How to connect a second monitor to a windows 7, 8, 10 computer: step by step instructions

Windows does not see the second monitor

Not so long ago, connecting an additional monitor to a PC was perceived as silly. But today, a lot has changed, and most professions in various fields are enjoying this advantage. The most common problem when installing a second display is that windows does not see the second monitor. Why does not it work? What to do? How to connect a second monitor via hdmi? And much more in the article below.

Method 1.

First of all, make sure that your secondary display is not broken, but is in working order:

• check the integrity of the wires from the monitor to the system unit;
• take a look at the correct connection of the cable to the PC;
• make sure the device is connected.

Up to 50% of cases when the   second monitor is not detected , the reasons are the trivial moments described above.

Method 2.

After a standard check, your monitor is still missing? Your display may be outdated and there are problems with its software. Do the following:

• Click pkm on the desktop.
• Select Display Options.
• Click on “Detect” under the “Multiple Displays” section.

Method 3.

Doesn’t work and the pc can’t see the monitor? It so happens that the second display conflicts with the system, so windows cannot detect it. It is worth trying to change the projection format. For this:

• press Windows + P;
• After a menu of projection modes appears with 4 settings items, select the one you need and click on it.

Method 4.

Again, the computer does not see the ill-fated screen? There is a possibility that the reason lies in the latest update of the graphics adapter software, so the system does not transmit the image to the secondary monitor. To fix the situation, you need to rollback the driver to the previous version. Follow the steps below:

• open the device manager;
• find your video card, it is located in the item “Video adapters”;
• right click on your graphics adapter, then “Properties”;
• find the “Driver” tab and click “Roll Back”;
• follow the instructions on the screen;
• reload (reboot) the PC;

Method 5.

Here are a few more steps for those who, when connected to a laptop, do not have a second monitor:

• Connect your monitor via HDMI or VGA. Close the lid of the laptop (the fact is that when you turn off the main monitor on the laptop, the second becomes the main one), and after a few minutes open the laptop. The image should appear on two screens.
• With an additional monitor connected via HDMI or VGA, put the device into sleep mode, and exit it after a couple of minutes.

Method 6.

The next option is to change the refresh rate of the monitor. Perhaps its value is greater than that provided on both displays, so the system does not detect and connect the latter. Follow the steps below:

• press RMB on the desktop, select the item “Screen resolution”;
• click “Additional parameters”;
• in the menu that appears, click the “Monitor” tab and select the optimal value for the refresh rate;
• apply the changes and restart the PC.

And yet, if the above methods are inactive, how to connect a second monitor to a windows 7, 8, 10 computer: step by step instructions, method 7.

• Decide whether your display is connected to your PC, VGA, DVI, or HDMI.
• Plug the power cord into a power outlet and the monitor wires to your PC.
• Turn on your computer (laptop).

At the end of the above-described standard actions, it is necessary to determine the type of configuration of the connected display:

• Presentation (clone) format – used for presentations. The image on one and the other screen is completely the same, or differently (clone).
• Extended desktop format – designed to distribute the working area on two screens. Different windows, and applications, can be displayed on different screens.

To implement 1 connection mode, you must:

• right-click on the desktop;
• depending on the manufacturer of the video card, select the ATI or Nvidia Control Center utility from the drop-down list.
• find the clone parameter, select it and apply.

To enlarge the desktop area, let’s do:

• go to start-> control panel;
• select the section “design and personalization” -> setting the screen resolution, do not forget to click the item “detect” so that the system will detect the presence of a second screen.
• in the last drop-down list, look for the display option Desktop Extension to distribute the desktop between 2 monitors;
• we confirm the changes.