Laptops are great, but you don’t have to limit yourself to a tiny laptop screen — especially when you’re using a laptop at a desk. Adding a second screen is easier and cheaper than ever. The same is true if you’re using a desktop PC, too. No matter how you’re working, there’s no reason to limit yourself to just one monitor. Heck, even the word “monitor” can have multiple meanings. You can project from your a laptop to a TV, wirelessly, in just a few clicks. Or you can get a lightweight portable monitor for more screen real estate anywhere you take your laptop. An optimal multimonitor setup isn’t only about hardware, though. It’s also about the software tricks you need to make multimonitor setups sing on Windows — from tools to troubleshooting tips. So let’s dive in. Want more Windows knowledge? Check out my free Windows Intelligence newsletter. I’ll send you free in-depth Windows Field Guides (a $10 value) as a special welcome bonus! Your multiple monitor hardware Step one in setting up a second Windows monitor is determining what outputs your PC has. If you have a laptop, take a look at its ports. On a modern laptop, you might see HDMI out, and you might also simply be able to connect an external monitor over USB-C. (Other laptops may have DisplayPort or mini DisplayPort; it depends on the specific system.) If you have a desktop PC, you almost certainly have a way to connect a second monitor. Again, take a look at the outputs on the back of your PC. You can buy portable monitors built specifically for laptops, too. These are secondary monitors you can fit in a bag, and they connect via a USB-C cable. (The USB-C cable provides power to the monitor, too.) You can often find these monitors for $100 or less — they’re a lot better and more convenient than you might think. Alternatively, you might already have the monitor you need already sitting around your home or office. Even somewhat hardware can get the job done as a secondary monitor — especially while you’re still deciding whether you like the idea. And you can get a lower-end (or even used) external monitor for very little money if you don’t want a huge high-resolution display. If you plan on using your laptop with a big monitor at a desk, you should consider investing in a dock, too. You can then connect your monitor and other peripherals — keyboard, mouse, speakers, and whatever else — directly to the dock, then connect your laptop to all those items with a single swift connection. Bear in mind that your choice of cable very much matters. Cheaper or older HDMI or DisplayPort cables might not have the bandwidth to deliver fast refresh rates at high screen resolutions on a modern display. When in doubt, spend a few bucks to get a modern cable that’s certified for the latest hardware standards. Don’t just dig something out of a drawer and pair it with a high-end display. (Of course, if you’re just testing this out with something older or less demanding, whatever you have lying around will almost certainly work fine.) The TV possibility As I mentioned, even a TV can serve as an effective second monitor for your laptop. You might be able to connect it directly with an HDMI cable — then you’d just need a wireless mouse and keyboard to control it. Additionally, there are ways to use wireless projection with modern TVs — meaning you can treat your TV like an external monitor wirelessly, with just a few clicks or taps. To start casting and see whether your TV appears as an option on Windows, press Windows+K. Bear in mind that this is better for presenting something or sharing your display, as it’s nowhere near as fast and crisp as a proper wired connection. But it’s yet another way you can do more with your PC. srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Windows-Casting-dialog.png?quality=50&strip=all 1200w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Windows-Casting-dialog.png?resize=300%2C210&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Windows-Casting-dialog.png?resize=768%2C538&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Windows-Casting-dialog.png?resize=1024%2C717&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Windows-Casting-dialog.png?resize=996%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 996w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Windows-Casting-dialog.png?resize=240%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 240w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Windows-Casting-dialog.png?resize=120%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 120w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Windows-Casting-dialog.png?resize=686%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 686w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Windows-Casting-dialog.png?resize=514%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 514w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Windows-Casting-dialog.png?resize=357%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 357w" width="1024" height="717" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px">The Casting dialog supports all sorts of external displays, though you sometimes have to enable wireless screen mirroring on the TV side first.Chris Hoffman, Foundry The Windows second monitor software setup Multimonitor setup on Windows is usually pretty easy — just plug in and go. Then open the Settings app in Windows and head to System > Display. From there, you can tell Windows how your various monitors are physically positioned simply by dragging and dropping them into the correct arrangement in the on-screen interface. You can also change the scaling of text on your screen, choose the orientation