how to rearrange display screens in stock

If you’re running a multiple-monitor setup in Windows 10, it is important to let the operating systems know how they’re arranged in physical space so they work properly. Here’s how to do it.

To set up the arrangement of your monitors, you’ll need to head to the Display settings page. To quickly access it, right-click on Windows 10’s desktop and select “Display settings.”

If you have more than one monitor hooked up, you will see a visual representation of the monitors as rectangles with numbers inside them. This simplified diagram represents the orientation of your monitors as Windows understands it. To change it, we need to change the diagram.

If your displays have different resolutions, then the rectangles will be different sizes. It is useful to align the tops or bottoms of the two displays so the mouse cursor and windows you drag will move between them as you would expect. To do that, simply click and drag one of the monitor boxes until the top or bottom sides line up.

In the example scenario above, Display 2 is now to the left of Display 1. If you reach the left edge of Display 1, your mouse cursor, or the window you are dragging, will appear on the right edge of Display 2.

In Windows 10, the “primary monitor” or “main display” is the monitor on which new windows and apps open up by default. You can change which monitor is the primary display from the same Settings > System > Display screen.

In Display settings, click on the rectangle representing the monitor that you want to designate the primary monitor in Display settings. Windows will highlight the box representing the selected monitor.

If you want to change the main display back, first. select another monitor in Display settings by clicking on its rectangle. Scroll down, then check the “Make This My Main Display” box for that monitor.

Tip:If you"re using a wireless display adapter, connect to an HDMI port on newer TVs, then wirelessly connect your PC to it. After connecting your wireless display adapter to your TV, go to your Windows 11 PC, press Windows logo key + K to open Cast, then select your wireless display adapter.

To see which number corresponds to a display, select Start, then search for settings. Select Settings > System > Display> Identify. A number appears on the screen of the display it"s assigned to.

If you have multiple displays, you can change how they"re arranged. This is helpful if you want your displays to match how they"re set up in your home or office. In Display settings, select and drag the display to where you want. Do this with all the displays you want to move. When you"re happy with the layout, select Apply. Test your new layout by moving your mouse pointer across the different displays to make sure it works like you expect.

After you"re connected to your external displays, you can change settings like your resolution, screen layout, and more. To see available options, in Settings, select System > Display.

Windows will recommend an orientation for your screen. To change it in Display settings, under Scale & layout, choose your preferred Display orientation. If you change the orientation of a monitor, you"ll also need to physically rotate the screen. For example, you"d rotate your external display to use it in portrait instead of landscape.

there is no keyboard shortcut in windows to rearrange the screens, perhaps because it is supposed to represent the physical layout of the monitors, I am unaware of an app that will do it either.

however, i have another suggestion that may help and that is mouse wrapping so that when you move the cursor off the bottom of screen 1 the pointer would appear at the top op screen two.

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I faced similar situation with three monitors. I am using windows 8.1. My laptop had glare due to the lighting condition at my workplace so I wanted to switch to two additional screens.

Thus, in addition to drag and drop option, there is also an option for defining the "main display". The advantage is that, it can let you switch the primary display from your laptop to external monitors.

All you have to do is set the monitors in the required sequence. Click on the monitor you want to set as your primary display and then SELECT the option:"Make this my main display"

Set the Primary and Secondary MonitorRight-click on your desktop and select "Display". At the top of the resulting dialogue box, your available monitors appear as blue, numbered boxes. Each box represents a monitor (e.g. box "1" corresponds with the left monitor and box "2" corresponds with the right monitor).

Set the Monitor ResolutionRight-click on your desktop and select "Display". At the top of the resulting dialogue box, your available monitors appear as blue, numbered boxes. Each box represents a monitor (e.g. box "1" corresponds with the left monitor and box "2" corresponds with the right monitor).

Set the Monitor Display StyleRight-click on your desktop and select "Display". At the top of the resulting dialogue box, your available monitors appear as blue, numbered boxes. Each box represents a monitor (e.g. box "1" corresponds with the left monitor and box "2" corresponds with the right monitor).

Click the "Multiple displays" drop-down menu and choose from the following optionsSelect "Duplicate these displays" to enable the secondary monitor display to mirror the primary monitor display.

Set the Monitor PositionRight-click on your desktop and select "Display". At the top of the resulting dialogue box, your available monitors appear as blue, numbered boxes. Each box represents a monitor.

To change the monitors" position, click, drag, and place the blue, numbered boxes to your preferred position. If you are unsure which monitor is "1" or "2," click the "Identify" link. The assigned monitor number will then appear on each monitor"s screen.

When it comes to desktop PCs, one thing is for sure: two screens are better than one. That"s especially true for the tech expert who has to multitask several graphics-intensive programs simultaneously.

Whether you be a graphic designer, data analyst, programmer, or anyone else who"s a heavy PC user, a multiple monitor setup can be both aesthetically and practically appealing. Why burden your desktop with countless tabs and minimized programs when you could scan all of your work in one interface?

Whatever your need, enabling multiple displays on your PC is a surefire way to increase productivity. Below, we discuss all the steps of setting up multiple monitors on your system in detail.

For one, the aesthetic opportunities of a dual or triple monitor setup are fantastic. Compared to a single display, multi-display arrangements allow you to tailor different screens according to their distinct function and purpose. Where dual or multi-monitor setups excel, however, is in their productivity bump. Most programs—especially those used in professional settings—display poorly when using even half of a complete display.

