Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

This wikiHow teaches you how to connect a Windows or Mac laptop (laptop) to an external display. Since most modern laptops will determine the best way to connect for themselves after you plug the machine's cord into the monitor, an important part of the process is choosing the right cable to connect the laptop to the monitor.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Connecting to monitors

1. 

   Of the screen.

2. 

   
   
   . Click the Windows logo in the lower left corner of the screen. Menu Start will open.

3. 

   . Click the gear icon in the lower left of the menu.

4. 

   . Click the Apple logo in the upper left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.

5. 

   Click System Preferences… (Customize system). The option is near the top of the drop-down menu. The System Preferences window will appear.

6. 

   
   
   Click Displays (Screen). This option has a desktop icon in the middle of the System Preferences window.

7. 

   
   
   Click the card Displays in the upper left corner of the window.

8. 

   
   
   Change the screen resolution. Check the "Scaled" box, then click a resolution.
   • You cannot use a resolution higher than the monitor's given resolution (such as 4K).

9. 

   
   
   Change screen aspect ratio. Click and drag the "Underscan" slider at the bottom of the page to the left to make the Mac desktop more visible on the second monitor, or drag to the right to enlarge the screen.
   • This will help you to fit your Mac's screen to fit the second monitor if the picture on the second monitor is too small / large.

10. 

    
    
    Extend your Mac desktop if necessary. If you want to use the second monitor as an extension of the Mac desktop (for example, add the right space for the Mac desktop), click the tab Arrangement (Sort) the top of the window and uncheck the "Mirror Displays" box below the screen arrangement window.
    • You can also adjust the menu bar's position here by clicking and dragging the white rectangle at the top of the screen sorting window left or right.
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Advice

• DisplayPort, HDMI, and USB-C can also transmit audio, meaning the monitor's speakers will output your laptop's audio if you're using one of these connections.
• You can update the driver (driver) on your computer to improve monitor detection and connected monitor quality.

Warning

• If the screen does not show the content on the laptop, there is a chance that you have plugged in the wrong cable. In this case, you should try using a different cable or connector.