What Does Extended Desktop Mean?

Your Windows 10 computer supports different display settings. There are various display modes that you can enable depending on your needs. If you want more screen real estate, extend your desktop.

Extended Desktop Definition

The Extended Desktop mode means that all your monitors behave as one big screen. Each monitor displays a different section of the general display image. In other words, each monitor displays different things.

How to Switch Between Different Display Modes

You can press the Windows key and the P key on your keyboard to quickly move to the next display mode.

Or you can navigate to Display Settings, click on Multiple Displays and then select Extend these displays.

How to Set Up Extended Desktop Mode

After you enabled the Extended Desktop mode, you may need to re-arrange your displays. If you’re not using the right monitor order, your mouse won’t move properly accross all your displays.

In other words, if the automatic display arrangement doesn’t reflect the physical placement of your monitors, your mouse won’t work properly.

1. Go to Display Settings.
2. Under Customize your display, you already have the logical arrangement made by Windows 10. Each monitor has a number.
3. Click on Identify to check again how Windows detects your monitors.
4. Now, drag and drop the display boxes to match your monitor physical order.
5. Hit Apply and Keep the changes.

Windows 10 Won’t Detect Multiple Monitors

If Windows 10 fails to detect all your monitors, click on Detect to try to connect to them again. This often happens if you’re using older monitors.

If your computer still won’t detect all your monitors, update your graphics driver. Launch the Device Manager, select Display Adapters, right-click on your graphics driver, and select Update driver.

⇒ Learn More About Extended Desktop Mode:

• In Extended Desktop mode, each monitor has its won resolution, color depth, and refresh rates settings.
• You can connect as many monitors as your computer has compatible connection ports. Use a docking station if you need to connect more monitors that you have ports.
• You can use Extended desktop mode to expand the colums of your Excel spreadsheet across multiple monitors. In this manner, you’ll be able to see all the columns in one go. Work is so much easier with more screen real estate.
• If you’re in a video meeting, place the video on one screen while keeping the chat window open on the second monitor. You can continue to chat with your colleagues without interrupting the speaker.
• If you’re delivering a presentation, enable Extended Desktop to share one monitor with your audience while keeping your notes hidden on the second monitor. You’ll never run out of words and you’ll be able to follow a logical order of ideas.
• You can connect multiple monitors to your laptop. Use a docking station to expand the number of connection ports.