That"s why a dual-monitor setup allows users dramatic productivity increases. You can constantly view all available tools, menu selections, and information without constantly switching between tasks. In other words, alternate displays allow users additional screen real estate. You don"t have to sacrifice any particular function to monitor hardware, listen to music, edit graphic elements, analyze data, or write content.

You don"t even have to invest in an ultra-high definition display out of the gate to have a decent multi-monitor setup. Older, flat-screen monitors can still do their job rather well in a dual monitor setup. This is especially true when you consider flipping your monitor from landscape to portrait.

If you rotate your desktop on its side, you can use your 24-inch monitor in portrait. This setup can provide plenty of screen real estate, allow for easier reading and scrolling functions, or pose as a live (and endless) news and timeline UI.

Whether you"re a novice or a pro, you can benefit from a basic dual monitor setup. Best of all, most graphics cards allow multiple monitor setups out of the box. Besides, multi-monitor configuration couldn"t be easier!

Picking a second monitor couldn"t be easier, assuming you"re already viewing this via a PC monitor. That"s because most modern monitors in the market are both flat-screen and high definition (16:9 aspect ratio). This allows users plenty of space either in landscape or portrait mode. For example, a simple 23.8-inch Acer monitor can give you crisp 1080p resolution in vivid color.

Larger screen sizes and display resolutions typically determine higher price points. Yet, the setup for an expensive or budget monitor is exactly the same. For a basic dual-monitor setup, not much more than a 23.8-inch display would be necessary. You can even use your laptop as a second monitor.

More important than your new monitor"s dimensions is the proper cable type needed to connect your monitor to its appropriate port. Many confuse one cable type for another, which can be a serious hassle. For a multiple monitor setup, you"ll have to ensure that your graphics card supports multiple monitors in the first place.

There are a few types of cables that you will generally encounter when connecting a monitor to your PC: DVI (white by default), VGA (blue by default), HDMI, and DisplayPort.

HDMI and DisplayPort are the newer types of connections for monitors, while DVI and VGA are older. There are many benefits to these newer cable types, two of which are immediately pertinent: newer cable types offer better image display, and DisplayPorts function as the Swiss army knife of cables by adapting to all the connection types mentioned.

Monitors and displays connect to the PC via its graphics card, otherwise known as a GPU. The GPU handles the graphics processing capabilities of a PC, so you"ll naturally have to connect your monitor to your GPU component. Ensure you"re connecting your display to the primary graphics card used in your PC—often an external GPU—and not the default, integrated graphics ports.

Its display outputs include 2x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. So, while you wouldn"t be able to connect a VGA cable from your monitor to this graphics card, you would be able to use an HDMI or DisplayPort connection.

If you have multiple monitors that use DisplayPort but only have one space in your graphics card for that type of connection, you"ll have to use a DisplayPort hub with multi-stream transport. The hub will connect to your only available DisplayPort port and allow you to connect as many as three monitors to it. Or you could opt for a monitor with daisy-chain capabilities.

Once your monitor is connected to your GPU, turn on both your PC and your monitor. Wait for it to display an image. If your monitor remains blank, check your connection.

You should see your second display within the settings image. Windows 10 conveniently provides this interface, so users can easily configure multiple displays.

First off, drag and drop your monitor to configure the display position. If you have a second monitor on the left side of your first, but the display settings show the second monitor on the right, drag the second monitor to the left of your main display.

The Display window allows for both X and Y coordinates, meaning monitors don"t have to be placed directly beside one another to function. If you"re confused about which display your PC refers to, click the Identify button to view which monitor is which.

Next, scroll down the options until you reach Resolution. This will be the primary setting you would have to change to get your monitor in working order.

For one, Windows 10 will sometimes display your monitor at a smaller resolution than native to the display. Set your Resolution to the Recommended setting (or higher).

If you have an older monitor but are using a newer graphics card, you can also adjust settings to hike your resolution higher than possible by default.

Continue changing whatever options suit you. Orientation will allow you to change your display"s portrait or landscape orientation. Multiple displays allow you to extend or mirror your displays. Remember to select the display you want to change before you change it by clicking on the display image.

Another subtle aspect of a multi-monitor setup is what you"ll do with the taskbar. The toolbar may become an issue if you"re working on a clean desktop setup.

To change or remove your taskbar, head to your background settings by clicking on your start menu, typing background, and selecting the Background settings option. Expand the window and select Taskbar. Scroll down until you see a Multiple displays section.

To turn the taskbar off on all displays (except your primary monitor), set Show taskbar on all displays to Off. If you leave it on, you can decide whether the taskbar will show all pinned programs or only programs present within the given monitor under Show taskbar buttons on.

What if you have two PCs with different operating systems and would like to use both of them at the same time? It sounds impossible unless you"ve heard of Synergy. Synergy is a mouse and keyboard sharing application that allows users to use any combination of Mac, Windows, or Linux PCs simultaneously, seamlessly, with one keyboard and mouse combination.

Synergy is impressive, even for nerds like myself. Setting up a new Linux distro while using your regular PC? You can do that. Have an office setup that uses both Mac and Windows but don"t want to spend your time unplugging the mouse and keyboard from one to use the other? Are you the office tech guy and constantly have to correct a coworker"s mistakes, but hate walking over to their desk? Synergy does all of this and more.

