How to Use a Monitor for a Laptop Blank Screen Monitor
If you have a second monitor lying around, put it to good use by connecting it to your laptop. A second monitor can serve as a separate or duplicate display to make your workspace larger or to aid in presentations. The second monitor can also be used to extend your PC's desktop, in some cases doubling your workspace with an extra screen, increasing productivity and giving you a bit more elbow room when it comes to multitasking. Setting a blank screen, as an extension, is easy to do and only takes a few minutes.
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Instructions
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Connect your laptop to your monitor using a VGA cable. If your laptop lacks a VGA output, you need a VGA converter. Simply connect the VGA cable to the VGA input on the monitor, then connect the other end of the cable to your laptop's VGA output or through a converter to your laptop. Various VGA converters are available, and the converter you need varies depending on your laptop.
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Power on the monitor and your laptop. Set the monitor to the appropriate input channel according to the monitor's user manual if applicable (e.g., VGA).
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Click the "Start" button on the taskbar and open the Control Panel.
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Click "Appearance and Personalization." If using Windows Vista, you will then click "Personalization" and then "Display Settings". If using Windows 7, click "Adjust Screen Resolution" to get to the same menu.
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Click the box next to "Multiple Displays:" and select "Extend these displays." Then click "Apply." The screen will flash, and your display will appear on both your laptop and your monitor. Your taskbar and icons will only display on your laptop, but by moving the cursor to the far side of the screen, it will relocate to the second monitor. You can drag boxes and open programs on this screen.
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Click "OK" when finished.
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