Windows Color Calibration keeps re-enabling, How Do I Permenantly Disable It

Question

Windows Color Calibration keeps re-enabling, How Do I Permenantly Disable It

Jackson Bennett 0

I was using the window color calibration setting under color profile while messing with my monitors. In short, I don't like it; it makes all the colors extremely blown-out, makes everything way too saturated, the sharpening effect doesn't look good. On top of that, I do digital art and it messes with all the colors and makes it impossible to color grade correctly.

User's image

I google the ways to get rid of it, I go into Display Adapter Properties -> go to Color Management -> click on Advanced -> and I un-check "Use Windows Display Calibration". I don't change any other setting. I restart my PC, and it all seems fine.

User's image

However, whenever my monitor either refreshes or when I changes tabs quickly in a browser my screen goes black for 1 second and the color calibration comes back. I have to either completely restart/shutdown my PC or I have to unplug my DP/HDMI cable and reinsert it for my display to go back to 'default'/normal.

This is specifically a color calibration issue. I do not have any Color Profile settings in my display settings nor do I have a screen tint on or the night-light/blue-light mode enabled.

Is there some setting I didnt check or uncheck? Is this a gpu driver issue or a windows update issue? Any and all help is appreciated.

0 comments

1 answer

Your answer

Answer 1

Emma1-N 11,865 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Welcome Jackson Bennett,

Hello, I understand how disruptive this is when accurate colors are essential for digital artwork.

The brief black screen suggests the display or graphics driver is refreshing and then reapplying a calibration setting. Windows calibration can create a separate color profile, even if none appears on the main Color management page.

Could you confirm your graphics card model and whether this happens only while using a browser?

Meanwhile, please try the step below to troubleshoot the issue:

Search for and open Color Management, select All Profiles, then remove any profile created by display calibration. Do not remove a manufacturer profile unless you recognize it as the unwanted one.
Open Settings > System > Display > Color profile and turn off Automatically manage color for apps if the option is available.
Press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B to reset the graphics driver, then check whether the unwanted colors return.
If the issue began after a driver update, open Device Manager > Display adapters > your graphics device > Properties > Driver and select Roll Back Driver if available.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes". If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Jackson Bennett 0 Reputation points

2026-09-01T05:09:06.9733333+00:00

The gpu is an nvidia 1060 and it happens in other applications mainly when changing fullscreen/borderless/windowed, like When I full-screen VLC for example, or when I change resolutions in either windows settings or nvidia settings.

To note, the black screen has been happening since I switched over to this monitor, but it never changed the color until I manually set the color calibration. I am also up to date on the latest nvidia and windows updates and it is still happening.

While using the browser, I have found disabling hardware acceleration stops the problem from happening specifically while in the browser. It also only happens when I cursor click the tabs, it doesnt happen when I ctrl + tab to change tabs.

Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B also fixes the problem momentarily but it doesn't stop it from happening.

I deleted the other calibrated profiles while in color management, but the problem keeps happening.

While in color management and the screen color changes, either from or to the default color, it says device hardware has changed, but from what I can see nothing within color management has actually changed from the default system settings.
Emma1-N 11,865 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-09-02T07:51:02.72+00:00
Hello Jackson Bennett,

Please check the steps:

Open NVIDIA Control Panel > Adjust desktop color settings

Select Other applications control color settings

Click Apply

Open NVIDIA Control Panel > Change resolution

Check whether Output color format is set to RGB.

Set Output dynamic range to Full.
Emma1-N 11,865 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-09-03T04:21:48.39+00:00

Hello Jackson Bennett,

Is there any update from you? Please let me know. I will be here to assist you.
Jackson Bennett 0 Reputation points

2026-09-04T06:15:42.98+00:00

The above steps listed didn't really solve the problem, but I did find that changing "Content type reported to the Display" to 'Desktop Programs' got rid of most of the issues. Whether its a permanent solution or not I have no idea, but it hasn't given me issues thus far on any of my other applications. Thank you for your help.
Emma1-N 11,865 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-09-05T07:37:22.8166667+00:00

Hello Jackson Bennett,

I'm glad you found a setting that helped. Thank you for posting the solution back to the thread. It may help other users experiencing similar color shifts when switching between fullscreen and windowed applications.