Keep in mind that Synergy isn"t free. $29.99 will get you the basic, complete version of Synergy, while $39.99 will get you such excellent features as clipboard sharing (copy and paste anything from one PC to another). Nevertheless, these are one-time fees to use on as many PCs as you require. In other words, you"re paying a one-time payment to never use a separate mouse and keyboard combo on different computers for life!

Now that your display is in working order, you can consider customizing your second display. Even if you enjoy customizing displays, your work will often go unnoticed in a single display setup.

As trivial as it may sound, part of the fun of a dual or multi-monitor background is using multiple backgrounds. No longer are you tied down to a stale, single background. Better yet, it"s readily available to do in Windows 10!

To use different backgrounds on multiple monitors, open your Background settings window again. Once your window is open, scroll down until you see the Browse button under the Choose your picture category. Click the Browse button and select the image you want to use as a background. Do this for as many backgrounds as you"d like to have.

Once you have your backgrounds slotted, right-click on its thumbnail image. You should see a selection labeled Set for all monitors or Set for monitor X. Select whichever one you"d like.

That"s it! While there are third-party applications out there that also allow for a multiple background setup, the easiest and fastest way to get it done is by default. Below is an example of two reflected wallpapers on a dual-monitor setup.

To find an extra-wide desktop background, simply head to Google Images and enter the keyword of whatever image you"d like, followed by the phrase wide experience. Then, on the Google images page, click on the Tools option beside Settings. Then, click on the dropdown menu labeled Any size and select Large.

Finally, head to your background settings again and Browse for your wide image. Then, under the Choose a fit option, select Span. That"s it! Now you know how one background spanning multiple monitors looks.

This step is an extension of the step we just discussed above. Like wallpapers, you can also combine entire displays so that the Windows is maximized across all the monitors. While a widescreen might not increase productivity at work, it can be great for gaming or even watching movies.

The steps of doing so can vary depending on the graphics card you have installed on your PC. Our guide to maximizing your window across different monitors covers steps to take for different graphics cards, so make sure you check it out for a great experience.

Now that you know how to configure multiple wallpapers, the natural next step is obvious: video. Setting up a video wallpaper on one or both of your monitors is now a breeze using this well-recommended software from the Steam store: Wallpaper Engine. This, however, is a paid tool.

To get multiple videos on multiple monitors, open Wallpaper Engine. You can open the program after you"ve launched it on Steam by locating its taskbar icon, right-clicking on it, and selecting Change Wallpaper.

Once you"ve opened the software, select a monitor (all of which should appear in the software) and select either Change Wallpaper or Remove Wallpaper. You can also extend a single video to span your monitors via the Layout option in this window as well. After you"ve chosen a display, select Change Wallpaper. In this window, switch to the Workshop tab. This is where you"ll download your video background.

Once you"ve clicked Download, your video will be installed via the Installed tab. This tab functions as a library for your video wallpapers. Remember that this method only allows you to download popular video wallpapers via the Steam Workshop.

You can also download and install your own videos as wallpapers in the application as well. Simply click the button labeled Open from File at the bottom of your window and find your own video file.

Close Wallpaper Engine and restart the process for as many monitors as you"d like. That"s it! You now have stunning, crisp video wallpapers on every monitor at your disposal.

Rainmeter is our favorite Windows desktop customization tool. It allows users to create a simple or complex multi-monitor setup easily. If you are completely unaware of Rainmeter"s potential, head to the article link below to get up to speed.

Dual monitor setups remind me of solid-state drives. Before users own one, they seem frivolous. After they own one, they become indispensable. Maybe you want to be more productive, or maybe you have a flair for a dramatic PC setup.

Apple"s macOS has a simple user interface, but it is a powerful operating system. And just like Windows, Macs can connect to multiple displays to expand your desktop across multiple canvases, which greatly enhances multitasking.

So, if you have a specific desk setup in mind, you must rearrange the displays virtually through macOS to create the proper workflow because the default arrangement may not suit everyone.

By default, when you connect a second display to your Mac, macOS will typically arrange them side by side. However, not everyone has a side-by-side dual or triple-monitor setup; people with monitor arms who move their displays around can probably relate.

Also, when you hook up a MacBook to an external display, macOS will simply mirror your MacBook"s screen on the monitor instead of extending it to create more workspace. And this is why we think managing your multi-monitor Mac setup is essential.

So, depending on where the computer and monitor are on the desk, you should change the default layout to know where to properly drag windows to the other screen.

Arranging your displays in macOS can sound intimidating, but it"s relatively easy. You can set up the displays in System Preferences once you have the monitor(s) connected to your computer. To do this:

Select and drag the display you want to move around. macOS will highlight the display with a red box to help you confirm that it is the correct display you would like to move.

You can also right-click on the displays to make one your primary screen, extend a screen, or mirror another monitor. From here, you can also change the settings for each monitor, such as brightness and resolution, and enable or disable True Tone if your display supports it.

Changing the resolution of your displays can increase the text size on your Mac. This makes it easier to read text compared to the default resolution.

Customizing your multi-monitor setup is one of the most crucial parts of creating a great workstation. Thankfully, macOS allows you to arrange your displays according to your liking and utilize them in the best way possible.

