How to arrange multiple monitors on Windows 10

Windows 10 allows you to connect multiple monitors to your system. When connected, you can use the additional screens to extend your desktop, or you can mirror your main display to the second one. For laptops that are running Windows 10, the internal screen is always treated as the main display and other monitors that are connected are the secondary display. For desktop, the screen that is treated as the main display depends on the port it is connected to and you can normally change it.

With multiple monitors, additional screen are added to the left of the display in a landscape layout. This may not suit your particular needs. Here’s how you can arrange multiple monitors on Windows 10.

Arrange Multiple Monitors on Windows 10

To arrange multiple monitors on Windows 10; follow the steps below.

1. Make sure all monitors are connected to your system, and they are powered on.
2. On your primary display, open the Settings app.
3. Go to the System group of settings, and select the Display tab.
4. You will see your monitors listed here. Click the Identify button.
5. You will see a number superimposed on each of your screens. Take note of this number, and match it up with the arrangement that you see in the Settings app.
6. You can now rearrange monitors. Click and drag a monitor and drop it where you’d like it to appear. For example, if you want Monitor 2 to appear to the left of Monitor 1, click and drag & drop it to the left of Monitor 1.
7. Repeat for all monitors. Remember that monitors can be stacked into a portrait layout as well and you don’t have to add them to the left or right of another monitor.

Monitor layouts on Windows 10

When you’re arranging multiple monitors on Windows 10, it is important to understand what the various arrangements look like.

Landscape layout

A Landscape arrangement has monitors sitting side by side. The monitors are laid out so that their width is longer than their height. If you’re still confused as to how this looks, just Google for images of Landscape mode.

Portrait layout

A Portrait arrangement is one in which laptops sit one on top of another. In this arrangement, the height of all monitors that are laid out is greater than their width. Pick up your phone and look at it; by default, we all look at our phones in portrait mode.

L-shaped layout

An L-shaped layout is a mix of the landscape and portrait layout. You can have two monitors stacked one on top of the other, and have a third-monitor sitting at the left or right of one of the other two. With monitors, you can even create complex 3×3 grid layouts.

How many monitors can be added?

The number of monitors that you can connect to a Windows 10 system depends on the number of display ports you have. You can generally connect a wireless monitor or two but for a physical connection, you need an HDMI, VGA, or DVI port.

What are display ports?

Display ports are ports that support video output from your system to a monitor. The common ones are VGA, HDMI, and DVI. They are pictured below (image from Wikipedia).

How to fix gaps between monitors?

When you arrange your monitors, you will find that some are smaller than others. This difference in size is due to the difference in the resolution of the monitors. Same resolution monitors will line up perfectly. If your monitors have a gap between them, you can try changing the resolution of one monitor to match that of the other.

How to determine mouse direction?

In a multi-monitor arrangement, the mouse goes from left to right. You can use an app and have the mouse wrap around the edges.

How to show/hide taskbar on all monitors?

You can show or hide the taskbar on all monitors by opening the Settings app and going to the Personlization group of settings. Select the Taskbar tab. Scroll down to the Multiple Displays section and turn the ‘Show taskbar on all displays’ option On or Off, per your own need.

How to change monitor resolution?

Open the Settings app and go to the System group of settings. Select Display. Click the monitor you want to change the resolution of, so that it is highlighted. Scroll down, and open the Resolution dropdown. Select the resolution you want to use. The resolution will be changed. Click the Apply Change button in the confirmation box that appears.

Conclusion

Windows 10 has excellent support for multiple monitors and setting them up is generally really easy. The arrangement is made simpler with the visual guide that the Settings app has. Monitors are also simple plug & play devices but if your displays aren’t being detected there is a simple way to fix it.  If the built-in options for managing multiple displays are insufficient, you will find there is also a host of third-party apps that you can download to modify the desktop layout further.

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Fatima Wahab

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

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