How To Switch Primary Monitor Windows 7

Download Commodity

Are you running into trouble with your Windows dual-monitor setup? Some video conferencing and screen-sharing software prioritizes monitor numbers over your brandish settings, which can lead to accidentally sharing the incorrect screen. While you can set either monitor as your primary brandish, y'all cannot switch the "1" and "2" labels without making a registry alter. We'll walk y'all through modifying the Windows registry to change the monitor numbering on your PC.

1
Correct-click any blank space on your desktop. Right-click any part of your primary desktop that doesn't take any apps, programs, or icons. This will brandish a menu.
- Use this method if y'all're using two monitors and want to rearrange them and set the secondary monitor as your primary brandish.
2

Click Display settings . Information technology'due south towards the bottom of the right-click carte du jour, next to the icon of a monitor.

Advertisement
3
Click and drag your displays into the desired gild. Each of your monitors is represented by a number in this window. Yous'll usually want your displays arranged to replicate how yous have your monitors positioned. For example, if display 1 is your laptop screen and your external monitor, display 2, is positioned on your desk to the left of your laptop, you lot'd want to drag display 2 to the left of display one.^[ane]
- If you're not sure which brandish is which, click one of the displays, and and then click the Place button. This makes a "1" or "2" appear at the lesser-left corner of each monitor.
- If you make any changes, click Employ to save them.
4

Click the monitor you want to set every bit your primary display. This selects the monitor.
5
Scroll down and click the checkbox adjacent to "Make this my master display" . It's just below the "Multiple displays" menu.^[2]
- If the checkbox is already checked, this monitor is already your main display.
- To modify the chief display to a dissimilar monitor, click that monitor at the top, and then bank check the box next to "Make this my main display" once selected.
6

Click Employ . This is the below the checkbox. This will employ the new display settings and bandy the monitors.

Advertisement

1
Disconnect all monitors except the principal monitor. To swap the monitor numbers on your Windows PC, you'll need to modify which port each monitor is connected to. Notwithstanding, just plugging each monitor into a unlike port isn't enough—you'll accept to remove the registry keys that recollect the monitor numbers and so Windows tin properly discover the new monitor order.^[3] Earlier opening the editor, unplug all monitors that aren't the i that'south current prepare every bit the master monitor.
- For example, if you're using a laptop plugged in to a docking station, just use your laptop monitor and unplug your external monitor(southward).
ii

Open up the Registry Editor. To open up the Registry Editor, type regedit into the Windows search bar, and and then click Registry Editor in the search results.
3
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Organisation\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers. An easy way to practice this is to copy that address, paste it into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor, and so press Enter. Another pick is to navigate there using these steps:
- Double-click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in the left console.
- Double-click the System binder below that.
- Double-click the CurrentControlSet folder beneath that.
- Double-click the Control folder below that.
- Double-click the GraphicsDrivers folder beneath that.
4
Rename the "Configuration" central to Configuration.old. The thought is to delete this key, but renaming it can help you restore it in instance anything goes wrong. Hither'due south how:
- Right-click the "Configuration" folder in the left console.
- Click Rename.
- Type Configuration.old.
- Printing Enter.
- If anything goes wrong later (it shouldn't), you tin ever render here and rename the new "Configuration.former" folder to "Configuration" to restore your previous settings.
5
Rename the "Connectivity" cardinal to Connectivity.old. Here's how:
- Right-click the Connectivity folder in the left panel.
- Click Rename.
- Type Connectivity.old.
- Printing Enter.
- Equally with the final step, if annihilation goes incorrect with your settings, you lot tin return here and rename the new "Connectivity.old" folder to "Connectivity" to restore your settings.
half-dozen

Shut down your PC. Don't restart it—yous'll actually want to shut it down. To do this, just click the Windows Start card, click the Ability icon at the bottom-left, and then select Close downwards. Go on to the next stride once your computer is close downwardly.
7
Connect only the monitor that you desire to prepare as Monitor 1. It'southward important that this monitor exist connected to the primary video port on your PC. If you have a multiple-port video carte du jour, plug it into the showtime port. If you accept a monitor port built in to your motherboard, that one is commonly the chief port (Monitor ane).^[4]
- If you lot're using a laptop, the built-in monitor volition always exist Monitor 1.
- If you have multiple video cards, there's no surefire way to know which is the primary other than but trying the reverse order.
- Do not plug in your 2nd monitor yet.
viii

Power on your PC. Press the power button on your laptop or desktop tower to exercise so. If your monitor is turned off, turn that back on as well.
9

Right-click the desktop and select Display settings . This opens the Display settings window.
10
Plug in the 2d monitor. Windows will automatically discover the monitor and install any necessary drivers. Once the monitor is detected, you should see two monitors under "Multiple displays" in the correct panel. The monitor labeled "Monitor 1" is the 1 that'southward at present plugged in to the primary port. The one labeled "Monitor ii" is now the second monitor that you lot just plugged in. If you lot connect a third monitor, it will be detected every bit Monitor 3, and and then on.
- If y'all don't meet the second (and/or third) monitor in the Display Settings window, click the Notice button under "Multiple displays" to detect it now.
- Windows has automatically recreated the registry entries y'all renamed earlier, so there's no need to return to the registry.
Advertisement

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email accost to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

About This Article

Article Summary X

1. Correct-click the desktop.
two. Click Display Settings.
3. Click the monitor you want to ready as primary.
4. Cheque "Brand this my main display".
5. Click Apply.

Did this summary help yous?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 551,683 times.