How to use multiple monitors in Windows 10

After you’ve connected your Windows 10 PC to external displays, you can adjust the settings for each one.

Video: Connecting a monitor

Here’s a video on the basics of connecting to an external monitor.

Before you start

Before changing settings for your external displays, make sure everything is connected properly. Here’s what you can do:

Make sure your cables are properly connected to your PC or dock.

Check for Windows updates. To check for updates, select Start > Settings > Updates & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.

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 10 PC and select Start > Settings > System > Display, then select Connect to a wireless display.

Rearrange your displays

You’ll see this option when Windows detects more than one display. Each display will be numbered to help you identify them more easily.

Identify a display

To see which number corresponds to a display, select Start > Settings > System > Display > Rearrange your displays, then select Identify. A number appears on the screen of the display it’s assigned to.

Detect a display

If you connected another display and it isn’t showing in Settings, select Start > Settings > System > Display > Rearrange your displays, then select Detect.

Arrange your displays

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.

Change display options

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

Change orientation

Windows will recommend an orientation for your screen. To change it in Display settings, go to Scale and Layout, then 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.

Choose a display option

To change what shows on your displays, press Windows logo key + P. Here’s what you can choose.

See things on one display only.

See the same thing on all your displays.

See your desktop across multiple screens. When you have displays extended, you can move items between the two screens.

See everything on the second display only.

Second screen only

Related topics

Simply Windows on Youtube — These videos are only available in English

How to Change the Primary Monitor on Windows 10

All versions of the Windows Operating System that are currently supported by Microsoft have dual monitor and even multiple monitor support. This means that you can have more than one monitor not only connected to your computer but also display whatever you want it to display in order to increase productivity and improve ease of use. Windows 10, the latest and greatest in a long line of Windows Operating Systems, also has multiple monitor support. In fact, Windows 10 is rather good at handling more than one monitor. Multiple monitor support is a godsend for power users as most power users out there have more than one monitors connected to their computers.

When you connect more than just one monitor to a computer running on the Windows Operating System, Windows makes one of the monitors the primary monitor (in almost all cases, this is the monitor that was connected to the computer first) and the rest of the monitors the secondary, tertiary and so on monitors. The primary monitor is the default monitor Windows displays everything on, which is why being able to determine which monitor connected to your computer you want to be the primary monitor is immensely important. Thankfully, Windows 10 not only allows users with multiple monitors to choose their primary monitor at any given time but the process used to do so is also pretty simple.

For Windows 7

To change the primary monitor on a computer running on Windows 7 with more than one monitor connected to it, you need to simply:

1. Right-click on an empty space on your Desktop.
2. Click on Screen resolution.
3. In the space underneath Change the appearance of your display, all of the computers connected to your computer will be visible, each represented as a screen with a number in the middle. The screen that has the number 1 at its center is the monitor that is currently configured as your computer’s primary monitor. Click on the monitor that you would like to make your computer’s primary monitor to select it.
4. Check the checkbox beside the Use this device as the primary monitor option (or the Make this my main display option, depending on the iteration of Windows you are using) to enable it. Doing so will tell Windows 10 to change the primary display to the monitor you have just chosen.
5. Click on Apply, and the change you have made to your computer’s display configuration will be applied.
6. Click on OK and close the Screen Resolution window.

For Windows 10

In Windows 10, the steps are slightly a little different. Some names are changed here and there but the main method is the same.

1. Right-click anywhere in the Desktop and select Display Settings.

Display Settings – Win 10 home screen

1. Here all the displays will be shown in graphical shapes. You can easily distinguish the screens from one another. Now select the display which you want to set as the primary display. Now navigate down at the screen and select Make this my main display.

Settings screen as the primary display

1. If you see the Make this main display greyed out, it probably means that the current monitor which you are trying to set as the primary display is set already.

Note: If you have graphics hardware installed on your computer, it is likely that the graphical application’s settings are overriding the system’s default display settings. In that case, open the application and select the primary display from there in the settings.

Primary display in graphic settings – AMD

Furthermore, you should also make sure that the displays are extended. If you have not extended the displays, there will be no option of making a primary monitor as all monitors will be treated alike. You can change the setting to Extend these displays from the display settings in Windows 10.

Extending screen – Win 10 settings

Note: Try to Connect your HDMI cable to the monitor which you want to use as primary because some users have reported that the monitor that is connected using the HDMI cables is actually recognized as the primary monitor. This might not be the case with all of you but it might still help some people.

How to Change the Main Display in Windows 10 ?

I have multiple Displays .. I cant Set my main as main .. it Keeps showing as number 2 ?!

Wasted 2 hours of my time trying to do that .. please clarify how to do that ?

>>>>(I need No1 on the right side and No2 on the left side ) I have the same question (200)

Replies (3) 

Thank you for posting your question ion the Microsoft Community.

Sorry to know that you are facing this issue.

Please answer these questions to get more clarity on this issue:

Have you installed all pending updates on the computer?

Have you updated all device drivers after upgrading to Windows 10?

You may unplug all external devices connecting to the computer, restart the system and then plug in the external monitor to check if that helps.

Click the larger monitor icon with the number two on it. Check the box below the “Multiple displays” menu that says “Make this my main display”, then click “Apply,” followed by “OK” to dismiss the window to see if that helps.

Further you may also update the display driver from Device Manager to check if that helps.

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Hello, thanks for reply

Its not an individual issues .. none of my friends could solve it either .. the Window that allowed me to choose different wallpapers for each Desktop is Gone .. Its not there in Windows 10 ..

And the Option To set a Display as main .. Doesn’t Show Unless its Duplicated or single Display .. On Extended Doesn’t Show its somehow transparent .. Cant set it . So If it Duplicated or Single .. whichever display I choose to click on : Set this as main Have you installed all pending updates on the computer? Yes

Have you updated all device drivers after upgrading to Windows 10? Yes

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My screen resolution in Windows 10 won’t fit my monitor properly.

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* Please try a lower page number.

* Please enter only numbers.

* Please try a lower page number.

* Please enter only numbers.

Thank you for your interest in Windows 10.

I suggest you to try to install all the pending Windows Updates if any are available.

If you are unable to do this in Normal mode, I suggest you to boot the computer in safe mode and then try to update the chipset and display drivers. In Safe Mode computer starts with minimal set of drivers and files.

Refer the article to boot to Safe Mode:

Hope this information is helpful. Please do let us know if you need further assistance, we’ll be glad to assist you.

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I found a way to fix this if your computer has the AMD Catalyst Control Center.

1. Open the Device Manager (right click on Start-Icon in left corner)

2. Then click Display Adapters and click your display card.

3. Click on «Search for a driver on the computer» (second entry)

4. Click «Select driver from list»

5. Pick the newest one you have

6. Restart your computer and it should work. mine did

Here is the link to where I found the help though how I state it may be simpler and more concise.

It is NavyLCDR’s Post. the second from the bottom if it doesn’t bring you there automatically.

When the AMD Catalyst Control Center works go under My Digital Flat Panels and from there to Scaling Options. scale it as needed

Hopefully this helps!

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I was having a similar problem when I looked up this page.

I fixed it after trying the AMD catalyst i opened up my Intel HD graphics control center.

it has a scaling option at the bottom of the Display settings that allows you to manually scale your screen into picture.

1. To open, right click in screen and open Graphic Properties.

2. Wait for the loading screen

3. click on the Display icon with the TV

4. Using the bars to the Right of and under the small picture of the boy, scale slowly until happy

Hope this helped anyone else struggling.

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The method using the AMD Catalyst Control Center worked for me. A 5% under scan setting worked best.

Thank you for pointing me in this direction. I was almost ready to undo the Windows 10 upgrade.

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The MS basic display driver is only a placeholder and doesn’t offer much screen resolution , sleep or hibernate. Almost any modern display hardware or PC will have a newer driver that either comes in shortly via Windows Update or needs to be imported from the PC or Adapter’s Support Downloads webpage.

More here compiled for the very best install of all which is always a Clean Install Windows 10.

Over 100,000 helped in forums for 11 years. I don’t quit for those who are polite and cooperative.

Windows MVP 2010-21

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I found a way to fix this if your computer has the AMD Catalyst Control Center.

1. Open the Device Manager (right click on Start-Icon in left corner)

2. Then click Display Adapters and click your display card.

3. Click on «Search for a driver on the computer» (second entry)

4. Click «Select driver from list»

5. Pick the newest one you have

6. Restart your computer and it should work. mine did

Here is the link to where I found the help though how I state it may be simpler and more concise.

It is NavyLCDR’s Post. the second from the bottom if it doesn’t bring you there automatically.

When the AMD Catalyst Control Center works go under My Digital Flat Panels and from there to Scaling Options. scale it as needed

Hopefully this helps!

The most recent UPDATE from Windows 10 on my computer took place on 11/23/17. When I looked at the driver described in these notes I noted that «a new driver» had been installed on my computer dated 11/23/17 (the day of the Windows 10 update) (when I looked as instructed). I clicked «update». Then Windows 10 said I was using the most recent driver. So I simply selected «Return to previous driver» and PRESTO my screen filled completely and everything looked fine. The Windows 10 update screwed up my computer and the new driver was a disaster. I hope whoever is working on Windows updates learns about how bad this «new driver» was. I’ll bet this same thing took place on thousands of other computer monitors.

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Yes, we have been swamped with cases from people who had their displays messed up by recent Updates. Your suggestion to roll back the driver is a known fix, as well as updating the driver. from the PC or Display adapter’s Support Downloads webpage.

Besides choosing Roll Back on Display device Driver tab in Device Manager, if that doesn’t work or is greyed out you can also choose Update driver, then Browse PC, then Let Me Pick to have a list of all previously installed drivers to try them, working backwards.

Over 100,000 helped in forums for 11 years. I don’t quit for those who are polite and cooperative.

Windows MVP 2010-21

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Just to add to my prior comments. My screen looked great for several years, and when I updated to Windows 10 some years ago it still looked great. Then suddenly after the most recent Windows 10 automatic update the computer footprint was not filling the entire screen — with an even border on all sides with nothing and spatial distortion on what was seen. I didn’t touch anything. Tried rebooting. Nada. Then I looked up this issue and saw the above method of «updating». But my problem was Windows had screwed it up by updating. So I first tried to «Update» the driver and got the message that I was using the latest driver. THEN I figured out the automatic Windows update must have screwed me up, so I clicked on «Revert to prior driver».

Presto — back to normal. I hope this helps anyone else with the same problem. Mike

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