Switching off one and switching on the other
By abhi_bangal
@abhi_bangal (3686)
India
January 9, 2013 11:19pm CST
My family purchased a Samsung LCD TV last week. I bought a HDMI cable for it so that I could connect my laptop with my TV. I tried and it worked. So, I can view the TV screen as my laptop screen. It was a very thrilling experience for me. But later I came to know that if I keep the laptop screen on, only then I can view the same on my TV screen. Isn't there any way to only shut the laptop screen down and still use the TV screen for viewing? I really need an answer to this one, because, I don't want to use two screens at the same time.
4 responses
@akp100 (13640)
• India
10 Jan 13
Hi Abhi
I don't know more about hdmi thing as I never used it so far. But yes I have heard about it as one of my friend has used it in the past.
I guess what he was doing is that he has some button on his laptop directly. Like pressing function key and some other key. I have just checked mine and by pressing f4 key after function key it is showing some LCD screen option for output its screen on TV. So there should be some option in your laptop directly. 
I don't know more about hdmi thing as I never used it so far. But yes I have heard about it as one of my friend has used it in the past.
I guess what he was doing is that he has some button on his laptop directly. Like pressing function key and some other key. I have just checked mine and by pressing f4 key after function key it is showing some LCD screen option for output its screen on TV. So there should be some option in your laptop directly. @abhi_bangal (3686)
• India
10 Jan 13
Anand,
words like HDMI, VGA, etc. have nothing to do with my daily life either. It is just the option of viewing the laptop screen on the TV screen that has prompted me to get some solutions to my problems, that's all. When I used the key combo of function key along with the F4 key, it sent the laptop into standby mode. I tried other alternatives. The screen fluctuated at the Function+F11/F12, I guess. But I didn't try it again.
@abhi_bangal (3686)
• India
10 Jan 13
Considering the fact that I have nothing to do with hardware, I too don't need to use such cables or wires at all. I only use my keyboard to connect it to my tab so that I can type my articles there when my wife uses my laptop. Apart from that, it is the only VGA cable that I have used until now.
Anyways, thanks for your help
@antverdovsky (138)
• United States
10 Jan 13
Depending on your laptop this might work for you. Press the Windows key (if you have a Mac, sorry I don't know) and the P key. A little thing will come up in the middle of the screen. Press Windows and P until "Projector only" is selected, then just let go off the keys. You can also go into the start menu if you're running windows 7 or earlier and type in "Displayswitch.exe" and it will do the same thing as Win+P.
@abhi_bangal (3686)
• India
10 Jan 13
It's actually my bad. I should have mentioned some important things like the laptop I use and more importantly the OS. Well, I have a Dell Vostro 1014 with Win XP license copy. So I should say sorry to you, because the instructions you gave will be of no use to me 
, though I have read it carefully and I have archived them in my memory
.
As I don't have a mac, I am turning to the next point. I didn't get one thing - Displayswitch.exe. Where did you ask me to type it? Can you please elaborate?
, though I have read it carefully and I have archived them in my memory.
As I don't have a mac, I am turning to the next point. I didn't get one thing - Displayswitch.exe. Where did you ask me to type it? Can you please elaborate?@antverdovsky (138)
• United States
10 Jan 13
I don't think Windows XP has display switch but if you want you can go to the start menu there should be something like run there and type in Displayswitch.exe. I don't know if that program is in XP though. Also you could go to the control panel and make the laptop only identify the TV as the primary monitor and switch it back when youre done. it will be in like display settings... im sorry i havent used XP in a while and this is all from my memory.l
@abhi_bangal (3686)
• India
12 Jan 13
I have been using Windows XP all these years - more than 3-4 years now and I have heard this feature - displayswitch.exe for the first time. I am sure, it doesn't exist in the Windows menu. I have never tried using it through the "Run" option. Well, how can I, I just heard of it. As far as making TV the primary monitor is concerned, I haven't still tried that, though I have heard of it. I just need to test it if it works or not. No need to say sorry for that. You actually know about XP more than me, I must admit
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
10 Jan 13
This would probably depend on the graphics card that you have in the laptop, if it supports running 2 screens then you should be able to configure screen 1 and screen 2 independently. If this option is not available then you will have to have the laptop screen displaying.
The HDMI is simply transferring the display on the laptop onto the television, so without this you will not have a display to transfer. If you find it distracting, then go to the Control Panel on the laptop and select the Power Options. There is an option to change what happens when the laptop lid is closed, which is set to shut down by default. If you change this to do nothing when the lid is closed, then you can close it and still see the display on the television without being distracted by the laptop display.
@abhi_bangal (3686)
• India
10 Jan 13
I am hearing this for the first time that such a query would require me to depend on the graphics card. I really don't know about that. Is there any way I can find that out? So, you say if that option isn't available, then I have no option but to keep both the screens on.
Actually when I submitted the discussion, I remembered that it was the VGA cable and not the HDMI cable. But is it called the HDMI cable too? I found the next option rather practical - the one you told about the Control Panel instructions. I will immediately try it out as soon as I finish my work here.
And yes, I will let you know if that's successful. Thanks
@jaiho2009 (39142)
• Philippines
10 Jan 13
If you are using the LCD for watching movies- then I can say it depends on the the movie format.
But if you are using the LCD for writing or viewing your writing sites or mylotting- then you can follow what other mylotters advice and suggestions above.
@abhi_bangal (3686)
• India
10 Jan 13
Well, until we bought the TV, nothing was decided as if the TV was bought only for watching TVs. It was just that we wanted a new TV as the old one was really a grand old piece. I just want to switch the laptop screen off and switch over to the TV screen, that's all. I primarily want to use the TV screen as the laptop screen and that's my primary concern. All other things are secondary and not important at all.
