When the pandemic hit, and we were forced to stay home, my workroom was cluttered to the core; I needed to organize my stuff in such a way so that it looks clean and aesthetically pleasing to my eyes and increases my productivity. So, the first thing I did was purchase a monitor for my desk. I was happy that I have a wider screen monitor until I realized that I have to keep the laptop screen ON. This takes space on my desk, and now I am thinking, why doesn’t this monitor work with laptop lid closed? So that I can keep it aside vertically (using a laptop dock) to make some space on my desk.
I started researching for the solution and found out the way. So this article is about how to use external monitor with laptop closed.
With the increasing workload of Work From Home, the working professionals are now switching to the bigger display monitors rather than staring at 14inch/15.6inch laptop screens. They might be facing the same issue I mentioned earlier. While you use the monitor screen, you have noticed that you need to keep your laptop screen open. And you wonder how to use external monitor with laptop closed? ???? If that’s your issue, then you have landed on the right article. There is a solution to this problem, and we will discuss the same. In this guide, we see how to use external monitor with laptop closed in step-by-step easy instructions.
Why do you need to close the laptop while using an external monitor?
Many working professionals such as coders, video editors, developers prefer working with wider screens for better multitasking, but organizations give them laptops with a 14-inch screen. Such professionals must get at least a 24-inch or 32-inch external monitor to increase productivity. We will try to solve your problem of keeping the laptop screen on while using an external monitor.
How to use External Monitor with laptop closed?
- Step1: On your laptop, click on the Start menu and click on Settings.
- Step2: From the settings, click on the “System” option.
- Step3: Then click on the “Power & Sleep” option from the left menu.
- Step4: Now, from the new screen, select “Additional Power Settings.” (You will find this option on the right side of the screen)
- Step5: The Power options will open in the new window. From the new window, select the “Choose what closing the lid does” option from the left menu.
- Step6: Then, for the “When I close lid” option, select “Do nothing” for both On battery and Plugged in the state.
- Step7: Now, we have made all the changes. Let’s connect the external monitor to the laptop. If you want to connect multiple monitors, we also have a comprehensive guide on how to connect multiple monitors to the laptop.
- Step8: Make sure you use the best and compatible cable to get the best out of your external monitor. (refresh rate and highest resolution).
- Step9: Once the external monitor gets detected, you can now close the lid of the laptop.
- Step10: Now, press Windows + P button to open the project screen options.
- Step11: Then select “Second Screen only” to turn off the laptop screen. (which will save battery)
Done! You can now use external monitor with laptop closed.
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Want to use laptop screen and External Monitor simultaneously?
In some scenarios, you may need to use the laptop screen and external monitor simultaneously to use multiple apps, software as per need. Many people prefer to use the once software on the laptop screen and another tool on the external monitor to increase productivity.
You can use both the screen effectively and get the most out of it. We have written a comprehensive guide on playing a game on one monitor and use internet on other? Which you will find helpful. In this guide, we have also seen different use cases to use your two screens effectively.
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That’s pretty much it for this article. I hope you got the solution and are able to use external monitor with laptop closed. Let us know if you face any problems with your setup. We will definitely try to solve your issue. Cheers.!!
