what do i need to connect dual monitors

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This wikiHow teaches y'all how to connect a second monitor to your laptop or desktop computer. Setting upwardly a 2nd monitor is possible on both Windows and Mac computers, but you'll need to brand sure that your figurer supports multiple displays earlier doing so.

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Make sure your estimator can support multiple displays. This isn't unremarkably an issue for laptop computers, but your desktop computer may not meet the requirements for adding a 2d monitor:
- Laptop — If your laptop has at least one video output port, yous can use it to connect a second monitor.
- Desktop — Your desktop figurer must have at least 2 video ports in total (ane to connect the primary monitor and one to connect the second monitor). The ports do not accept to match, but they do have to be a part of the same graphics carte du jour; this means that if you have two graphics cards installed, you'll need to use the same one for both monitors.
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Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general reckoner repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is as well the host of the Calculator Homo Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over 2 years.

Luigi Oppido
Reckoner & Tech Specialist

Our Expert Agrees: Just considering your onboard video card has 2 connections doesn't hateful it supports ii monitors. For instance, if it'due south DVI and VGA, you can merely pick one. To apply dual monitors, yous take to accept a secondary card in an AGP slot or PCI Limited slot.
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Identify your computer's video output port. Video output ports are plant on the side of your laptop or, if you're using a desktop computer, on the back of the tower next to the port into which your primary monitor is plugged. Common output ports include the following:
- HDMI — Resembles a 6-sided, apartment port.
- DisplayPort — Resembles a rectangular port with a crimped side.
- USB-C — Resembles a thin, rounded oval port.
- VGA — Resembles a colored trapezoid with pinholes in it. VGA isn't common on mail-2012 computers, merely you may have to work with VGA if y'all're connecting a new computer to an old monitor (or vice versa).
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Observe your monitor's video input port. Modernistic monitors tend to use either DisplayPort or HDMI ports for their inputs, but some monitors volition as well take VGA ports.
- If y'all have an exceptionally one-time monitor, you may find a DVI port on the back of your second monitor. DVI ports resemble white boxes with clusters of holes, as well every bit a section with a few split up holes.
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Buy a cablevision to connect your monitor to your computer if necessary. If yous don't take a cable which can connect your figurer to your monitor (e.g., an HDMI cable), you'll need to purchase 1.
- If your computer and your monitor both have a common port (eastward.g., HDMI), it's easier (and cheaper) to buy a cable that fits both ports even if a higher-definition option is bachelor.
- If the monitor's input doesn't match your figurer's output (e.m., if the monitor uses a VGA input while your estimator uses an HDMI output), yous will need to buy an adapter.
- Some video output combinations, such as HDMI to DisplayPort, come up equally cables that you tin purchase instead of buying an adapter.
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Plug one stop of the cable into your computer. The cable should plug into your estimator'due south video output port.
- Recall, if you're using a desktop computer, this must be a video output port that is part of the same graphics card that your principal monitor uses.
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Plug the other cease of the cable into your monitor. The costless end of the cable should fit into your selected port on the back of the monitor.
- If y'all're using an adapter, you'll plug i end of the cable into the adapter and and so plug the monitor's cable into both the monitor and the adapter.
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Power on the monitor. If your monitor isn't plugged into a power source, attach information technology via the included power cable; yous can then press the Power push button on the monitor to plow it on.
- Depending on your computer, you may see your desktop reflected on the second monitor when it turns on.
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Open Start . Click the Windows logo in the lesser-left corner of the screen.
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Open Settings . Click the gear-shaped icon in the lower-left side of the Start window. This volition open the Settings window.
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Click System . Information technology's a screen-shaped icon in the upper-left side of the window.
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Click Display . This tab is in the upper-left corner of the window.
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Gyre down and click the "Multiple displays" drop-downward box. Information technology's the box beneath the "Multiple displays" heading about the bottom of the page. Doing so volition prompt a driblet-down menu.
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Select a brandish option. Depending on what you lot want your second monitor to do, click one of the post-obit options:
- Indistinguishable these displays — Copies everything that'southward on your computer's principal display to the second monitor.
- Extend these displays — Creates an extension of your desktop on the 2d monitor. This essentially gives you more than space with which to work.
- Prove merely on 1 — Blacks out the second monitor and shows content just on the beginning monitor.
- Show only on 2 — Blacks out the first monitor and shows content only on the second monitor.
- Depending on your computer, you may have additional options here.
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Luigi Oppido is the Possessor and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of feel in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is too the host of the Computer Man Evidence! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido
Reckoner & Tech Specialist

