Windows 10: Create Display Switch shortcut in Windows 10

How to: Create Display Switch shortcut in Windows 10

How to Create a Display Switch shortcut in Windows 10


Display Switch (aka: "Project" or "Second Screen") is used to change the presentation mode of the main display of your Windows 10 device or PC to display on either the PC screen only, duplicate on second display, extend across all displays, or second screen only.

This tutorial will show how to create or download a Display Switch shortcut in Windows 10.

[table][tr][td]Projection Mode[/td] [td]Description[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]PC screen only[/td] [td]Only the current main display is enabled. All other connected displays will be disabled. (When you'remain display will be mirrored on the second display.[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]Extend (default)[/td] [td]The main display is extended across the all connected display screens and allows you to have a desktop that spans them.[/td] [/tr] [tr][td]Second screen only[/td] [td]The current main display will be disabled. All other connected displays will remain enabled with the second screen used as your new main display.[/td] [/tr] [/table]

*tip By default, you can press the Windows + P keys to open the Display Switch flyout.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Download a "Display Switch" Shortcut
• Option Two: To Manually Create a "Display Switch" Shortcut

EXAMPLE: Display Switch flyout in Windows 10








OPTION ONE To Download a "Display Switch" Shortcut
1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .zip file below.
Display_Switch_shortuct.zip

Download
2. Save the .zip file to your desktop.

3. Unblock the .zip file..

4. Open the .zip file, and extract (drag and drop) the shortcut to your desktop.

5. If you like, you can assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

6. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .zip file if you like.





OPTION TWO [/i] To Manually Create a "Display Switch" Shortcut
1. Right click or press and hold on an empty area on your desktop, and click/tap on New and Shortcut.

2. Copy and paste the location you want to use below into the location area, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow (Project flyout) %windir%\System32\DisplaySwitch.exe

*Arrow (PC screen only) %windir%\System32\DisplaySwitch.exe /internal

*Arrow (Duplicate) %windir%\System32\DisplaySwitch.exe /clone

*Arrow (Extend) %windir%\System32\DisplaySwitch.exe /extend

*Arrow (Second screen only) %windir%\System32\DisplaySwitch.exe /external




3. Type Display Switch for the name, and click/tap on the Finish button. (see screenshot below)

*note You could name this shortcut anything you would like though.



4. If you like, you can assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Change Presentation Mode to Project Display in Windows 10
• How to Set a Display as Main Display in Windows 10
• How to Connect to a Wireless Display with Miracast in Windows 10
• How to Create a Connect Wireless Display and Audio Devices shortcut in Windows 10
• How to Add a Project Display context menu in Windows 10

:)

 

windows 10 shortcuts in shared folder

I have not. The other computer, windows 7, is the bos' laptop and when he is in he's working on it, so I do not have any opportunity to do so. When I do have a window of time to try to fix this issue on his computer is when he has tried to access the files
and can not. Very limited time. I will try to check that out next time I have access.

"A" is a desktop running windows 10

"B" is a laptop running windows 7

I still do not understand why the shortcuts will work with the "A" machine and not with the "B" machine. However, when created with the "B" machine they do work????????

Again, remember the shared folder is on the "A" machine and the files that the shortcuts reference are on the "A" machine.

"B" machine has access!!!!

You can scroll down to the network in windows file explorer and open the network, select the "A" machine and the folders are listed. You can select a folder and the files are listed. You can select a file and open it. so why won't the shortcut in the shared
folder open the file????

The shared folder is on "A".

"B" makes a shortcut to the shared folder and places it on the "B" desktop.

When clicking on the "B" desktop shortcut to the shared folder on "A" the "A" shared folder opens on "B".

Click on any of the shortcuts in the shared folder that was created with "A" and nothing happens.

Using "B" find the file wanted on "A" and create a shortcut placing it in the shared folder on "A" then click it and

the file opens.

why would "B" be able to create and open a shortcut to file on A but not be able to open a shortcut created by A to the same file???

without shared access "B" could not create a shortcut on A to a file on A. So the share is working in that respect. The problem is with windows 10 created shortcuts on the windows 10 machine. the file is placed in the shared folder instead of making a shortcut
to it then the widows 7 can open it. I have displayed the properties of the shortcut with both windows 7 and windows 10 and target is blank when displayed on the windows 7 but not when displayed on the windows 10????? Same shortcut examined with both machines.

 

Windows 10 Version 1607: detect display (to correct screen resolution)

I finally found a single click workaround on
TenForums, using one of the DisplaySwitches:

• (PC screen only) %windir%\System32\DisplaySwitch.exe /internal
• (Duplicate) %windir%\System32\DisplaySwitch.exe /clone
• (Extend) %windir%\System32\DisplaySwitch.exe /extend
• (Second screen only) %windir%\System32\DisplaySwitch.exe /external

The DisplaySwitch also re-detects the display, so that's exactly what I want.

 

Hello DawgPop,

You could assign the CTRL+ALT+S keys to a shortcut in this tutorial if you like. *Smile

 

I get that part, what I don't understand is how to swap primary and secondary monitors. I only see modes internal, clone, extend, and external. What I want is to always be in extended mode, but just to swap my displays with one quick key. I don't want to only use one display, I always want to use two displays.

 

You could use the free version of DisplayFusion to toggle main displays.

Free vs Pro Binary Fortress Software

 

You can use quickkeys, but those guys know which features are important, to do what I want it is a pro only feature.
it would be a load next profile...

 

Old thread but, as DawgPoP i also am looking for a way to switch main from PC monitor to my LCD TV, without going into display settings, i use my 40 inch for watching movies, and my PC Monitor for gaming, now i have connected a hdmi switch to my PC Monitor and press another input, that makes the PC Monitor "off line" in windows 10 and my 40 inch becomes main, i tried using a fancy powered hdmi switch with rc but no go windows did not fall for that even when i switched output, so i found a old button hdmi switch from before most of you where born, and i just click "correction" i use what ever is in reach so i do not have to get up from my couch and just aim at the switch, *Biggrin lazy i know, i can't recommend throwing baseballs, footballs, or anything that bounces, *Biggrin just kidding get an extension cord i have a 10m ext hdmi cable so i can have the switch at my couch hehe.

But i would prefer a keyboard shortcut to make 1 Main 2 Secondary and vice versa, it must be possible to run a command that switches from A to B or B to A its so annoying having to right click desktop select display settings click screen 2 select make main. *Biggrin

 

Well i found another solution, i just had to enable snap, had it turned off so i could not understand why the window moving win+shift left/right did not work *Biggrin but after i enabled snap all is well, still would like to know the cmd for switching main, but for some reason i can't find any inf. ohh well for now ill have to do with the window moving , had hoped sysinternals desktop would have done the job but nope