If you want to boost your multi-tasking productivity on your computer and improve your workstation, you should try adding a second monitor to your setup. Of course, irrespective of what your use your Windows 10 PC for, be it work, studying, creative purposes, or gaming, adding an extra display to your setup will help you get the job done more quickly and efficiently.
Luckily, it is quite easy to set up a second monitor with your Windows 10 PC, as long you have the second monitor ready to go. If you use a laptop, it can also be used as a second monitor for your PC. This guide will show you how to set up a dual-monitor workstation on your Windows 10 PC. We will also walk you through how you can also use a laptop as a monitor.
Below, we have prepared a step-by-step guide showing you how you can add a second display to your Windows 10 setup, including how you can set it up and troubleshoot in the event that something goes wrong.
Before you proceed, however, you should make sure that you have a suitable display cable prepared. Depending on your PC’s kind of ports, you may need either an HDMI cable, DisplayPort, or a mini-DisplayPort lead. Once you have this settled, you can proceed to the next phase of the guide.
How to add a second monitor to Windows 10
First off, move your cursor to the left side of your taskbar (at the bottom of the screen) and click the Start icon to open up the Start menu. You can also hit the Windows key on your keyboard instead.
Now, click on the gear icon to open up the Settings menu.
Once in the Settings menu, click the “System” tab.
Now, most Windows 10 PCs will automatically recognize your second display once you go to the Display section, and it will display both monitors as “1 & 2,” just as you can see in the image below.
However, if you notice that your computer has not detected the second screen, you should try clicking the “Detect” button so your computer can try to find the monitor you connected to your PC.
Now, once your computer has successfully detected the second monitor, but you would like to check how they are arranged, simply click the “Identify” button. Once you do this, you will notice both of the monitors display “1” and “2”, matching the order in which they are arranged in the settings.
If you would like to change the arrangement of the monitors, you can rearrange it by dragging a selected screen to fit whichever arrangement you would like. Windows also allows you to select which monitors you prefer as your main display, which it calls the primary monitor. And that’s pretty much it. You can now have content displayed on both monitors in whichever fashion you like.
Now, the process involved in setting up two monitors on your Windows PC can be a bit tricky. In the event that something goes wrong while trying to set it up, you do not have to panic, as we have prepared a few steps you can use to fix it.
- First off, you need to make sure that you have connected the cable to your monitor and PC properly on both ends.
- Ensure that you have the external monitor turned on. (You can check the manual if you need to).
- You may be experiencing difficulties as a result of a bug, and to fix this, all you need to do is reboot your PC.
- Double-check the monitor’s built-in controls to ensure that you have connected the cable to the right input port on your computer.
- If you have another cable, try using it instead.
- If you have another computer nearby (even a laptop will do), you should try connecting the external display to it to see if the issue still persists. If it does, then it is possible that the fault is with the monitor, and as such, you should contact support service to either have it replaced or fixed.
- See if unplugging all the external devices you have connected to your computer will help fix the issue.
- You should also try checking that you have the latest updates installed on your PC.
