Before You Start

  • If you have external monitors, ensure that they are physically connected to the computer or dock via display cables, and the monitors are plugged into power and turned on.
    • Most computers will be compatible with most monitors however, there may be display issues if multiple display adaptors are used - it is best to use a single cable with no attachments for each monitor.
  • Also make sure that the monitors are set to use the correct input source - most monitors will have an option to automatically determine what source to use, which will make this easier.
  • There are times when Windows will have difficulties connecting to multiple monitors if they have been connected while the computer is turned on. If this is the case, a reboot of the computer will usually resolve this.


Opening the Display Settings Menu
Now that the computer is on and both monitors are being displayed if any are connected, you can right-click on a blank space on the desktop and select "Display Settings" in order to open the menu to change display settings.

This settings menu can also be accessed by the following:

  1. Click on the Start Menu
  2. Select Settings cog wheel icon
  3. Click on the System tile
  4. Click on the Display option on the right


Rearrange Your Displays


This section will display the number and position of the monitors connected to the computer. You can move the tiles around by clicking and dragging, letting you rearrange the monitors.

For example, you can set monitor 1 to be to the left of monitor 2 so that, when you move your cursor to the right of monitor 1, it will appear on the left of monitor 2.


If the monitors are showing as 1|2 then they are set to duplicate the display between them, which can be changed in the "Multiple Displays" section below.


You can see what number a monitor is designated by clicking on the "Identify" button. Any changes made will not take effect until you click on the "Apply" button.


By clicking on one of the monitor tiles, you can adjust the settings below - some of the settings are specific to whichever monitor you select.


Brightness and Colour


This section allows you to adjust the brightness of the built-in display. This is the display of your laptop if you are using one - this section will have no effect, or may not even appear, if you are using a desktop. If you wish to adjust the brightness of any external monitors, you will need to do this on the physical monitor itself.


The night light settings allow you to reduce the blue light of your monitors, and schedule when you would like it to take effect.


Scale and Layout

In this section, you can change the scaling of the monitor by selecting an option from the drop-down menu in order to make text and images larger or smaller. By clicking on "Advanced Scaling Settings", you can enter a custom scaling amount. It is a good idea to close and re-open your applications after modifying this in order for the change to take effect for that app.


You can change the resolution of the monitor by selecting the required option from the "Display Resolution" drop-down menu. You will get a confirmation prompt after changing this where you can choose to keep the resolution, or revert back to what it was before the change was made.


The orientation of the monitor's display can be changed by selecting the required option from the "Display Orientation" drop-down menu. Normally you would want this on "Landscape" however, you should set it to "Portrait" if you are using a vertical monitor.


Multiple Displays

This section will only appear if you have several monitors connected to your computer.


In the "Multiple Displays" drop-down menu, you can choose how you would like your monitors to appear:

  • Duplicate - The displays on multiple monitors are duplicated so they show the same thing
  • Extend - Each monitor has its own display, and apps can be moved to appear on different monitors
  • Disconnect - The monitor will no longer display anything until this is changed to one of the other options


Ticking the "Make this my main display" box will set that monitor to be the primary one - this will be the monitor that displays the Windows login screen, where your desktop items will be found, and where apps will open by default (unless moved to another monitor manually).


Additional Settings

There are also a number of additional settings available on this screen such as connecting to a wireless display (if you have one set up) as well as more advanced options like changing the display adaptor options and adjusting the screen refresh rate.


Aside from the options in the display settings window, another useful option if you are using a laptop is preventing the laptop from going to sleep when the lid is closed. This means that you can still interact with the laptop via the external monitors but the laptop itself is shut, which can be useful if your desk doesn't have much space.

To change this setting:

  1. Right-click the battery icon in the bottom-right of the screen
  2. Select "Power Options"
  3. Click "Choose what closing the lid does" from the list on the left
  4. Change the drop-down next to "When I close the lid" and under "Plugged in" to "Do nothing"

This also makes it so that your laptop will still go to sleep when its not plugged into power like when travelling.