Add a second monitor to your PC

The next step is to turn on both monitors and boot the PC. Depending on your PC's configuration, you may see activity on both screens during start-up. When the Windows desktop appears, right-click in any empty space to open the Display Properties dialog box, then select the Settings tab. You should see two blue rectangles, labeled "1" and "2," with a dotted border surrounding the latter, indicating the second monitor is still not active. Move your mouse over the monitor 2 rectangle, and a Not Active tool tip should appear. Right-click and check the Attached option to activate the secondary monitor.

Now set the resolution and color quality as desired and check the box labeled "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor." Then drag the monitor 2 rectangle so that the positions of the two rectangles in the dialog box match the physical positions of the two monitors. You can place monitor 2 above, below, or on either side of monitor 1, and with the virtual and physical positions in agreement, you can drag the mouse from one monitor to the other, just as if the two monitors were one large screen.

Before you quit the Display Properties dialog box, click the Identify button to display a large number on each monitor, which should agree with the number placement seen in the dialog box.