How to Connect a Computer Screen to Another Laptop

Do you need to share your computer screen with someone else? Maybe you’re giving a presentation or helping a friend with a problem. 

Regardless of the reason,if you need a second monitor, connecting your computer screen to another laptop is a simple process. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through the steps involved. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions.

Ways of Using a Second Laptop as a Monitor

You can connect your computer screen to another laptop in a few different ways. These include:

• Use of Cables and Converters 

Most computers will have the necessary outputs, it is however essential to look at the video ports on your computer and laptop so you can determine how both will connect.

There are several types of ports, which includes:

• DVI ports
• HDMI ports
• VGA ports
• Mini Display ports
• Display USB-C ports

Instructions for connecting a computer screen to another laptop:

1. Choose the cable you want to use.
2. Plug one end of the cable into each laptop.
3. If you’re using an HDMI cable, you’ll need to select the correct input on your monitor. You won’t need to make any additional changes for a VGA or DVI cable.
4. Once you’ve selected the correct input, your computer screen should appear on your TV or monitor.
5. If you’ve finished using the second laptop, unplug the cable and store it in a safe place.

Sometimes you might find that the ports on the computer and the laptop do not match. No need to worry! You can work with an adapter to connect ports that do not match. However, in this case, you will need a cable to complete the hook-up.

You may need an active adapter instead of a passive one. An active adapter contains a chip that helps to translate the signal from one type of port to another, while a passive adapter does not have this chip.

• Use of WI-Fi Connection

In this method, there are no cables or adapters required. However, to connect, they must be windows computers running windows 8 and above. They also should be connected to Wi-Fi.

There are two ways to connect: The first is through direct connection through windows, and the second is by miracast.

Steps for Window-to-Window Connection

1. On the laptop you wish to use as your second monitor, hold down the windows key and press the k key simultaneously.
2. On your laptop, a grey area on the right will pop up. Click on the link “connect the wireless display.”
3. Click on the following link on the pop-up “projecting to this pc.”
4. Select the laptop you want to connect to from the list of available devices.
5. Enter the PIN or password for the other laptop if prompted.
6. Your computer screen should appear on your monitor.

How Miracast Works

The technology behind Miracast is Wi-Fi Direct. It allows two devices to connect directly without needing a wireless router. 

The source device -the one sending the signal and the sink device -the one receiving the signal establishes a direct peer-to-peer connection. Once the connection is established, the source device can mirror its display on the sink.

How to use Miracast

Here are the instructions:

1. Connect your Miracast receiver to your Surface.
2. On your Surface, select Start > Settings > System > Display.
3. Under Multiple displays, select ‘Projecting to this PC’ and select ‘Available everywhere on secure networks.’
4.  If you see the ‘Projecting to this PC’ option is a not available message, your computer may not support Miracast. To check, see if I can use Miracast with my Surface.
5. On your Surface, select Action Center > Connect. Your Surface will search for available Miracast receivers.
6. Select the receiver you want to use. If prompted, enter the PIN for your receiver. Your Surface will now project wirelessly to your laptop.
7. To stop projecting, select Disconnect on your Surface, or press the Windows logo key + K again to close the Connect quick action.

3. Connecting Using  Special Computer Software

Several software programs can work so well when using a second laptop as a monitor. The most popular ones include:

1. Idisplay- this app can be downloaded from the internet and installed on both laptops. Once installed, it will enable the two laptops to connect wirelessly.
2. Duet Display -this is another app that can be downloaded and installed on both laptops. It also requires a USB cable to connect the two laptops.
3. Air Display- This app can be downloaded and installed on both laptops. It uses Wi-Fi to connect the two laptops.
4.  ScreenBeam Mini2- This hardware connects the two laptops. It uses Wi-Fi to connect the two laptops.

Instructions

1. Choose the software you want to use.
2. Download and install the software on both computers.
3. Follow the instructions provided by the software to complete the connection process.
4. Once you’ve completed the connection, your computer screen should appear on your laptop.
5.  If you’ve finished using the second laptop, unplug the cable and store it in a safe place.