How Do I Connect My Work Laptop to My Home Monitor?
Day two of 911 tech support – the work-from-home version – arrived and I returned to tackle even more complex troubleshooting tasks. Remember, if you are having trouble setting up work from home, I recommend that you leave a comment on this post ( or this post !) Or send me an email . I will try to answer your questions as best I can, because a good puzzle helps to break the monotony of the quarantine.
For today, I ‘ll answer a question from Lifehacker commenter crs486 , and it touches on my least favorite topic: getting multiple displays to work fine .
Question
“For the life of me I can’t get the 2nd monitor to work. it connects with an adapter as my machine is not connected. I also tried HDMI and this method doesn’t work either. the monitor is working normally connected to other machines. what difference does it make if this laptop is traditionally docked? I am not using a docking station. “
Incredibly correct answer
HM. This question needs to be cleared up a bit, so let’s get started. By “have an adapter,” I suppose you mean that you are using some kind of USB-to-any adapter to force a second video connection on a laptop that otherwise doesn’t have its own HDMI or DisplayPort – or Thunderbolt, for that matter.
I am glad that you have already tested the monitor on other machines, as this rules out any mechanical defects or other annoying problems with your equipment. We can narrow down to the adapter and the connection itself, which I suspect is the problem.
You didn’t specify, but I’m assuming your system doesn’t have a USB-C connection. If so, it should be easy. A simple USB-C to HDMI adapter is all you need to get started. In your case, there might be a problem with the adapter itself, which you can check on, say, Amazon or elsewhere where it is sold. If many people report problems with the adapter, it might be a faulty device. This is definitely happening, and a new adapter might be all you need. (I use this one and it has always worked well for me.)
If your laptop only has USB 2.0, I’m almost willing to bet that something is wrong with your adapter. Either it’s not powerful enough, it just doesn’t work, or there is some kind of incompatibility with your operating system. The adapter listed probably has drivers that you need to install in order for your operating system to use it, so you can check them on the manufacturer’s website. And if I’m right, a simple USB to HDMI cable won’t work in this scenario – I’m assuming you don’t have one, since the adapter is a critical component. If so, here’s your problem.
You mentioned that your laptop has a docking station. I would investigate this as it is possible the said station has a built-in HDMI port or some other display connection that you can use to connect a second monitor. (I would be surprised if this were not the case, but you never know!)
It is also possible that the hardware connection is working properly and for some reason, your operating system does not recognize your second display. There might be some keyboard command you need to press to enable the multi-monitor setup (usually function + any key has an icon that looks like two rectangular displays separated by a vertical bar in the middle). That, or you may need to configure something directly in your OS.
On Windows 10, you should find all relevant settings in the Settings> Display app . Look for the Multiple Displays section and make sure you are duplicating or expanding your display and not just showing it on your laptop ( Windows Key + P is a useful shortcut to test this). If you are using Windows 7 or Windows 8, you need to right-click on the desktop and select “Screen Resolution” to find similar settings.
On macOS, just click the Apple logo in the upper left corner, then System Preferences , then Displays . If your system detects a second monitor, you will find all the options to configure on this screen. If you don’t see anything, try holding down the Option key and selecting the now visible Detect Displays button.
If you are still not successful, I would still bet that this is your adapter. You can continue with the process of testing new cables and adapters to see if this works, or you can drop shipping. I would at least try again before you do the latter, but try testing the adapter on a different laptop / monitor, even if you have to leave it in a friend’s mailbox during your home / quarantine break. …
If your laptop is ultimately to blame, you may have to use single screen for a while, annoying as it is. Or perhaps you can try using a third-party app to connect your tablet as a secondary screen if you need that secondary display.