If you have a laptop with a small screen, or if you simply want to make the most of your desktop real estate, you might want to connect an external monitor. This is especially useful if you’re a power user who likes to have multiple windows open at the same time. Here’s how to do it.
Before you begin, you’ll need to gather a few things. In addition to your laptop and the monitor, you’ll need:
- An HDMI cable
- A Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter (for some older laptops)
- A DisplayPort cable (for some newer laptops)
- A DVI cable (for some older laptops)
- A VGA cable (for some very old laptops)
Once you have all of the necessary cables and adapters, you’re ready to get started.
1. Start by powering off your laptop and unplugging all of the cables. This includes the power cord, any USB cables, and the cable connecting your laptop to the monitor.
2. Next, connect the appropriate cable to your laptop. If you’re using HDMI, connect the HDMI cable to the HDMI port on your laptop. If you’re using a Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter, connect the adapter to the Mini DisplayPort on your laptop, then connect the HDMI cable to the adapter.
3. Now connect the other end of the cable to the monitor. If you’re using HDMI, connect the cable to the HDMI port on the monitor. If you’re using a Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter, connect the adapter to the HDMI port on the monitor.
4. Once the cable is connected, plug in the power cord to the monitor.
5. Finally, plug in the power cord to your laptop.
6. Once both the laptop and the monitor are powered on, you should see the display on the monitor. If you don’t, press the Fn key on your laptop’s keyboard, then press the F4 key (this may be labeled CRT/LCD).
7. If you still don’t see the display on the monitor, you may need to adjust the resolution. To do this, open the Display settings. In Windows 10, you can do this by right-clicking on the desktop, then selecting Display settings from the menu that appears.
8. In the Display settings window, scroll down to the Resolution section and select the resolution that’s appropriate for your monitor. If you’re not sure what resolution to select, look for the native resolution of your monitor in the manual that came with the monitor.
9. Once you’ve selected the appropriate resolution, click the Apply button.
10. If you’re satisfied with the way things look, click the Keep changes button. If you’re not satisfied, click the Revert button.
And that’s it! You should now have an external monitor connected to your laptop. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments section below.