of your displays, and choose how you want Windows to handle the displays (mirrored, as two separate displays, or with one — like your laptop — not being used at all and instead staying dark). One thing to watch: Be sure the correct monitor is set as your primary one. Click whichever one you want on the Display screen and check “Make this my main display.” The Display settings page makes it extremely easy to set up multiple displays — no third-party software necessary.Chris Hoffman, Foundry You might also need to change the screen resolution settings here, although Windows should normally pick that properly for you. (Refresh rate is something Windows often doesn’t detect automatically, though, so it’s worth going to Settings > Display > Advanced display and choosing the highest refresh rate your display supports.) The projection and taskbar factors Once your laptop is docked and connected to an external monitor, you can treat it in several different ways. You could keep using it as a secondary (or primary) monitor. Or, you could even power off the screen and shut your laptop, turning it into a desktop PC that powers your monitor and keyboard. For many purposes, you don’t need both a laptop and a desktop PC at all. You just need a laptop and the right peripherals, and you can then treat the system like a desktop whenever you like. You’ll have the exact same software setup and files both in your on-the-go laptop mode and when you’re using your PC at your desk — no syncing or extra effort required. You can also press Windows+P at any time to access the Project options popup, where you can choose exactly how Windows treats your various displays. The Project dialog helps you quickly control how Windows handles an external display.Chris Hoffman, Foundry Windows also gives you options for how your taskbar appears across multiple displays. Head to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors and you’ll find settings like “Show my taskbar on all displays” and one that lets you control whether your windowed apps appear on all taskbars, or just the taskbar on the display they’re floating on. When you’re done using the external monitor, you can simply unplug it; Windows should handle everything properly — no reboots or other setup necessary. Windows 11 is better at this than Windows 10, and it’ll even try to automatically reposition your windows in a way that makes sense as you move between single and multimonitor modes. If you do encounter an issue, press Ctrl+Windows+Shift+B to find a hidden shortcut for fixing it. Advanced Windows multimonitor tricks Basic multimonitor usage is surprisingly trivial — you can drag and drop windows across the edge between your monitors and reposition them, just as if you were using one massive monitor. If you’re willing to dig deeper, though, there’s much more you can do. The basic (but surprisingly powerful) Snap features built into Windows — especially on Windows 11 — are very useful in a multiple-monitor scenario. Use the Windows key along with an arrow key or press Windows+Z (on Windows 11) to find them. If you have a bigger monitor and want to do even more, Microsoft’s FancyZones PowerToy is a must-install. You’ll get extra-customizable, flexible window layouts. (Another thing that will help on big monitors: My Grab to Scroll script, which eliminates the need to carefully position your mouse over those tiny window scroll bars.) PowerToys Workspaces is also incredibly useful on multiple monitors. Rather than spending time opening windows one by one and carefully repositioning them, you can launch the apps you use once, use PowerToys Workspaces to save that exact layout, and then get a convenient desktop shortcut you can double-click in the future — to launch all your go-to work apps and reposition them exactly as you like. If you have a large, wide monitor, you might prefer having your taskbar vertically on the left or right edge of your screen rather than on the bottom. That’s easy on Windows 10, but annoyingly, Microsoft removed the option from Windows 11. In that environment, you’ll need to rely on apps like Start11 ($10) or ExplorerPatcher (free) to get a vertical taskbar. Your perfect multimonitor setup When it comes to these monitor setups, I’d start slow — perhaps with an external monitor you already have lying around or an inexpensive display you can use to test the waters. Then you’ll get a sense for how much you like the setup and whether a bigger or higher-resolution display might be right for you. There’s so much you can think through once you’re ready. You don’t have to use a monitor sitting on a desk, for instance; you could instead use external monitor arms that clamp to your desk to let you easily reposition the monitors for improved ergonomics and more desk space. Some monitors can also spin around from a horizontal orientation to a vertical one. A second monitor in portrait mode next to your widescreen display could be just what you need — a great screen for reading or keeping track of emails or work chats. Or maybe you’ll discover you prefer the single-screen experience but just want more screen real estate — that’s what ultrawide monitors are for. Whichever way you go, one thing’s for sure: Having lots of screen real estate is one of the joys of using a Windows PC rather than a small smartphone or a tablet. And even the most humble of laptops can power a multiple-screen setup that’s both awesome to use and surprisingly easy to set up. Want more Windows advice written for humans — by a human? Sign up for my free Windows Intelligence newsletter. I’ll send you three new things to try each Friday and free Windows Field Guides as a welcome gift.