Is it possible?

katiepwr

Hi lads,

First off i dont know much about comps or laptops so please be patient. I use my laptop pretty much every night, the most i would use it for would Ms Word just for typing for college.
My boyfriend got some films recently and because our tv is not working he want to watch em on the laptop.
I have a monitor which i use with the laptop, i am just wondering if it is possible i cud still type on my laptop while he watchs his shows on the external screen n if so how??

Thanks in advance

Kate

Tom Dunne

Firstly, we need some basic information on your laptop.

What make/model is it? Does it have a tv-out connector on it?

katiepwr

laptop is a compaq presario 2000

Tom Dunne

tom dunne wrote:

Does it have a tv-out connector on it?

katiepwr

tbh i dont know, it is a new enuf laptop

Tom Dunne

Don't mind me, I'm asleep. Tv-out is no good if your tv is broken, now is it.:)

To answer your question, it should be possible. On most laptops there is a key combination that cycles through the screens. On mine it is Fn-F4, that means I hold down the Fn button while pressing the F4 button. Each time I press it, the screen changes from the laptop LCD screen, to the external screen, or a combination of both.

You will have to find this key combination for your laptop. There is another way of doing it, by right-clicking on the desktop, but TBH, this method is easier.

katiepwr

ok i dont think it has a tv out connector

katiepwr

ok dat sounds good tom, so if i find out the key, how exactly should i set it up so dat he can watch films and i can type away without having any effect on the external monitor??

underpants

If your laptop is new enough then it should support dualview.
just follow these instructions....

1. Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties.

2. In the DisplayProperties dialog box, click the Settings tab.

3. Click the Display list and select your external monitor. If you do not see multiple monitors listed, your computer hardware may not support Dualview.

4. Select the Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor option. Click Apply or OK.


If this works, then you can imagine the laptop screen and monitor as one big screen and the laptop is the left side of the screen and the monitor is the right. Then just open the app you use to play the dvd and move it across to the right of the screen and onto the monitor. Then you can continue to try do your college work while your boyfriend trys distract you with the film he's watching

katiepwr

thanks everyone, my laptop is at home so i will try that when i get home later, i remember trying something with the display settings and seeing monitor 1 and 2 so hopefully it will work out for me