Accommodate your settings so the monitors appear the mode they exercise in front of you. When yous go into your Control Panel settings, go into Display, then select exactly where each one of the monitors are. You can then drag the monitors effectually and pu them in exactly the orientation they are in your screen. If 1's 2 inches higher than the other 1, yous would put it 2 inches higher, for instance. That mode, the mouse will go across properly.

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Know which Macs y'all can use. All Macs back up at least one additional monitor, though some Macs just take i bachelor port to share betwixt charging, file transfers, and external displays. If you have a MacBook laptop with only one port, make sure that your computer is fully charged and disconnected from any peripherals (east.g., USB flash drives) before attempting to connect some other monitor.
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Find your Mac's video output port. Depending on your Mac, you'll observe one (or more) of the post-obit ports on the side of your Mac (MacBook and MacBook Pro) or on the back of your Mac (iMac):
- USB-C (Thunderbolt iii) — Oval-shaped port. Modern MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and iMacs accept anywhere from one to four of these.
- Thunderbolt ii — Foursquare-shaped port. Found on older Macs.
- HDMI — 6-sided, flat port. Found on older Macs.
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Discover your monitor's video input port. Modern monitors tend to use either DisplayPort or HDMI ports for their inputs, only some monitors will also have VGA ports.
- If you take an uncommonly old monitor, yous may find a DVI port on the back of your 2nd monitor. DVI ports resemble white boxes with clusters of holes, as well as a section with a few split holes.
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Buy a cablevision to connect your monitor to your computer if necessary. If yous don't accept a cable which tin connect your estimator to your monitor (e.g., an HDMI cable), yous'll need to buy one.
- If your calculator and your monitor both have a mutual port (eastward.one thousand., HDMI), it's easier (and cheaper) to purchase a cable that fits both ports even if a higher-definition choice is bachelor.
- If the monitor's input doesn't match your figurer's output (e.g., if the monitor uses a VGA input while your computer uses an HDMI output), you lot will demand to purchase an adapter.
- Some video output combinations, such as HDMI to DisplayPort, come equally cables that y'all tin can purchase instead of buying an adapter.
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Plug 1 finish of the cablevision into your figurer. The cable should plug into your estimator'southward video output port.
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Plug the other end of the cable into your monitor. The free end of the cable should fit into your selected port on the back of the monitor.
- If you lot're using an adapter, you'll plug one end of the cable into the adapter and so plug the monitor'south cablevision into both the monitor and the adapter.
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Power on the monitor. If your monitor isn't plugged into a power source, attach it via the included power cable; you can then press the Power button on the monitor to plough it on.
- Depending on your calculator, you may see your desktop reflected on the second monitor when information technology turns on.
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Open the Apple tree menu . Click the Apple logo in the tiptop-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will announced.
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Click System Preferences… . You'll notice this option in the drop-down menu. Doing and so opens the System Preferences window.
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Click Displays . It'southward a screen-shaped icon in the System Preferences window. A pop-upwards window will open.
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Click the System tab. This is at the tiptop of the Displays pop-up window.
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Extend your desktop to the 2nd brandish. If you want to utilise the second monitor as an extension of your desktop, uncheck the "Mirror displays" box at the lesser of the window.^[one]
- If yous but want your second monitor to mirror whatsoever is on your Mac's primary monitor, skip this pace.
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It'southward often cheaper to purchase cables online than in stores.
When using a 2d monitor to extend your master monitor, pushing your mouse all the way to the right of the first monitor will place the mouse on the 2nd monitor.

If your computer doesn't accept multiple displays, you'll need to install a graphics card that has a minimum of two video outputs in order to apply multiple displays.

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Article Summary X

1. Make sure your computer has two video ports.
2. Purchase a cable and/or adapter if needed.
three. Connect the new monitor to the available video port.
4. Click the Outset menu.
v. Select Settings.
6. Click System.
7. Click Display.
8. Select an option from the "Multiple Displays" carte.
nine. Click Apply.