Urgent Laptop Help!!!

[Hillwhacker]

Ok so I’m an idiot! While trying to set up a second monitor for my wife’s work computer, I managed to turn off the display for both the laptop and the second screen! So now she has a working laptop but zero displays. Does anyone know to get the laptop display back, I hope else I may me be sleeping in the garage!

[Maddox]

Fn and F8 (or whatever the screen function is - look above number keys)

You may have also changed the input type on the monitor.

[Hillwhacker]

We we the f8 thing but don’t know what to do from there? I don’t see anything about a display setting there. We tried restore to last good settings and it went back to a black screen again. Trying the F8 again but so far no luck.

[Maddox]

Function Key (Fn) + F8

Post a picture of the keyboard on the laptop

[dbaio1]

Used this to setup my dual display setup at home when the Covid scam started. Good luck.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/set-up-dual-monitors-on-windows-10-3d5c15dc-cc63-d850-aeb6-b41778147554

[SmTx]

Have you unplugged the external monitor and rebooted? Computer may auto recognize normal screen

[alien_scones]

Try the window key + P

please excuse brevity and dictation errors.

[Hillwhacker]

Can’t even get function F8 to work now.

[Hillwhacker]

I’m back with the F8 screen! Now what?

[Maddox]

Don’t know, never seen that screen.

[Hillwhacker]

I tried BIOS setup but no bueno there. It’s back to a black screen again, ugh!

[Hillwhacker]

On the phone with Dell for the last hour and they can’t seem to fix it either!

[kyleseipp]

Hey Ed, hope you get it up and running soon (its muggy in the garage!).

couple of questions -
1) I am assuming this is a second screen (counting the laptop screen as the first)?
2) If yes to question 1, make sure your settings are for Extended; that will move files, icons, etc across screens as though they are one giant one.
3) have you unplugged the cable connecting the laptop to the monitor to make sure that your laptop is functioning still? If not, unplug it and turn in on separately. Then connect after the fact.


Microsoft Windows 10 provides multiple display style options on how the desktop screen is displayed across multiple monitors that are connected to the computer. In Windows 10, press the Windows key + P key to bring up the display style menu, and then select a display style that best suits your needs.

Personal computer Screen only - Use only display 1 and show nothing on display 2. The second monitor is ignored, and only the primary monitor is used.
Duplicate (also called Clone mode) - Show the entire desktop on both displays. The second or other monitors mirror the primary monitor.
Extend - Stretch the desktop across the two displays. The desktop screen of the computer is extended across all the detected monitors.
Second Screen only - Use only display 2 and show nothing on display 1. The primary monitor is disabled, and only the second monitor is used.

[Hillwhacker]

Hey Kyle, it’s worse than that. I was trying to hook up a second monitor and had already disabled the laptop monitor in advanced settings. Somehow I then turned off the second monitor so the laptop screen and the second monitor are both turned off.

[TxTyler]

Can you restart your laptop in safe mode? Then you might be able to get in to your display settings and set up your displays.