Using tv as second monitor.

[Keith St Clair]

When I plug my tv into the hdmi port it just duplicates my laptop. If I switch it to extended all my task bar videos pointer etc is on my tv and my laptop becomes a useless picture of my desktop sans anything usable... Nothing changes this.

 

[ThatVietGuy]

Did you try changing which screen is the primary display in the screen resolution menu?

 

[Keith St Clair]

Yes I did, unfortunately that just switched the problem. Icons tabs cursor back on my laptop but only my background picture displayed on my tv. All I'm really looking to do is watch full screen video on my tv but still have desktop functionality.

 

[ThatVietGuy]

Well, that's called EXTENDED mode. If you want the same thing on both screens you need CLONE/DUPLICATE mode.

In extended mode you can still use the other screen by dragging over whatever you want to the second screen.

 

[tyflikw]

Yes I did, unfortunately that just switched the problem. Icons tabs cursor back on my laptop but only my background picture displayed on my tv. All I'm really looking to do is watch full screen video on my tv but still have desktop functionality.

If I'm understanding you correctly, you should be able to drag your video window (browser, windows media player, vlc, etc) from one screen to the other. With the laptop set as primary, you can drag your video to the tv screen and use your laptop at the same time.

 

[Keith St Clair]

Yes in theory that all seems right, but it just does not work that way. Nothing can be dragged moved or adjusted excepting within the confines of one screen, the other as stated is just a pretty picture. No cursor or any way of interacting with it...

 

[Keith St Clair]

I broke down and clean sweep rebooted my system running all updates, whatever was not working is working now thanks for confirming I was not crazy in what I was trying to do...