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Two monitors, each connected to 1 laptop. (In this scenario, I have only two laptops.

Can I designate a PC as a primary- controller; where my mouse and keyboard are connected and can utilize extra laptop and external monitor.

“Control” isn’t the best way to look at it. I want to use one keyboard and mouse to use the display capabilities, and processing power if possible, from one laptop.

All feedback is appreciated.

Thank you, PJC

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  • FYI- Two monitors, each connected to 1 laptop. (In this scenario, I have only two laptops for a total of four monitors. Dec 10, 2020 at 7:39
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    Dec 16, 2020 at 7:32

1 Answer 1

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It is possible to control the laptops from another computer remotely, but its not possible to have the software that runs on the main pc be transferred to the laptops automatically. So any software you want to control and display on the 2 monitors will have to be installed on the laptops. Also, the laptops will not share this resource either.

So if you want to use the same program on all 4 monitors, you will have to install the program on both laptops, and the laptops will not be able to share the status of the program between each other.

The exception here is if a program is specifically build to perform this task. For example a render farm. You install a program on all laptops, and run it, and from your main pc, it connects over the network to the laptops to outsource some of the workload to those machines.

In order to accomplish this, there is plenty of software available that'll do what you want. You can use a solution such as teamviewer to connect to the laptop and control it in a window on your main computer but still see it on the 2 monitors, but there is also more seamless programs such as synergy, multiplicity, etc.. (they tend to cost money though), which will actually allow you to move the mouse off-screen and it will then show the mouse on the other monitors. This kind of program does allow to share clipboard memory, but you cannot drag a window to another monitor and make it magically appear there.

The limitations as stated at the start of this answer will still apply. You are only streamlining the control aspect of it. Do note, the more elegant solutions are not free.

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  • fantastic answer. Thank you! Could you give me two or three examples of software to do this ( in addition to teamviewer”? Dec 10, 2020 at 9:03
  • Anydesk, vnc, splashtop, synergy, multiplicity
    – LPChip
    Dec 10, 2020 at 9:04

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