Now that you know how to rearrange your monitors, you might want to check out Apple"s own Studio Display to spruce up your desk setup. It"s the perfect addition if you own a new MacBook Pro or the Mac Studio.

ArrangeDrag displays to the desired position. To mirror displays, hold the Option key while dragging them on top of each other. To relocate the menu bar, drag it to a different display.

Optimize forChoose to optimize for the external display or your desktop. This option only appears when you have an external display connected to your Mac.

ResolutionChoose the amount of detail your display shows. Choose “Default for display” to automatically use the best resolution for the display, or choose Scaled to manually select a resolution. See Change your Mac display’s resolution.

BrightnessControl how light or dark your screen appears. Move the slider to the right to make the screen brighter or to the left to make it darker. See Change your Mac display’s brightness.

Automatically adjust brightness or Ambient light compensation (depending on your display)Adjust the display brightness automatically based on current ambient lighting conditions.

Detailed information about all of the color profiles installed on your Mac (and used by connected cameras, printers, and displays) is provided in ColorSync Utility (in the Applications > Utilities folder). See the ColorSync Utility User Guide.

(depending on your display)Rotate the image shown on your display by the chosen amount. See Rotate the image on your Mac display. This button only appears if a supported external display is connected to your Mac.

Refresh rateAdjust how frequently your screen is redrawn. If the rate is too low, your screen may appear to flicker. If the rate is too high, the screen may be black because it doesn’t support that rate. Check the documentation that came with your display for the best rate. If you have a supported display, you can set your display to dynamically adjust its refresh rate, using Adaptive Sync.

When you use an app that supports the Touch Bar on your iPad, the Touch Bar is shown in the location you specified. The buttons available in the Touch Bar vary depending on the current app and task.

Enable double tap on Apple PencilSelect the checkbox if you want to be able to double-tap the lower section of Apple Pencil to switch drawing tools in some apps (if your Apple Pencil supports it).

AdvancedSet options for connecting to a nearby Mac or iPad and conserving energy.Battery & Energy:Slightly dim the display while using battery power, or prevent your Mac from sleeping when it’s plugged in and its display is off.

Night ShiftShift your display to the warmer end of the color spectrum. Warmer screen colors are easier on your eyes when you use your Mac at night or in low-light conditions. See Use Night Shift.

Detect DisplaysScan for all the displays connected to your Mac. Press and hold the Option key to make this button appear in place of the Night Shift button, then click Detect Displays if your Mac doesn’t recognize a display you just connected.

Determine the type of video connector that is available on the computer and the monitor. The number of available video connectors depends on the type of graphics card that is installed in the computer. Most desktop graphics cards support two or more monitors, depending on the graphics card and computer specifications. However, laptops can support up to two monitors depending on the computer specifications. To learn more, see the Dell knowledge base article How to Connect a Monitor to a PC.

After the cables are connected securely, the computer must automatically detect and display the desktop screen on the connected monitors. By default, Microsoft Windows 7 duplicates the displays on all monitors. You can then select the display style that best suits your needs.

Duplicate These Displays (also called Clone mode) - Show the entire desktop on both displays. The second or other monitors mirror the primary monitor.

Show Desktop Only on 2 - Use only display 2 and show nothing on display 1. The primary monitor will be disabled, and only the second monitor will be used.

NOTE: When you connect a second monitor to a Dell laptop, the default display style is set to Duplicate. When you connect a second monitor to a Dell desktop, the default display style is set to Extend.

To learn how to change the screen resolution, adjust the refresh rate and change the size of fonts and icons, See the Dell knowledge base article How to Change the Video Settings or Improve Text in Windows 7. Back to top

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions.

In an office, it"s common to see people using multiple monitors at the same computer. It"s a great way to expand your workspace and use lots of different apps at once.

Luckily, dual monitors aren"t just for professionals. You can set up dual monitors on your PC and Mac easily. You just need the monitors and cables to connect them.Important: You can set up dual monitors on a laptop, too. The laptop"s screen will just count as one of the monitors.

1.Connect both monitors to the computer tower or laptop you"re using, and make sure they"re both turned on. Depending on the monitor and your computer, you"ll need a VGA, HDMI, or USB cable. In some cases, you might need a combination of different cables.

3.Scroll down to the Multiple Displays option, open the drop-down menu, and choose how you want the dual monitors to work. Here are your options:Extend these displays:You can set your screens up so that they display different things and your mouse cursor can move between them.

1.Connect your second monitor to your MacBook, iMac, or Mac Mini using an HDMI cable. If your Mac device doesn"t have an HDMI port, you"ll need to connect the HDMI cable to a USB cable or hub, and then connect that to the Mac.

3.Two windows will open, one on each display. The window on your main display will have more options — use this window and click Arrangement at the top.

William Antonelli/InsiderNote: If you want to use an iPad as a second monitor for your Mac, you"ll have to use the Sidecar feature. Check out our article on the feature for tips on setting it up.

William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month.

Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He"s also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation.

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Resolution settings in Windows 10 decide how detailed images and text appear, but scaling determines how it looks on the screen. No matter what resolution you have set for a monitor or TV, Windows 10 scales the display to fit everything on the screen, even if it has to add scrolling and up/down arrows, such as in the taskbar where it shows icons for active windows.

