Dual monitors refers to a desktop setup, where the user has two (or more) computer monitors connected to a single computer. People do this for all sorts of reasons, such as providing more workspace and optimizing gaming experiences.
Some people use a second monitor along with a laptop in order to have a larger screen when working at home.
Dual Monitors using Windows 10
To begin, right click anywhere on the desktop and select Display Settings. This is the simplest way to get here. Windows 10 has some advanced features that detect multiple monitors, so it may default to those two monitors without you having to change your settings.
Assuming your PC didn’t do this, you will have to set this up yourself. In the settings, there will be two rectangles. If there are two monitors connected, they will have the numbers 1 and 2 in the centres. For more monitors, the number will go up.
Using the curser, you can move and manipulate the positions of each.
Resolution
Unless you have two or more identical computer screens, you will have some variation in size and resolution. One monitor might be more square while the other is rectangular. If you’re using your open laptop as your first or second screen, that will obviously be smaller than the other monitor.
You can adjust the resolution on each monitor to ensure they work well together.
Ergonomics
Setting up dual monitors involves some manual adjustments as well. Ergonomic experts will tell you that it’s bad for your vision to have monitors of different heights next to each other. You might require a riser for your laptop so that it matches the eye-line of the other monitor(s).
Extend the Screen vs. Duplication on Dual Monitors
In the settings, there will be several options for what each screen should display. For most home and office purposes, you will want to extend the screen across the multiple screens. This allows you to have windows open on both, and give you the ability to drag windows, files and folders across.
Duplicating the screen means each screen will be displaying the same thing. This is often used during presentations. Your main screen might be your laptop, where you have a slideshow presentation cued up. The second screen might be a projector, so you want it to be the same as your laptop screen.
Once you’ve made all your adjustments in the settings, click “apply” to make sure it saves your preferences.
If you want to better understand how this works, watch our short YouTube video here:
If you have any questions, feel free to contact TwinBytes! We serve clients in Markham, Richmond Hill and the rest of the York Region.