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The hinge on my laptop is broken, and I’ve been using an external display as the primary monitor, with an external keyboard and mouse. The laptop display still works, except I can only (force) open the lid a few inches. This is OK if I use Windows, as the external display turns on automatically while the OS boots. However, I would like to be able to use the external display before and OS boots, for reasons like going into BIOS or choosing boot options (I am planning to install Linux).

The laptop is an HP Envy, Dell external display, Nvidia video card. I use an HDMI cable for the monitor connection.

All the tricks I know involve being logged on to Windows (setting the closed lid power options, setting the external monitor as the primary display). Also, I believe there is a way to uninstall the internal display using Device Manager, but I would like to avoid that as I’m not completely sure how that works...

Is there any way of using the external display as a primary, while not completely disabling the internal display?

Thank you.

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  • How about getting it to display the same thing on both? That is what normally happens when I plug in an external monitor.
    – cup
    Jan 1, 2021 at 5:50
  • With the lid closed the video output goes only to the external monitor (the laptop display turns off). But this works only when you're logged on an OS anyway.
    – Valy
    Jan 1, 2021 at 14:55
  • There are 3 settings: laptop only, monitor only or both. Could you set it to both using F4.
    – cup
    Jan 1, 2021 at 17:47
  • On the Windows version I have (Windows 10 Home x64) those options don't exist. There is only Duplicate/Extend Display, or Show on Display 1 Only, Show on Display 2 Only. I have it set on Duplicate Displays (or Both, as you also suggested), but as soon as I log out of Windows, the external monitor no longer displays anything.
    – Valy
    Jan 1, 2021 at 20:22
  • @cup the desktop setting is accessed via Windows+P, not F4. It may be available in the function key row but the position depends on the manufacturer. It's also not any function keys like F4 but Fn+Fx (or without Fn if you set the Function keys to be secondary)
    – phuclv
    Jan 2, 2021 at 11:54

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