Windows 10: Windows 11 determine what is displayed on second screen

I am running Windows 11 with two screens connected. One of the screens is connected through a KVM switch.As soon as I switch the KVM switch to one of the other connected computers, the "second" display on the desktop becomes the "first" display. That's ok...At times, I want to start a video on my desktop and then continue to work on my laptop. How can I determine what will be displayed on the screen still connected to the desktop? Currently it feels like Russian roulette. I never can tell upfront what is displayed on the screen still connected to the desktop.

:)

 

Plugging in second screen makes built-in display + second screen go blank

Hi,



Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Community.



Please share these details.

1) Are you connecting the second monitor through the VGA or the HDMI port?

2) What is the make and model of the second monitor?



This issue could be caused due to some incorrect settings or due to an incompatible driver. I would suggest you to try these steps and check:



First, I would suggest you to check if you have configured the second screen correctly. It depends on which settings you have selected for the second monitor. You can extend, duplicate or choose only the second screen to be ON. If you have selected only the
second screen to be ON and if the second screen is not compatible, then both the screen might appear black. Refer to this article to check if you have configured the second screen correctly:



Windows help & learning - Microsoft Support



I would suggest you to uninstall and reinstall the graphic card driver from the manufacturer website and check, if it works. Refer to the following steps to uninstall the graphic card driver from the Device Manager.

a. Click on Windows key + X and then, select Device Manager.

b. Locate and expand “Display Adaptor” in the Device Manager Window.

c. Right-click on the “Display Adaptor” and click on “uninstall" the graphic card driver.

d. Restart the computer and check, if it works.

Hope this answers your query. You can write back to us for further queries/issues related to windows and we will be glad to assist you further.

 

Returning Windows to Second Screen

Hello Kate,

Let's try to isolate the issue and see what is preventing you from using Windows to second screen. Kindly provide us the following information:

• When you turned on your computer, does it give you an extended display for both monitor screen and your laptop?
• Is your monitor screen already connected to your laptop before turning it on?
• What cable are you using to connect your second monitor to your laptop?
  
• What troubleshooting steps have you tried?

 

screen display

Hi William,

It is important that you have the correct screen display and resolution. We suggest that you perform the following steps to reset the monitor settings:

• Boot your computer in
  safe mode.
• Once in safe mode, right-click the desktop > Screen Resolution.
• Change the display settings back to the original configuration.
• Restart your computer.

Feel free to update us on the result.