Sometimes, a monitor with a high resolution like 4K tends to make text, windows, and icons smaller. This situation makes it hard to see what is on the screen, especially from a distance. Windows 10 generally auto-adjusts the scaling on 4K displays to 150% to prevent small windows and text. Regardless, you can still manually increase the size of everything to see more comfortably, even if it is just for your default monitor.

This article shows you how to set up Windows 10 display scaling using one, two, or more screens simultaneously. You can easily keep everything similar in size—or expand your existing monitor for better visibility.

Using multiple screens is a great way to organize your work or various activities. Still, it can be annoying to drag windows between monitors when the resolution is different. Windows 10 scaling is beneficial in this situation, allowing you to match the text, images, and icons to the default display better.

Furthermore, it’s always nice to have a higher resolution for visual experiences such as videos and games, but sometimes, text and icons look too small to read comfortably. This scenario is where scaling plays a role. You can enlarge text, icons, and more to compensate for a higher resolution without the worry of visual loss. Scaling also helps people who have difficulty seeing smaller text and images by increasing their size for a more effortless experience.

Windows 10 comes with a preset scaling feature that you can manually change, assuming Windows didn’t automatically adjust the display to your liking. Unfortunately, the scaling options are limited to 100%, 125%, and 150% of the original size. A custom scale option is also available, but Windows applies that setting to all connected displays.

Overall, scaling keeps your default screen viewable, and it also keeps screen sizes fairly consistent between different-sized monitors with different resolution options. Sliding a window or image to another screen can look different if the scaling proportions do not match. A bigger screen may require a lower scale setting to reflect sizes between the two monitors better. Scaling for multiple displays may not always be perfect, but it does help smoothen the experience.

Scaling also allows your primary monitor to show enlarged text, images, and icons for better viewing experiences. Therefore, you can tweak your single-monitor setup to fit your needs. Windows 10 preset scaling includes three options. Here are the steps.Click on the “Start Menu,” then choose “Settings.”

Choose “100%,” “125%,” or “150%.” Those three preset scaling sizes are the only choices available for a single display using the “Scale and layout” menu option.

When you use multiple monitors and extend your screen, the scaling may differ, such as a default 1080P screen and a 4K HDTV. Even though Windows auto-adjusts the scale to make text and windows larger on the HDTV, you may need to tweak it because sliding windows to a different screen may alter its size, which is not always beneficial.

Note: It is best to have monitors with the same or proportionally similar resolution. Otherwise, you may end up with blurred text and images.Go to “Start Menu > Settings > System > Display” and choose the monitor you want to scale. You can also click on “Identify” if you are unsure what monitor to select.

Next, shrink an app’s window on the Desktop of “Monitor 1” to become smaller than your desktop screen. Hold down on the window’s title bar, and slide it over to “Monitor 2” to see if you like the transition from “Monitor 1” to “Monitor 2.” Be sure to slide it over all the way (or super close) onto “Monitor 2,” or it won’t change the scaling. If not satisfied, repeat the “Scale and layout” option above until you get the view you need. Note that you may not get an exact fit due to only having three choices —100%, 125%, and 150%.

“Monitor 1” and “Monitor 2” in the above image show the “Identify” option that displays black boxes with a number for each screen. You also see that the resized window (using the steps above) on “Monitor 1” matches the settings of “Monitor 2.” If the scaling is off for “Monitor 2,” sliding the shrunken window over would change its size.

If you require a more precise display scale, you can use the advanced scaling option. This choice lets you manually set your scaling percentage precisely as you need. Note that any changes here affect ALL attached screens,and you must log out of Windows to activate it. In other words,you cannot customize each screen individually using this method.

Custom scaling is a simple process on Windows 10. The instructions below used Windows 10 Home, version 21H1, OS Build 19043.1348 with Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.3920.0. The locations of settings in previous versions or builds may differ slightly.Click on the “Start Menu,” then “Settings.”

In the “Make everything bigger” section, click on“Change the size of apps and text on other displays.” Even though it says “other displays,” the option you choose applies to all screens/monitors.

In closing, Windows 10 display scaling is handled by the OS reasonably well, as long as resolutions are proportionally the same—compared to older releases. However, it is relatively easy to adjust if you need to intervene manually, but it does not always produce the desired results.

As you can see above, you can change the scaling individually for each monitor or altogether using the three presets. However, if you need a custom scaling percentage, you can only change all screens at once. While this scenario limits your scaling options, it is better than nothing, just like the old days when the resolution settings were the only choice.

Lastly, Windows does not use screen size for scaling settings because it is irrelevant when dots per inch (DPI) are the essential factor. A screen with double the pixel density (proportionally) will have double the resolution.

Multiple monitors have all sorts of advantages — even over single, enormous ultra-wides — from improving productivity to providing versatility in their placement on your desk. But the experience isn’t always perfect. Sometimes, you plug in a second monitor and it doesn’t work at all, or it keeps minimizing your game when you move into it accidentally.

If you’ve followed our guide on how to set up multiple monitors and you’re running into difficulties like the second monitor not displaying properly, not turning on at all, or your games aren’t displaying on the right monitor, then check out the list below of the most common multi-monitor problems for your desktop PC or laptop and how to fix them in Windows 10 and 11.

Although getting no signal to your new monitor can be cause for concern, it’s arguably the easiest problem to fix. It simply means that the display has power, but it isn’t receiving visual data. There are several reasons why this happens and plenty of fixes you can try to sort it out.

Force Windows to detect your monitor: Maybe Windows didn’t recognize your second display’s connection. To force it to check again, right-click the desktop and select Display Settings from the resulting pop-up menu. In the following window, click the Detect button located under the display diagram. In Windows 11, you can find this under the Multiple Displays section.

Turn the screen off and on: Some connection types don’t like hot swapping while a different monitor is powered on. Turn the display off and then on again. That may be all it needs to recognize the video feed and start displaying it correctly.

Verify cable connections: A loose cable can cause “no signal” errors more often than any other problem. If they do seem well secured, unplug them and plug them in again just to be sure.

Remove other peripheral devices: Disconnect any connected cameras or other unnecessary peripherals. If your display starts working afterward, these connections were probably interfering with your setup. You may need to find newer, compatible accessories or use connections on your PC instead of your monitor.

Verify the correct input: Monitors with multiple input options need you to manually select which cable and port you’re using, like HDMI 1, HDMI 2, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C, and so on. Use the buttons on your monitor to cycle through the channels and select the correct input from your PC. If you are using an adapter to switch from one type of input to another, this may be causing issues with the other monitor. Try to remove the adapter if possible, or replace it with another adapter to see if this fixes the issue.

Change data cable: If you’re using an older cable standard like VGA or DVI-D, you might want to try a newer alternative like HDMI or DisplayPort. You can also try using a new cable in case the old one has issues (bent pins, a short, exposed wire, etc.).

Change the graphics port: If you’re using a dedicated graphics card with multiple output ports, try switching to another port. Sometimes ports themselves can go bad or somehow get damaged. Switching to another may be all you need to do to correct the problem.

Update your drivers: Windows supports multiple monitors by default, but your current setup may not be configured correctly. Making sure you’re running the latest graphics drivers for your system can sometimes fix problems with no signal errors.

If you’re still having trouble with your extended desktop monitor, verify that it works by unplugging the primary screen and double-checking the above steps again. If it does, consider running it as the primary display until you determine the root problem. If it doesn’t, contact your retailer or manufacturer to discuss a return or replacement.

If you add a new, higher-resolution monitor to your system and find that it’s not displaying correctly, it might be borrowing settings from an older display, or simply trying to match your primary monitor.

Step 4: Select a screen resolution that works best for you. Windows designates one of these resolutions as “recommended” based on the display’s hardware.

If this didn’t work, make sure your monitor and graphics card can run at your chosen resolution. If you’re still running into problems, try updating your graphics drivers.

Note: You can use two monitors of different sizes, refresh rates, and resolutions as long as they have the required connections. However, they will still be limited by their individual specifications. If one monitor has a significantly lower resolution than the other, that’s not going to change, and some things may naturally look different. We suggest not overclocking specs like refresh rate when in a dual-monitor setup. GPUs may already struggle juggling two monitors, you don’t want to make things any hard for them.

If your monitor is set at an incorrect refresh rate, it will display a “no signal” error. That means the PC is outputting a signal the display simply can’t handle, requiring you to manually adjust the output in Windows.

Step 2:The Settings app opens with the Display panel loaded by default. Scroll down and click the Advanced Display Settings link located under Multiple Displays.

When this happens, other monitors will have a puzzling aspect ratio, often only using a tiny part of the screen as if your PC thinks the other monitor has an extra-large 21:9 aspect ratio — or possibly zooming in too far. Typically, this is caused by a resolution or settings issue that can be resolved.

Review your resolution settings: Go through our resolution section above, and make sure that your resolution settings match each monitor you are using. Use recommended or screen-fitting options where possible.

Switch cables: If you have the option, try a different cable standard, like switching from DisplayPort to HDMI or vice-versa. When doing this, make sure the cables you are using support your current resolution — older cables may not support UHD/4K resolutions, which could cause this aspect ratio issue.

Are you using a TV as a second monitor?: If so, go into your TV settings and look for options to turn off the Overscan or Underscan setting. This may also be called a Relax mode. You may also want to make sure there are no Aspect Ratio modes accidentally enabled. Consult your TV manual for more information.

Check your display orientation: This isn’t as common, but the issue may be the monitor’s orientation. In Windows, go to the Display section and look for Display Orientation. Try switching the orientation to something like Portrait, then switch it back to Landscape and see if this helps.

It’s not uncommon for games to display on your second monitor rather than your first, which isn’t ideal if you have a primary display for gaming and a secondary for everything else. Fortunately, there are some quick and easy ways to fix it.

Use in-game settings: The easiest way is often to just tell the game to display on your primary monitor. Some games have the option of selecting a display in their settings menu, so check there first before adjusting anything else.

Check your display outputs: If you find that this isn’t the first time a game or application has displayed on the wrong monitor, you might want to check your inputs. Is your secondary display plugged into the primary display output on your graphics card? Try swapping them around to see if that fixes things.

Make it your primary display: Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings menu, then navigate to System > Display. Select the monitor you want your games to appear on, and select the box next to Make this my primary display.

Only use one monitor: If the above doesn’t work, in Display settings, select the display you want to game on. From the Monitor Settings (Windows 11) or Multiple Displays (Windows 10) drop-down, select Show only on 1 or Show only on 2 as appropriate. You will need to turn this back off once you’ve finished gaming, but it is a surefire way to get your game working on the right display.

