How to Use a Monitor on Laptops

An external monitor can help improve screen visibility.

Connecting an external monitor to a laptop is a necessary step if you have broken the screen on your laptop, or if you want to extend your screen area to create a dual monitor. If your monitor is high-definition, you will need a HDMI cable and a HDMI slot on your laptop. If your laptop does not have the slot, you will need to use a standard definition monitor with a VGA cable.

Things You'll Need

• VGA or HDMI cable

Instructions

1. Turn on your laptop and wait for the main desktop screen to appear.

2. Attach the VGA cable into the slot at the back of your monitor. If you're using a HDMI cable, you would insert this cable at the back of the monitor instead.

3. Locate the appropriate cable slot on your laptop. The VGA cable slot and the HDMI slot are both found on the side of the laptop. The HDMI output is typically a thin, flat jack with internal connectors. A VGA port is a larger jack with 15 pin receptors for the monitor cable.

4. Press the cable firmly into the jack to ensure that it is correctly connected between the monitor and the laptop.

5. Hold down the "Windows" button on your keyboard. This is the key that shows the Windows logo. At the same time press down the "P" key. This will present you with monitor options on your laptop screen.

6. Select "Extend" if you wish to create a dual screen using your laptop screen and the external monitor. To use the monitor instead of your laptop screen, click the "Duplicate" button. The screen is now ready for use.

References

• Microsoft: Dual Monitor Setup