Connecting To External Displays (MS Windows)

With the increased use of laptops and docking stations at WesternU, there are some potential issues that customers might encounter.

If any images are too small, please note that you can click on any of the images in this article to bring up full size versions.

How-To Extend, and Duplicate Displays

1. Right click on an empty part of your desktop and click on "Display Settings"

   

2. Next to "Identify" in the top section there should be a drop-down. Click on the drop-down, and select either "Extend Desktops to this display" or "Duplicate these Displays"

   

3. If you selected to duplicate your displays, you are now done. If you are choosing to extend your displays scroll back to the top of the window, and click "Identify". Take note of what numbers appear on what monitors. The numbers that appear correlate to the numbered boxes at the top of the screen.

   

4. To change which monitor is on what side, click and drag the numbered boxes around until is matches your desired setup.

   

5. To make a monitor your "Main Display" select the numbered box that correlates to the display you are wanting to use, and scroll to the section that says "Multiple Displays and check the box saying "Make this my main display"

   

1. If things appear too large or small on the connected displays, please follow the instructions below.
   1. Right click on an empty portion of your desktop and click "Display Settings".
   2. Click "Identify" this will number the displays and match them to the boxes at the top.
   3. Click the box at the top that corresponds to the problematic display.
   4. Click the drop-down menu underneath "Scale and Layout".
   5. Change between the options in that drop-down, until you find one that matches your needs. (Generally Numbers in the 100-150% range are good.)
2. If your displays appear to be distorted, you may have to instead extend your displays rather than duplicating them. Follow the directions under "How-To Extend, and Duplicate Displays" above. These issues can occur when the device you are attaching has a different "Aspect Ratio" than the displays you are connecting to.

Review 6/01/2023