Let’s see how to configure the position and orientation of two monitors connected to the same PC, especially if we have a different location
When we connect a second monitor to the PC, the standard configuration requires it to be positioned to the right of the main monitor: in this way, when we use the extend mode of the desktop, it will be enough to move the mouse beyond the right edge of the desktop to be able to control what happens on the second monitor.
However, not all monitors are positioned to the right of the main screen: in many offices we also find two monitors on top of each other and gods monitors positioned verticallynext to the main screen (located both on the right and on the left).
In these scenarios move the mouse to the right edge (to switch to second screen) it could be unnaturalespecially if the second monitor is positioned above or to the left of the main screen, without forgetting the loss of aspect ratio if we use vertical monitors.
In the following guide we will show you how to configure the position and orientation of the second monitor connected to the PCso that we can reach the new screen by moving to the edge of the screen closest to it, and also keep the aspect ratio for screens positioned vertically.
READ ALSO -> How to connect two monitors to PC
1) Change the position of the second monitor
If we have positioned the second monitor above or to the left of the main screen we can change the “access border” to extended mode on Windows by pressing WIN+P on the keyboard, by selecting extended from the list and, as soon as the second monitor is active, move the mouse over it, right-click on the extended desktop and select the item Screen settings.
In the new window we can change the position of the monitor by holding down the left mouse button on the second monitor (always indicated by the number 2) and dragging it to the preferred position; we can position the secondary screen above the first one, to the left of it or obliquely, based on the actual physical positioning of the monitor.
On releasing the left mouse button the access border of the extended screen will change: if we have positioned the second monitor above the first we will have to move the mouse over the upper edge to use the extended screen, while if we have positioned the screen on the left we will have to use the left edge.
2) Change orientation of the second monitor
Did we position the second monitor vertically? In this case, in addition to changing the positioning (as seen in the first chapter), you should also change the orientation of the second monitorsince there are few models capable of automatic switching (advanced monitors equipped with a gyroscope).
To manually change the orientation of the screen, right-click on an empty spot on the desktop, click on Screen settingswe press on the screen identified as number 2scroll down the page and change the option Screen orientationby opening the drop-down menu next to the item and choosing the item Vertical.
If the second monitor is positioned upside down (by mistake or because we are able to better manage the length of the cables) we can still use the monitor in the right orientation by choosing the item Vertical (upside down).
3) Tips for proper management of the two monitors
Now that we have corrected the position and orientation of the second monitor connected to the PC, we will show you some valid tips to take full advantage of the dual monitor configuration, using the options seen in the path Settings -> System -> Screen:
- Resolution: to avoid that the windows become disproportionate (when we switch from one monitor to another) we use the same resolution for both screens. If one monitor has a lower maximum resolution than the other we use the maximum resolution expected from the older monitoradapting the new monitor (which will therefore have a lower resolution than the native one).
- Refresh rate: the refresh rate should also be adapted to both screens, even if it is not a strict rule to be respected. In fact, it is not uncommon for the second monitor to support a higher refresh rate (especially if we connect monitor a 144 Hz); in this case we can use the “faster” monitor to play or watch movies, leaving the “slower” monitor to work.
- Scaling: in most cases it is preferable to leave the setting recommended by the system, changing it only if we notice a discrepancy between the size of the windows and text between the first monitor and the second.
- Application bar: by opening the settings of the Windows taskbar we can choose whether to hide the bar on the second monitor (often redundant) or whether to keep the bar on both screens (for those who prefer to manage the two monitors as if they were two distinct entities).
- Identify screen: if we can’t figure out which screen we’re using, just press the key Identifies to show a window with the numbers assigned to the monitors.
- Main screen: at any time we can change the main screen by pressing on the secondary screen and activating the check mark on the item Set as main screenthereby exchanging assigned numbers between monitors.
Other valid tricks to use two monitors on the PC can be viewed in our guide to dual screen settings in windows 10 and 11 to use two monitors.
Conclusions
Those who work a lot on the PC almost always use two monitors, but they are not always positioned next to each other; Luckily Windows allows you to change the position of the second screenso as to use the right border to switch between screens (in extend mode) and switch too the orientation (when we use monitors vertically).
If we have not yet chosen our second monitor to connect to the PC or notebook we can read our guides on how to choose the new monitor come on which type of monitor to choose for the PC.
If we have difficulty choosing or connecting the cables for the second monitor, we can learn more by reading the guides on How to connect a monitor to a laptop come on which video cable to use for your pc.