There are a few different ways to display content on two screens, but Duplicate is often the default. If your second display merely copies the desktop rather than extend it, here’s how to change that view.

Step 2: Select the Extend option. You can do this by using your mouse, going up or down with the arrow keys and pressing Enter, or by pressing the Windows + P keys to cycle through options.

This can be an issue for designers and artists who find that one of the monitors in their setup has messed-up color saturation or poor color accuracy in general.

Step 1: Unfortunately, there isn’t always an easy fix. If color accuracy and similar factors are important to you, the best way to guarantee them is to get two of the same monitor models. You may need to replace the poor-performance monitor with a copy of your primary monitor with stronger color accuracy.

Step 2: If replacement isn’t an option, you can work to calibrate the poor-performing monitor to fix color issues and get it working properly. Bring up the same image on both monitors, and adjust the settings until they match. If you need serious color accuracy, we suggest consulting our guide on calibrating your monitor and taking a close look at the colorimeter section.

If you’re working with a three-monitor setup, you may find that the first two monitors are easy to connect, but the third monitor is not responsive or not behaving like the others.

Unplug monitors and plug each monitor in one at a time: Sometimes, this helps your computer recognize all three monitors and use them properly, no other steps are needed.

Make sure that your settings are on Extend these displays: In theMultiple displays sections of Displays on Windows, make sure the Extend these displays option is chosen. It’s a good idea to check all your Display settings to make sure they are set up for multiple monitors: Sometimes a Windows update can reset them.

If you find that your games keep minimizing when playing on a single monitor, you might be accidentally clicking in the pane of your second display. Some games don’t lock the boundaries of their fullscreen window, which means that when you move to the edge of the screen, your pointer can transition into the second window.

Clicking selects that second monitor, or whatever is on it, minimizing the game. This is particularly problematic in games without a mouse pointer, like first-person shooters. Here are a few methods for fixing the minimization problem:

Check your display options within the game itself: If you’re playing in “Windowed” mode, try switching to “Full Screen” instead, as it captures your mouse. If that doesn’t work, try switching to the “Borderless Window” mode. It won’t stop your mouse from moving to the other screen, but it can stop the game from minimizing when it happens. You’ll just need to click back into the game window.

Use a third-party app: Applications like the Dual Monitor Tool can let you lock a mouse pointer to a specific monitor. Just remember to unlock the mouse when you’re done.

Turn off the second screen: It’s a little drastic but turning off the second screen when playing games that don’t need it prevents you from drifting into that extended space mid-game. Simply press the display’s power button, or press the Windows + P keys and select the PC Screen Only option.

This can happen if you go into sleep mode or your monitors switch to screensavers, then you open back up. Suddenly, you find that all your app windows or tabs have changed places, often all moving to the first monitor display, ruining your setup, and wasting plenty of time moving them all back. This is a known issue on Windows 10, most likely due to “Rapid Hot Plug Detect” issues, but there are things you can do to fix the problem.

Update to Windows 11: Windows 11 specifically has a new feature to deal with this problem, so if you update you can fix it. In Windows 11, visit the Display setting, and look in the Multiple Displays section. Here you will find an option to Remember Window Locations Based on Monitor Connection. Make sure it’s enabled, and that should solve your problem.

Switch off DisplayPort: You can also switch from DisplayPort to HDMI. This problem appears to be unique to DisplayPort connections, and you may be able to prevent it from happening by using another connection option.

Sometimes your secondary computer monitor will work, but it will encounter distortions and artifacting that make it difficult to use or impossible to play games with. If your first monitor does not have these display issues, then the issue is probably related to your hardware. You can usually fix it by trying these steps:

Check monitor ports: Make sure all ports on your computer are clean and dust-free. If it’s been a while, clean them out very carefully with a few jets of compressed air and make sure there is no damage or debris to the port or cable.

Buy a new monitor cable for the secondary monitor: It may be that your cable is old and failing. This is especially true if it isn’t shielded and is experiencing interference from Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and nearby electrical noise. Find a new cable that has great shielding.

Shorten the cable length: If possible, pick a new cable that’s shorter than the older one. The longer data has to travel through the cable, the more chance of interference, so a shorter cable can cut down on artifacting and similar problems.

If you are using switch converters or adapters, try connecting without them: Look for cables that don’t need separate adapters or switches to control.

In this case, you have been using a multi-monitor setup for a while now and everything has been working fine — but suddenly your other monitors just stop working altogether. Fortunately, this can usually be fixed.

Check your connections: Cover the basics, and make sure your other monitor is still properly connected and that cables haven’t come loose since you last booted up.

Give Windows a reminder: Sometimes Windows stumbles a little and sort of loses track of your additional monitors. Give it a refresh by pressing the Windows Logo + Ctrl + Shift + Bkeys. Hold them all down for a second and let go. See if this helps bring your other monitor back to life.

If necessary, roll back driver updates: If your display driver recently updated, it could be causing the issue. Go to Device Manager, select Display Adapters, and select your display adapter to see more. Go to Properties, look at the Driver tab, and choose Roll Back Driver.

If you have different size monitors, especially with different resolutions, it can be very difficult to share images between them as if they were one ultrawide — the pixels just won’t match up properly. If you’re willing to do some work, you may be able to fix this problem.

