Should I tick the "use windows display calibration" check box?

I've found a few discussions about this, but never a definitive answer. I calibrated my monitor with i1display, and set the new profile to default in Windows 10 colour management, which I assume is working as photos now look different in colour managed software like Photoshop and Corel Photopaint compared to Windows desktop. However, some people say you still need to tick the use Windows display calibration box in the advanced section of Windows colour management.

Has anyone got a definite view or answer on this?

StillStihl said:

I've found a few discussions about this, but never a definitive answer. I calibrated my monitor with i1display, and set the new profile to default in Windows 10 colour management, which I assume is working as photos now look different in colour managed software like Photoshop and Corel Photopaint compared to Windows desktop. However, some people say you still need to tick the use Windows display calibration box in the advanced section of Windows colour management.

Has anyone got a definite view or answer on this?

Click to expand...

I don't have a definitive answer, but I don't check that box. I also calibrate my monitors with an i1 Display Pro, and it all works fine.

I can't find what that checkbox does, but I think it might invoke a Windows LUT loader. If anyone knows what it does, I hope they'll chip in.

If you have a monitor that doesn't have internal hardware calibration LUTs, then calibration relies on LUT (Look Up Table) values being loaded from the monitor profile's vcgt field into the video card at boot time. Most calibration/profiling programs put their own LUT loader in startup. For example, the xrite (or calibrite) software puts a program "XRGamma.exe" in the startup menu. In the Task Menu -> Startup tab it appears as "CalibrationLoader 5.0 Application" on my system. Maybe checking "Use windows display calibration" invokes a Windows program to do the same thing?

(If you have a monitor with internal hardware LUTs, then the calibration LUT values are stored in non-volatile memory in the monitor, and that doesn't have to be loaded each time the computer boots up.)

--
Simon

Google it !

What is Color Management used for?
A color management system (CMS) compares the color space in which a color was created to the color space in which the same color will be output, and makes the necessary adjustments to represent the color as consistently as possible among different devices.12 Jan 2022

Stay away, your colour management is in the profile that you created. Nothing wants to play with or change this.....including any blue light filter or "night" setting that alters the blue tint after 6pm !

When you calibrate make sure HDR is off , as most i1 Display Pro etc do not support this , again if you print head for 100 cdm2 or lower for brightness 2.2 for Gamma and and Native for Gamut. White point between 6000k and 6500 .

THEN never change the screen brightness as it must remain at the level calibrated for that profile.

kciuk aka Ken60 said:

Google it !

What is Color Management used for?
A color management system (CMS) compares the color space in which a color was created to the color space in which the same color will be output, and makes the necessary adjustments to represent the color as consistently as possible among different devices.12 Jan 2022

Stay away, your colour management is in the profile that you created. Nothing wants to play with or change this.....including any blue light filter or "night" setting that alters the blue tint after 6pm !

When you calibrate make sure HDR is off , as most i1 Display Pro etc do not support this , again if you print head for 100 cdm2 or lower for brightness 2.2 for Gamma and and Native for Gamut. White point between 6000k and 6500 .

THEN never change the screen brightness as it must remain at the level calibrated for that profile.

Click to expand...

Got that, but but the OP's question was: what does the "use windows display calibration" check box do in Control Panel -> Colour Management -> Advanced Tab? (If it's greyed out, need to go to "Change system defaults".)

Some sources say check that box even if you use xrite or other software. E.g. on xrite's own website: https://www.xrite.com/service-support/monitorprofileunloadingonwindows7windows8windows10 . See step 6 on that page.

Simon Garrett said:

kciuk aka Ken60 said:

Google it !

What is Color Management used for?
A color management system (CMS) compares the color space in which a color was created to the color space in which the same color will be output, and makes the necessary adjustments to represent the color as consistently as possible among different devices.12 Jan 2022

Stay away, your colour management is in the profile that you created. Nothing wants to play with or change this.....including any blue light filter or "night" setting that alters the blue tint after 6pm !

When you calibrate make sure HDR is off , as most i1 Display Pro etc do not support this , again if you print head for 100 cdm2 or lower for brightness 2.2 for Gamma and and Native for Gamut. White point between 6000k and 6500 .

THEN never change the screen brightness as it must remain at the level calibrated for that profile.

Click to expand...

Got that, but but the OP's question was: what does the "use windows display calibration" check box do in Control Panel -> Colour Management -> Advanced Tab? (If it's greyed out, need to go to "Change system defaults".)

Some sources say check that box even if you use xrite or other software. E.g. on xrite's own website: https://www.xrite.com/service-support/monitorprofileunloadingonwindows7windows8windows10 . See step 6 on that page.

Click to expand...

Exactly, with such mixed messages it adds another layer of uncertainty to the fun and games of colour management!

wow Simon I have never read that or used it for any screen , have to wonder why I always had great colour . Even now with Win 11 and the Eizo CG279x I dont have it showing and don't use it . I am surprised that X rite does not set this as it installs the profiles if it is so important.

StillStihl said:

I've found a few discussions about this, but never a definitive answer. I calibrated my monitor with i1display, and set the new profile to default in Windows 10 colour management, which I assume is working as photos now look different in colour managed software like Photoshop and Corel Photopaint compared to Windows desktop. However, some people say you still need to tick the use Windows display calibration box in the advanced section of Windows colour management.

Has anyone got a definite view or answer on this?

Click to expand...

I wish I really knew more about it but using Google & Bing I find different & conflicting answers, not unusual for the net.

I use an Eizo & Dell in dual monitor setup. I calibrate the Eizo with their Color Navigator software & the Dell with CC Studio. The CN will not load if that box is checked. Uncheck the box & CN can be used on the Eizo. I close CN, open CC Studio & use it with the Dell.

When finished I see that both monitors have their correct ICC Profiles in the Advanced window of Color Mgt. These are under Advanced Display Settings in Win 10.

Occasionally with a Win 10 upgrade I do have to go in & reset them.

Sorry I couldn't answer your question but this works for me using a dual monitor setup.

I have thought of contacting Eizo but haven't gotten around to it. Maybe there is something on their web site.

I am not an expert on this, but I have a theory. When I calibrate my displays, at the end the i1 Studio software asks me if I want to use their profile loader or let Windows do it. (They recommend letting i1 Studio do it.) I suspect that check box returns the task of loading the monitor profiles back to Windows.

I use a "built in calibrator now " and since installing the Eizo software I removed X rite I1 software This removal was to stop the boot loading of the software in the icon tray and the actions it instigated to load the profile into the system. As you suggest this series of boot activities may have involved windows settings.

StillStihl said:

I've found a few discussions about this, but never a definitive answer. I calibrated my monitor with i1display, and set the new profile to default in Windows 10 colour management, which I assume is working as photos now look different in colour managed software like Photoshop and Corel Photopaint compared to Windows desktop. However, some people say you still need to tick the use Windows display calibration box in the advanced section of Windows colour management.

Has anyone got a definite view or answer on this?

Click to expand...

There is a Windows Display Calibration utility in the same Color Management/Advanced panel. If you choose to run that utility (it gives you eye-test calibration sliders), you can then turn it on or off with the "Use Windows display calibration".

If you use a hardware calibrator, it does not matter if it's on or off; just don't change the status after your hardware calibration, and make sure that your calibrated profile is the default one for your display. I suspect that Windows resets the Windows Display Calibration to neutral when you load a new profile anyway. It seems to act as an overlay to the currently-active profile.

Just my guesses, after playing around with it a bit.