. HDR changes how brightness and colour are handled, so an ordinary colour-profile change may not recreate the appearance you remember.

    Once you find a comfortable setting, keep it directly rather than relying on sleep to disable something. Lowering the monitor’s own brightness may also help, especially if white backgrounds feel glaring.

  • Jamony's avatar
    Jamony
    MCT
    Sep 27, 2026

    The comfortable state after sleep was probably not a hidden “safe” profile; the ICC profile may have failed to load, or HDR, Night light, or driver state may have changed. Rather than depend on that failure, create an explicit configuration.
    Open Settings > System > Display > Color profile, select the monitor, note installed profiles, and set the most comfortable known profile as default. If none is suitable, run Calibrate display. Test Automatically manage color for apps off and on, then test HDR and Night light separately, changing one setting at a time. Reset NVIDIA color overrides while testing.
    If this began after a driver update, clean-install the current NVIDIA driver or roll back once for comparison. Record the Windows build, driver version, monitor model, active profile, and whether the change follows sleep. If it still changes state, report the reproducible transition through Feedback Hub.