Step 1: The most direct way to deal with this is to adjust a monitor’s resolution scaling. You can either adjust one monitor to bring everything into scale or set the same scale for both monitors at a level that will help them work together. Divide the vertical pixels per diagonal inch of both monitors to find the right scale to set the monitors — Reddit has some helpful guidance here. Review your monitor settings and see if you can set the resolution or DPI scale this way. Your GPU settings may also be able to help.

Whether in the office, home office, or for gaming – two screens are better than one. However, setting up dual monitors depends somewhat on available connections and cables. Read on to find out how to connect a second screen to a laptop or PC.

When splitting your Windows screen no longer suffices, you’ll need an additional monitor. Added screen space is easier on the eyes and simplifies working with several applications simultaneously. Gamers can enjoy high-resolution graphics by installing an additional monitor.

If you only want to view videos or pictures on a larger screen, you don"t need to install an extra monitor. With Windows Miracast, for example, you can easily connect your PC to a TV.

The majority of modern laptops and PCs support connecting a second monitor by default. All you need to consider are the ports on your end device and which monitor you’d like to connect. Before you head out to purchase one, be sure to check the type and number of ports on the laptop or PC.

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is one of the most common connection types of modern monitors and many TV users will already be familiar with it. The connection type is compact and transmits video and audio signals. A modern HDMI connection is suitable for 4K resolutions and a frame rate of 60 Hz. If your monitor and laptop or PC have one or two HDMI ports, you just need a single HDMI cable. If you want to connect two monitors but only have one HDMI port, use an HDMI splitter. Be sure that the splitter has the same refresh rate as the HDMI cable.

USB-C is a USB port format that’s often found on new, slim laptop models. The advantage of USB-C is that it can be used for charging while also supporting the transmission of audio and DisplayPort signals with Alternate Mode. DisplayPort refers to monitor interfaces for image and sound signals and high transfer rates. The USB-C downstream and DisplayPort Alternate Mode can be used to link several monitors. If you only have a few USB-C ports, use a USB-C dongle. Ideally, a USB-C donglehas at least two HDMI interfaces for monitors. Alternatively, a dongle can be paired with a HDMI splitter.

DisplayPort is similar to HDMI and transmits audio and image signals at high frame rates. Thus, the connection is particularly suitable for 4K. Laptops often have a DisplayPort or miniDisplayPort and can be connected to monitors that have a DisplayPort port. For monitors without DisplayPort, a corresponding adapter is required. Thanks to multi-stream transport, multiple monitors can be connected via DisplayPort and coupled to a laptop via a splitter or adapter.

DVI and VGA are analog, older connection standards that only transmit image signals. If the monitor and end device have DVI or VGA ports, they can be connected via the corresponding DVI or VGA cable. With the appropriate DVI-HDMI or VGA-HDMI adapter, older monitors can be connected to laptops and PCs to transmit HDMI signals. Modern connection standards are preferable in any case, as they offer better resolution, refresh rates, and color values.

Even if your laptop only has a single HDMI or USB-C port, you can connect dual monitors. Using a suitable HDMI splitter, a USB-C dongle, or a USB-C dongle with HDMI interface, you can easily connect two or more monitors to your laptop.

Once you connect one or more monitors to your laptop, you can set up two or more monitors in Windows and specify which monitor you wish to use as the main one. Windows usually detects display devices connected to the laptop or PC automatically and assigns numbers to them. The main monitor is designated number 1. All others are numbered in ascending order.

Step 2: Under “Display” and “Multiple displays” you will see display devices detected by Windows, e.g. one or more additional monitors. Click “Detect” if none are visible.

Step 3: Go to “Advanced display settings” to make changes to the arrangement and order of the connected monitors. Adjust further settings such as the screen resolution, for example.

Step 4: The easiest way to change the use mode of the connected monitors is to use the shortcut [Windows] + [P]. Settings such as “Duplicate” let you mirror desktop content. With “PC screen only” or “Second screen only” you determine whether you only use one of the connected screens. Use “Extend” to create a connected desktop from connected monitors. These options can be found in the “Display” menu under “Multiple Screens”.

Another problem could be that Windows displays a second monitor as the main monitor. If you want to keep the PC or laptop as your main monitor, go to “Settings” > “System” > “Display Device” and select the “Rearrange Display Devices” option. Then click on “Identify”. You should be able to see the assigned digit on each screen. If you wish to change the order, go to “Advanced display settings”.

Check the specifications of your laptop for information regarding the number of displays it can support and the type of connections the laptop has available, such as HDMI, USB, Thunderbolt, etc.

Typically, there will be at least one connection available from the laptop for another display such as HDMI or VGA. You can connect your first external monitor to this connection to get a second display.

For a third display, you will typically need a docking station to add more ports to the laptop. There are universal docking stations that will work with most systems.

You may also need to install drivers onto the computer for the dock to fully function. The dock may include an installation CD, otherwise please refer to the manufacturer’s website for downloadable drivers.

Connect the docking station to the computer. You should hear a jingle to indicate that it has connected successfully and is recognized. Connect the second external monitor that you want to use to the docking station.

You will now see three monitors available to select and arrange. Scroll down until you see the Multiple displayssection to ensure that you have it set to Extend these displays to extend the display across the monitors.

Return to the Select and rearrange displays area and select the Identify button. A large number will appear on each display to correspond to the display settings numbers to identify each monitor. This will help with arranging the monitors in the settings to ensure they are extending properly between laptop and external monitors.