New to Windows. Setting up 2nd Monitor

Hello Windows world

I have my first Windows laptop after using Mac for 20 years and so far so good.

I am running Windows 8 on a Samsung 350V5C laptop 6GB RAM.

I'm struggling connecting to a second monitor, the problem being my laptop connects OK VGA to VGA but doesn't stay connected. After 5 seconds i get the disconnected 'beep beep' then it immediately reconnects and again after 5 seconds disconnects again. I did get it to stay connected the other day so i know it works but is was pure luck and just trial and error, however, when i went to connect again i got the same problem, also when it did stay connected i just got 'duplicate screen' when i just want 'Second Monitor Only'.

Here's what i did: Control Panel > Hardware & Sound > Display > Project to a second screen, then i have tried all 4 options PC only/Extend/Duplicate/Second only and i get the disconnect then reconnect every 5 seconds again.

Very frustrating. Do i have to change any other settings, either on monitor or laptop? Please can anyone advise?

Kind regards
RiffRaff

PS I'm going to post in the anti-virus section for advice now as i know i need to protect a Windows computer. If anyone can help on that topic over there. Many thanks.

Pressing the Windows key and the P key will shortcut you to the extend, duplicate, etc menu. It sounds like a bad connection or faulty cable or monitor. Does that monitor work OK on another PC? Is the video cable firmly plugged in at both ends?

Hi, thanks for the reply.

Yeah it's weird. I've found that if i have the laptop on the floor and connect to the monitor it works and doesn't disconnect. If i have it on a shelf above the monitor it disconnects and reconnects every 5 seconds which leads me to believe its as you say something to do with the cable so I've ordered another one.

In general I think the Windows world is pretty easy to get used to and as I've never used any other Windows operating system there's nothing to confuse me as it's all new. Just a bit paranoid about viruses but with backing up, safe browsing along with AVG installed I should be OK. Also my new laptop which was £500 cheaper than a Mac Book Pro does pretty much the same tasks i need to do, but that's a discussion for another forum Reading some of the forums on OS X v Windows you'd think it was on par with the Palestinian Israeli conflict. Chill guys!

Peace
RR

It could be circuit board flex in your laptop (possibly due to the weight of the cable applying pressure on the connector).

My friend's laptop loses power, if he lifts it with one hand holding on the left side.

Well, hopefully the new cable works out for you.

RiffRaff said:

Hi, thanks for the reply.

Yeah it's weird. I've found that if i have the laptop on the floor and connect to the monitor it works and doesn't disconnect. If i have it on a shelf above the monitor it disconnects and reconnects every 5 seconds which leads me to believe its as you say something to do with the cable so I've ordered another one.

In general I think the Windows world is pretty easy to get used to and as I've never used any other Windows operating system there's nothing to confuse me as it's all new. Just a bit paranoid about viruses but with backing up, safe browsing along with AVG installed I should be OK. Also my new laptop which was £500 cheaper than a Mac Book Pro does pretty much the same tasks i need to do, but that's a discussion for another forum Reading some of the forums on OS X v Windows you'd think it was on par with the Palestinian Israeli conflict. Chill guys!

Peace
RR

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This seems like a hardware problem. Hopefully it's the cable as that's cheap. If it's your connector or your motherboard, that'll be a problem because those are expensive to fix.

I'd rather stick to Security Essentials/Windows Defender that comes with Windows 8 rather than install AVG. I used to be a big AVG fan but when a virus swept through my campus (and I regularly scan my system), AVG failed to recognize the virus on my system. The only third-party antivirus I like is Kaspersky. However, Kaspersky is not cheap. In terms of the free antivirus, I like Security Essentials and Avast. AVG is way down on my list.