4

Possible Duplicate:
Can I use my laptop as a second monitor for my desk computer?

Is it possible to connect my laptop's LCD screen to my desktop PC? If so does anyone know of a good tutorial for this?

I'd like to use my laptop's screen as a secondary monitor on my desktop PC. My laptop is dead and I was hoping to put it's screen to good use rather than throw it out. By dead I mean that it just won't boot at all. I believe that either the motherboard or the chip is fried and I don't have the $$$ or time to replace them.

4
  • 1
    Duplicity - superuser.com/questions/15254/…
    – MicTech
    Aug 17, 2009 at 19:40
  • Well, you did mention the laptop was not working. In that case it is not possible to get that laptop screen to work with any desktop. The only input that lcd takes is the laptop video connector. I have never even heard of anyone making an adapter for that.
    – Troggy
    Aug 17, 2009 at 20:40
  • If the laptop is DOA, it's still under warranty, I presume... unless it means something other than Dead On Arrival.
    – dbkk101
    Sep 1, 2009 at 17:57
  • Define please 'dead' in this instance. Won't power up? HD trashed? Can you get to the bios? Boot from floppy/CD/USB? If it can run code to some degree you might do something with it. Sep 8, 2009 at 13:27

3 Answers 3

8

My original comment was "Well, you did mention the laptop was not working. In that case it is not possible to get that laptop screen to work with any desktop. The only input that lcd takes is the laptop video connector. I have never even heard of anyone making an adapter for that."

There is no official way to make it work the way you want. My advice would be to sell the laptop for parts as there is a good chance someone will be looking for a replacement screen. Then you can use the money gained on the laptop to buy a second monitor. I know it is not what you want to hear, but that is the way technology goes sometimes.

7

No.

Or rather, not unless your laptop has some sort of video input, which is unlikely. Even then, the solution would still likely require the laptop to be running.

You could remote desktop into your PC though. This would show your PC's desktop on your Laptop's screen.

2
  • I want to be able to use my laptops monitor on my desktop pc as a second monitor. The laptop is dead so I want to do this without the need for the laptop itself.
    – Jared
    Aug 17, 2009 at 19:34
  • You'd have to disassemble the laptop, then find some sort of PCB to take VGA/DVI input and output to the manufacturer's proprietary LCD connector ($$$). If you add your laptop make and model to the original question someone may be able to provide a more specific answer. Good luck!
    – RJFalconer
    Aug 20, 2009 at 23:06
4

You may also want to try Maxivista, a program that runs on both computers and allows you to use your laptop as a 2nd monitor.

MaxiVista installs a virtual video driver onto your primary PC which fools Windows into thinking that an additional monitor is installed. The content of this virtual video card is compressed and transmitted to the secondary PC via any standard network connection and displayed by a small separate MaxiVista Viewer program.

In remote control control, MaxiVista transmits the x/y mouse cursor position, keyboard input and optionally the clipboard contents via the network connection.

2
  • Since the laptop in question is listed as 'dead', I'd bet this isn't going to work. Sep 8, 2009 at 13:26
  • Although I am not sure how to check times, I imagine I posted this before the OP added the "update".
    – RJFalconer
    Sep 8, 2009 at 21:44

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .