6 tips if you use Windows on multiple screens

An overview of available features to make better use of your dual screen in Windows.

Multi-screen viewing in Windows is practical and helps increase productivity © wachiwit - stock.adobe.com

To increase the viewing area without having to purchase a large screen, Windows supports multi-monitor configurations. This way, you can use multiple monitors connected to each other at the same time.

Here are 6 tips to help you make better use of multi-screen mode in Windows.

1. Extend desktop on both screens

Once your second screen is installed, you are free to decide how you want to use it. To expand the viewing surface, and thus have 2 screens that can be used simultaneously.

Following are the steps to follow:

On your desktop, right-click
Select Display settings,
Scroll through the options until you find the Multiple views category,
Click on Multiple views, and choose from the Extend this view options,
Validate by clicking Save.

If the screen you are right-clicking is your home screen, select the Make this screen your home screen check box.

You can adjust the position of your secondary display by specifying whether it is to the right or left of the primary monitor. If these settings are reversed, go to the top of the Display settings menu and change screen sides 2 using drag and drop.

2. Duplicate your screen display

If you don't want to expand your screen, but just duplicate it, that's also possible. To perform this operation, follow the same procedure as to expand your screen (see the previous paragraph), but select Duplicate this view in the Multiple views category.

It is also possible to set the display to only one of the two monitors. In this case, select Show only on… and select the desired screen number (1 for primary screen, 2 for secondary screen).

3. Rotate screen display to portrait mode

Very useful for displaying large amounts of textual information, this vertical feature is often appreciated by certain web professionals, such as developers or streamers.

Here's a guide to switching the screen to portrait mode:

On your desktop, right-click
Select Display settings,
Scroll through the options until you find the View Orientation category,
Click Landscape and select Portrait,
Validate by clicking Save.

Attention, before performing the operation, make sure your screen can rotate in the real world.

4. Use Keyboard Shortcuts

To save time while navigating, and easily switch from one monitor to another, there are a few special keyboard shortcuts:

Windows + P: allows you to easily switch from one display mode to another (extend, duplicate, single screen, etc.),

Windows + shift + left arrow or right arrow: move a window from one monitor to another,

Windows + up arrow: displays the window in full screen mode,

Windows + down arrow: minimizes the displayed window.

5. Use unlimited wallpapers

If you have multiple screens in extended mode, you can set one wallpaper. This will be displayed in the continuity of your screen, and will be automatically reduced by cropping the right part of the image to maintain proportions if you disconnect the screen.

To update your wallpaper, all you have to do is find an image in 3840x1080 format, and set it as your desktop background. If you only want one wallpaper per monitor, this is also possible.

6. Expand the screen for video games

For a more immersive gaming experience, and if your graphics card allows it, you can expand the screen by using multiple monitors to display your games.

If you want to enable this feature, here are the steps to follow: