With various ways of connecting a 2nd, 3rd or more screens to your computer or laptop. Or perhaps you want to connect a TV to your laptop for bigger screen entertainment. Here is our quick help guide on what to do and how to go about it!
Once you have got the right cables and connected your computers 2nd display or TV, you need to let your Windows operating system know what you have done. If you haven’t got the cables yet and need help, either get in touch or view our Computer to TV cable help guide now.
So here we go:
For Windows XP Users
1 – Right click your Windows Desktop anywhere but on an icon and select ‘Properties’.
2 – Then the Properties box should appear, then select tab ‘Settings’
(If you have connected a 2nd or more displays you should see a window 1 and window 2.)
3 – Select the display from the dropdown or the number for your 2nd display or TV.
(If you are unsure which is which, select the tab that says ‘Identify’, this should help!)
4 – Now enable and select the box ‘Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor.’
5 – Make sure you set the screen resolution to a setting that your 2nd display can handle. If unsure check the manual that came with your monitor or TV for help.
6 – You should now select ‘Apply’ and now be able to drag and drop a Windows program or ‘Window’ on and off 1 display and onto another!
7 – That’s it! You have now setup your 2nd display or TV for multi-screen viewing.
For Windows Vista Users
1 – Right click your Windows Desktop anywhere but on an icon and select ‘Personalize’.
2 -In the next window, towards the bottom, then select the text ‘Display Settings’
(If you have connected a 2nd or more displays you should see a window 1 and window 2.)
3 – Select the display from the dropdown or the number for your 2nd display or TV.
(If you are unsure which is which, select the tab that says ‘Identify’, this should help!)
4 – Now enable and select the box ‘Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor.’
5 – Make sure you set the screen resolution to a setting that your 2nd display can handle. If unsure check the manual that came with your monitor or TV for help.
6 – You should now select ‘Apply’ and now be able to drag and drop a Windows program or ‘Window’ on and off 1 display and onto another!
7 – That’s it! You have now setup your 2nd display or TV for multi-screen viewing.
Multi Display Error Messages and Problems to be aware of!
If you are faced with a blank screen or the ‘Out of Range’ error on your 2nd display or TV, please check the following:
1 – Are you sure you have set a resolution in the instructions above that your 2nd display or TV can handle? On some screens or TV sets you may also need to set a matching ‘Frequency’ too. To make this change, while in the Display settings window mentioned above, select the tab ‘Advanced’… then the tab ‘Monitor’.
2 – You should now see a Monitor Settings dropdown selection. Ensure you change your frequency to that, that is recommended by your monitors guide or TV instructions. Some TV sets require the frequency to be as low as 60Hz, but do check 1st.
3 – Ensure the correct display cables are connected. See our Computer to TV cable help guide now if you are unsure or need to double check your cable connections!
If you are still stuck, then feel free to add your comments below or contact us for further help!
We offer a full range of converters and cables for all computers, monitors and TV’s old and new. So feel free to get in touch or view our guide above for further details.
