How to Connect a Monitor to a Laptop and Use Both Screens?

Laptops are getting ever more strong and imaginative. But, there’s one thing you need to live with—the small-sized screen. If you don’t want to take the 17-inch giant with you, the 11 to 15-inch screen is hard to deal with.

It is easier to carry the huge monitor while working on the desk, which will help you make a lot of activities and stuff more relaxed.

On the other hand, with the extra desktop option, you can conduct your multitasking tasks using the laptop screen. The aim would be to use the portable display you will bring with the laptop and the USB-C connector.

The laptops typically come with one connector that you can conveniently insert into the display. HDMI, DVI, VGA, and a display port are the options available. Thin laptops need adapters because they are unable to match the full-size DisplayPort or HDMI output.

Cables and adapters that can serve for your second screen

The majority of laptops have the built-in potential to power the second computer. HDMI or monitor ports have to be found to match the desktop or laptop.

You may have to search for a white DVI or another blue VGA socket because you have an older device.

For attaching your additional device, projector, TV, or some other secondary screen, all four types of ports will be open.

You should make use of the right cable when you have either of these 4 ports. Often, the smaller and lighter laptops lack a compatible port. So, in the mix, you have to install the adaptor.

Configuring the Second Panel

It is an effortless job to set up the projector. You have to plug in the second display, and without the need for any additional program or complicated configuration, the machine would readily know it. Everything you need to do is follow the optional setup steps.

For Windows

Step 1. Managing the setup

If the necessary wire is wired between the laptop and the computer, you can start configuring Windows to use both displays. In most instances, you can find that the computer that is plugged in and switched on will immediately start detecting Windows.

The material on the computer would quickly begin to be duplicated. You will have to use the buttons to locate the menu and then pick the right video input if you fail to see something on the screen. With the video signal coming in, it will then switch automatically to the input.

You will now need to right-click Windows Desktop>>> to pick Monitor Settings.

There’s an alternative to that.

Click Start > Setup > Device. Start to find options such as orientation, text size, and resolution.

Step 2. Duplicating or extending the Windows desktop across two monitors

For the second computer, the repeat option is available to mirror all that is available on the laptop screen. An expanded menu occurs where the desktop of the windows is extended over the two displays.

The third option shows 1 or 2 only. For further recognition, you should click find.

There is another way you can find for doing so. You have to switch between modes and continue checking for the feature key in the top row of the laptop. Two displays will inform you that.

The Fn key and the feature key that will switch between the different settings must be pressed. Laptop monitor, external screen only, and laptop + external screen are the settings here.

In each case, to treat the second monitor as a separate desktop, you must choose the “extend these displays’ displays’ option.” A separate program for displaying the displays on the laptop computer can also be run. Now, you could configure your view by dragging Monitor 2 under the heading. By default, this mechanism would be on the right-hand side of your laptop screen.

The rectangle will become more substantial in the diagram as the resolution of the computer becomes more extensive than that of the desktop. It has little to do with the monitor’s physical scale. To allow the bottom edge to line up, you have to move the monitor icon to the second panel.

So, for the top and the bottom, you will get an equivalent area. It’s important to note, though, that it can affect the rotation of the mouse between the windows.

Step 3. Checking the screen’s resolution

You have to go ahead with the process of testing the display resolution in the next step. For each display, you have to set the native resolution. Then, if you do not already know them, you could review the requirements. You will have the option to adjust the size of the document, other objects, and applications slider when you have a screen with a high resolution of about 4K. Those institutions are going to make it more readable.

You should press on Add and wait for the improvements to be enforced because you are already comfortable with the custom settings. On the display that is attached to the laptop, you will see these improvements. You should start using the computer as a computer for your laptop now. Additional shortcut icons can also be added.

For macOS

Step 1. Managing the setup

Open Appliances>>> on macOS, choose Device Preferences>>> press Displays. Now go to the Arrangement tab and start adjusting the displays’ relative locations. On the left screen, you can see it accessible and on the right one.

Step 2. Setting the resolution of the screen

Now, you can switch between the mirrored mode and the expanded mode using the mirrored view checkbox option. In addition to that, you can use the same menu to set the screen resolution.

For Chrome OS:

How to connect a monitor to a laptop and use both the screens - Chrome OS

Chrome OS-How to attach a display to a laptop and use both screens
You have to press the details panel that is visible in the lower right-hand corner while you are on the Chrome operating system computer. You have to click the cog icon now, and then go to the setup screen. From there, you can choose this location. You will configure from that menu whether the second display can function as an expansion or a duplication of the first one or not. You can also adjust the display’s resolution and orientation, along with placing it in a virtual environment.

Totaling it up

You should sit back and relax using the second screen when you’re finished with the steps. You can find simplicity in dragging the Windows software between the screens and optimizing them on each screen while you are running in extended mode. The operating system automatically reverts to the default configuration once you reconnect and turn off the second display.

Categorized in: