How To Connect Two Monitors to a Laptop

Laptops are ideal for working remotely, but their comparatively tiny displays may be a burden at times. Connecting a second screen might offer you some breathing room and make your task feel much more reasonable. But what if you wish to connect more than one screen to your laptop at the same time? What if your laptop doesn't have a bunch of external video ports? What if you're on the road and can't bring a full-sized monitor with you? Don't be concerned; you still have more possibilities than you may believe.

How To Connect 2 Monitors to a Laptop With VGA and HDMI

Adding multiple monitors to your workspace may significantly improve efficiency. You can change the settings and switch between different displays. You can use them individually or interconnect them to move apps across screens. 

VGA

An extended desktop lets you replicate your primary desktop, expand it so that information is spread across two or more displays, or have two distinct outputs in the separate monitors.  The VGA, or Video Graphics Array, is used to link computers to displays. Because VGA is analog, it should only be utilized if both the displays and the laptop lack DVI connectors.

To set this up:

• Turn off the laptop and the display.
• Unplug the monitor from the VGA port. 
• After that, connect the female ports of the two VGA cables to the splitter and the male ports to the two displays. The single cable from the VGA splitter should be plugged into the VGA port on the laptop. The USB cable from the splitter should be put into the USB port on the laptop. 
• Now you may turn on the laptop and monitors and set the extended desktop to your liking.

HDMI

HDMI is an abbreviation for High Definition Multimedia Interface, and it is the most often used HD signal for transmitting full high def audio and video over a single cable.  Before inserting HDMI cables into ports on your laptop, take a moment to inspect those ports to ensure that one of them is an HDMI port. Most laptops now feature HDMI connections, however, a handful does not. Additionally, most laptops come preloaded with one HDMI port. So, if your laptop just has one HDMI port, you'll need to use an HDMI splitter to attach two monitors. Link the splitter to your laptop's HDMI port, plug the two HDMI cables to the splitter, and then connect the identical HDMI cables to each of your screens.

To set this up: Windows 10 When you attach external displays to your laptop, Windows will recognize both monitors automatically. When you connect the displays, they will go dark and may flicker somewhat.

• Once the displays have stopped flickering, right-click on an empty field in your laptop's home screen to bring up a drop-down menu.
• Then, select 'Display Settings.'
• Then navigate to the 'Multiple Displays' option.
• Select the 'Extend these displays' option from the drop-down menu.
• Lastly, tap on 'Keep changes' to apply your modifications.

Windows 7 or Windows 8 Same as Windows 10, wait for the flickering to stop and right-click on an empty area of your laptop's home screen to bring up a drop-down menu.

• Then, select 'Screen resolution.'
• Select 'Display Mode.' There are three screens labeled 1, 2, and 3. Display 1 is the screen of your laptop, while displays 2 and 3 are external monitors.
• To add these monitors to your laptop, tap display 2, then pick the 'Extend desktop to this display’ option from the drop-down menu under 'Multiple Displays.' Repeat this procedure to set up display 3.
• Finally, press 'Apply' to finish the procedure. You have added two monitors to your laptop.

How To Connect 2 Monitors to a Laptop Docking Station

Your laptop usually has a fine display built-in, but if you want to be as productive as possible, it's wise to invest in an external monitor that you can use in place of your laptop's screen. In fact, by utilizing two external monitors, you may acquire much more screen real estate. You may need to use a dock to plug two monitors into your laptop.

Here's how to do it:

• Plug the docking station into the laptop using a USB cable. You should hear a chime to signify that it has linked and is recognized. Connect the docking station to the second external display you want to utilize.
• Navigate to your Display Settings by right-clicking an empty area of your desktop screen and selecting Display settings. You will now have three monitors to choose from and organize. 
• Scroll down to the Multiple displays section and make sure Expand these displays are selected.
• Navigate to the Select and rearrange displays section, and then click the Identify button. To identify each monitor, a number will show on each display to match the display settings numbers. This will aid in organizing the displays in the settings to ensure they are appropriately extended between the laptop and external monitors.
• Your laptop is now configured up for multiple monitors.

Can I Connect 2 External Monitors to My Dell Laptop?

You can use your Dell laptop's Intel HD graphics processor to drive up to three displays. Graphics can be displayed on your laptop screen and two external displays, or three external monitors:

• Turn on your laptop after connecting it to a power source.
• If you're using a keyboard and mouse with your docking station, connect them immediately.
• Plug the monitors into the docking station and turn them on.
• If you're utilizing ethernet cables or external USB devices, connect them to your docking station.
• Plug the docking station's power cord and turn on the docking station.
• Hook your laptop to your docking station.
• Docking station drivers should be downloaded and installed. Depending on your configuration, Windows may just recognize your docking station.
• Your linked displays should operate after everything is connected and any required drivers are loaded.

When you have numerous windows open on your desktop, even a wide 24-inch monitor might feel crowded. When you're restricted to a laptop screen, it's even worse. Fortunately, adding two more displays to your laptop is easy. Simply follow these tips and you'll be significantly increasing your productivity with multiple screen displays in no time.