Connect your Windows 8 PC to an external display

When it comes to working on a Windows 8 computer there are always many possibilities. For example, using a second auxiliary screen to share group work or to have more inches to fully enjoy our multimedia content.

The task of connecting a Windows 8 computer to an external display is quite simple, thanks to the flexibility of the system to change "hot" monitor. This means, for example, that you don't have to reboot your computer or install additional drivers every time you plug the monitor into a new external display.It is very simple and in this post we explain the options available to you.

Steps to connect the second screen in Windows 8

Whether via an HDMI, VGA, or DVI connection, to connect a Windows 8 computer to a second display, you must Move your finger or mouse to the upper right corner of the screen until the sidebar on this side is displayed. Several options will appear in it, you have to select the one called “Devices”

Actually, several controls appear on the screen, one of them the “Second Screen”, which are the existing options to connect a second screen to our computer with Windows 8. Clicking on it displays the different alternatives to make this connection and view the images on another device.

For those of you who are more into using a shortcut or key combinations, it is possible to access the screen connection options directly pressing the “Windows” key and then the “P” key.

Second Screen Connection Options

When connecting to a second display in Windows 8, you can choose from four display options, which are as follows :

• Device screen only: Selecting this option allows you to return to the basic configuration from any other option that has been chosen previously, leaving the screen image available only for the main screen of the equipment.
• Duplicate: This option allows you to display the same image on the main screen of your Windows 8 computer and on the second one you connect to. It looks as is, which is very useful when you want to see on your computer exactly what is playing on your external display.
• Extend: This option allows you to have an extended image of the system, that is, it displays the Home screen on screen 1 and in 2 the Classic Desktop, or any application that we have open on both.It is especially interesting when making presentations, when you want to project an image to the public that is different from the one being seen on the screen of the person who is operating the computer. For example, if documents to be found in folders are projected, a user can locate them via the computer screen, while a document is displayed on the projector screen at the same time.
• Second screen only: With this option, the image stops being projected on the computer screen and moves to the second connected screen . This configuration is very convenient when you want to project the image on the television while watching a movie and you want to avoid the annoying reflection of the computer screen. In case of losing the connection to the second screen, if the equipment is restarted, the system automatically re-establishes the connection so that the image is displayed on the main screen again.

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