How to use a Laptop as a Secondary Monitor?

How to use a Laptop as a Secondary Monitor?

Do you want to use your Laptop as a secondary monitor for your existing primary PC display for both work and gaming purposes? If you would like to extend your desktop's display and use your Laptop as a secondary monitor for your PC, then you will find this guide very useful.

If you are thinking of simply connecting your Laptop to your desktop via an HDMI cable, then you are wrong. The main reason is that the HDMI port or any other port such as VGA, DVI or DisplayPort works only for delivering output to large displays and will not work as a video input for another device. If you would like to display your Laptop's screen on a larger display or connect it to another external display, you can complete the task by simply connecting the additional display to your Laptop. The reality is that you cannot connect your Laptop to your PC via a cable to fetch the screen from your primary PC.

To use your Laptop's display to work as a monitor for another device, you should make use of the features available on Windows or install third-party software programs to establish connectivity. This article will examine the steps required to use a laptop as a secondary monitor to your main PC.

1.Working with Miracast on Windows Systems

The best way to use a laptop as a monitor is to work with the Miracast functionality included with Windows devices. The first step is to click on the Start menu and navigate to Settings. You can also select the search box on the Taskbar and type Settings. You should do this step on the Laptop you wish to use as a secondary display. Select System option and click on the "projecting to this PC" option in the left side menu. You should make sure to modify the first drop-down menu to Available. You can go through the other settings and configure them accordingly. It would help if you went back to the main PC you would like to set up as your Laptop secondary display.

Suppose the system throws a Red error message that reads, "Projecting to this PC. We are still trying to determine the feature capabilities". In that case, you should navigate to the Device Manager and uninstall/reinstall the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter to resolve the error message.

The next step is to click on the Notifications/Action centre icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the taskbar from the main PC that you would like to use as your Laptop's display as a secondary display. You should click on Connect option on the menu on the bottom of the Notifications slide-out menu. The Laptop you want to connect appears, and you should select it. It would help if you accepted the connection after navigating back to your Laptop. Finally, right-click on your desktop and select Display Settings on the main PC. You should make sure to choose Extend desktop to this display option located under Display | Multiple displays. The final step is to rearrange your desktop and laptop displays appropriately by dragging and dropping the display icons at the top of the Display Settings screen.

The main disadvantage of Miracast is that you need Intel HD graphics. If you are using a dedicated graphics card, then the Miracast will not work. Moreover, Miracast will not provide support for Ethernet connection and hence you should activate Wi-Fi. If you don't have a motherboard with Wi-Fi, then you will not be able to work with Miracast.

2.Working with Space Desk

If Miracast is causing compatibility problems, you should try to use third-party software applications like Space Desk. To work with Space Desk, you should download the Space Desk Driver program on your main PC and the Space Desk Viewer Program on the Laptop you wish to use an extended display for your central system. The users had reported that Space Desk simplifies the configuration process, and you can make use of your Laptop as a comprehensive display much quicker than Miracast.

After installing the relevant software tools, you should open SpaceDesk from the Laptop, and the software will scan for the network. Select your computer from the list and select the OK Connect button. Your Laptop will now work as a secondary monitor to your primary. You should choose the Full Screen option from the View menu. You can now drag and drop windows from your primary monitor to the secondary Laptop.

3.Using TeamViewer

You can use your Laptop's display, including keyboard, mouse and trackpad to manage another computer. The intention here is to gain complete control over the main PC via Laptop. You can establish connectivity to your desktop PC from your Laptop with the help of a wide range of third-party programs such as TeamViewer.

The first step is to navigate to teamviewer.us and download and install TeamViewer on your Laptop and your desktop PC. You should install TeamViewer on both Laptop and PC. You should then grab the TeamViewer ID from your desktop computer. The next step is to open TeamViewer on your Laptop, provide the required ID into the Partner ID filed, and click the Connect button. The system will prompt you to enter the desktop's password and select Log On button. That's it. You should be able to manage your desktop PC from your Laptop.

4.Steam Gaming

You can use your Laptop to play Steam games from your desktop with the help of Steam's In-Home Streaming action. You can use this feature if you want to play games in bed or any other location. If your Laptop is not powerful enough to handle games, then you can make use of your desktop PC to play demanding games from your Laptop by streaming the relevant game from your desktop. This functionality works great with older laptops with older generation processors and graphics chipsets. The downside is that you will experience latency drop and be unable to play competitive games via in-home streaming.

You have to open Steam on both desktop and Laptop and then log in using the same account. The next step is to click on the game in your library that you would like to play from your Laptop. You have to select the drop-down menu adjacent to "Play" and select the "Stream from" option instead of hitting Play. Your Laptop will start streaming the game from your desktop upon selecting the Stream option. You can use a controller to play and manage the game.

Conclusion

It's a well-known fact that Laptops becomes outdated every 3-4 years. In addition to the weaker battery. However, you can still use them as a monitor for your PC instead of throwing the Laptop away. You can use your older laptops effectively by turning them into a secondary monitor. This article examined the concepts related to using a laptop as a secondary monitor to your primary PC with the help of several techniques.

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