Although you can connect a monitor to any of the available video ports on the graphics card, when setting up a dual-monitor or triple-monitor setup, it's easy to plug them in the wrong order. While they will still work, you may run into issues using the mouse and running applications until you rearrange them correctly.

To rearrange monitors on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on System.
  3. Click on Display.
  4. Under the "Select and rearrange displays" section, drag and drop each display to rearrange them according to their physical layout on your desktop.
  5. Click the Apply button.


Quick tip: When rearranging monitors in the Display settings page, make sure that all monitors align at the top perfectly. Otherwise, you'll have problems moving the mouse cursor between monitors from the corners.

Once you complete the steps, Windows 10 will understand the physical layout of the screens, and you'll be able to work across each display and run apps without issues.

If you're not sure which monitor, you're selecting, click the Identify button to figure out. If one of the monitors isn't showing up, make sure it's receiving power and connected correctly, and click the Detect button. In the case that you're still having problems, reset their connections (or restart your computer), and try the Detect button again.

Switching display modes with shortcut

In addition to using the Settings app, Windows 10 also allows you to switch display modes on the fly using the Project feature, which you can access using the Windows key + P keyboard shortcut.


Once you invoke the shortcut, a flyout will open with four options, including:

  • PC screen only — Only the primary display is used.
  • Duplicate — Secondary displays will mirror the primary monitor.
  • Extend — Both screens combine to offer an extended desktop.
  • Second screen only — Only the secondary displays are used.

Selecting correct orientation

Windows 10 also allows you to rotate the screen horizontally or vertically, which is particularly useful when you have monitors with stands that rotate, and you want to use them with a different orientation for reading or coding.

To change the orientation on a per-monitor basis, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on System.
  3. Click on Display.
  4. Under the "Select and rearrange displays" section, select the monitor that you want to adjust.
  5. Under the "Scale and layout" section, use the Orientation drop-down menu to select the mode you want:
  • Landscape
  • Portrait
  • Landscape (flipped).
  • Portrait (flipped).

Alternatively, you can also use the Ctrl + Alt + arrow keyboard shortcut to switch between the orientation modes in some supported devices. For example, using the Ctrl + Alt + Right arrow keyboard shortcut rotates the screen 90 degrees, and the Ctrl + Alt + Up arrow combo restores the normal orientation.