How to Add a Display to a Mac Laptop
For work or fun, a laptop can provide convenience and mobility. Many laptop users often work at a desk, however, and find that adding a second display can be beneficial. In addition to lessening possible eye and neck strain, a larger screen can make multitasking easier and gaming more entertaining. Mac laptops are especially user-friendly, which means a second display is not difficult to connect.
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Instructions
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Determine which video-out port is built into your laptop. Locate it on the back or side of your Mac laptop. The ports may be designated by unfamiliar symbols or near-microscopic text, so you may have to rely on visual identification.
Older models may have a VGA port, a rhombus with 15 small round holes in the center and two screw holes on either side. Others may have a DVI port, an inch-long rectangle with three rows of 8 rectangular holes and a single minus or plus sign and two screw holes on either side. Newer Mac laptop models may have a Mini DisplayPort, a small rounded square about ¼ inch long. It is often designated with a symbol that looks like a square with two vertical lines on either side.
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Locate the corresponding video-in port on your monitor.
It will look like one of the video-out ports previously described, but where there were holes in the video-out port, there will be pins in the video-in port.
If the display port does not match the laptop port, you will need an adapter.
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Insert one end of the cable into each port. Plug in the display's power cable, preferably into a surge-protected outlet. Turn on the computer and the monitor.
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Add the computer's desktop manually, if necessary. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your file menu and select "System Preferences." Under the subheading "Hardware," click "Displays." Click the "Detect Displays" button and select your new monitor.
If the monitor cannot be detected, check your cables to ensure everything fits snugly and accurately. If the monitor still cannot be detected, contact your retailer for more troubleshooting options.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not attempt to connect or remove cables while your computer or monitor is plugged in. Though extremely rare, electrical surges can result in equipment failure, injury or even death.
