monitor

I suppose this is not very Vista related but I am running Windows Vista on a
laptop. I have a 20" monitor sitting here that I used on the desktop which
I sold. Is there anyway a separate monitor can be plugged into my laptop.
I prefer this 20" monitor. The connection at the end of the monitor does
not seem to fit in any slots on the laptop. Any help is appreciated.

"Karen F" <> wrote:

>I suppose this is not very Vista related but I am running Windows Vista on a
>laptop. I have a 20" monitor sitting here that I used on the desktop which
>I sold. Is there anyway a separate monitor can be plugged into my laptop.
>I prefer this 20" monitor. The connection at the end of the monitor does
>not seem to fit in any slots on the laptop. Any help is appreciated.

Most laptops have a VGA connection that you can connect to a projector
or external monitor. If your monitor has only a DVI connection, that's
not going to help you very much (VGA to DVI converters exist, but are
quite expensive).

You need to (1) figure out what that connector on your monitor is, (2)
look in your laptop's user's manual (mine is a PDF file on the
desktop) and see what the laptop can handle and what you need to do to
activate it.

--
Tim Slattery

http://members.cox.net/slatteryt

On 10/05/2010 14:13, Karen F wrote:
> I suppose this is not very Vista related but I am running Windows Vista
> on a laptop. I have a 20" monitor sitting here that I used on the
> desktop which I sold. Is there anyway a separate monitor can be plugged
> into my laptop. I prefer this 20" monitor. The connection at the end of
> the monitor does not seem to fit in any slots on the laptop. Any help is
> appreciated.
>
>
Most laptops have a VGA out connector (blue 15 pins). Not all do.

The monitor most likely has a DVI input (white rectangular connector
with three rows of pins and a/some flat pin/pins).


Now things get a little complicated...

1. The monitor MAY also have a VGA input connector - If so use a VGA -
VGA cable.

2. The monitor MAY accept VGA via the DVI connector (DVI-A) - Is so use
a VGA to DVI adaptor at the laptop end.

3. The monitor MAY only do DVI-D. If so it will not accept a VGA input.

4. Your laptop MAY have another output - HDMI or Display Port. Is so
this can connect to DVI-D via an adapter.

5. If the laptop is (only) VGA and the monitor is (only) DVI-D then it
will not work.


This image shows a VGA connector and a DVI-A connector

http://www.jdr.com/interact/..%5Cima...bl-dvi-vga.jpg

Guy

Thanks. The monitor is connected to the laptop. It is a VGA connector.



"Bigguy" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On 10/05/2010 14:13, Karen F wrote:
>> I suppose this is not very Vista related but I am running Windows Vista
>> on a laptop. I have a 20" monitor sitting here that I used on the
>> desktop which I sold. Is there anyway a separate monitor can be plugged
>> into my laptop. I prefer this 20" monitor. The connection at the end of
>> the monitor does not seem to fit in any slots on the laptop. Any help is
>> appreciated.
>>
>>
> Most laptops have a VGA out connector (blue 15 pins). Not all do.
>
> The monitor most likely has a DVI input (white rectangular connector with
> three rows of pins and a/some flat pin/pins).
>
>
> Now things get a little complicated...
>
> 1. The monitor MAY also have a VGA input connector - If so use a VGA - VGA
> cable.
>
> 2. The monitor MAY accept VGA via the DVI connector (DVI-A) - Is so use a
> VGA to DVI adaptor at the laptop end.
>
> 3. The monitor MAY only do DVI-D. If so it will not accept a VGA input.
>
> 4. Your laptop MAY have another output - HDMI or Display Port. Is so this
> can connect to DVI-D via an adapter.
>
> 5. If the laptop is (only) VGA and the monitor is (only) DVI-D then it
> will not work.
>
>
> This image shows a VGA connector and a DVI-A connector
>
> http://www.jdr.com/interact/..%5Cima...bl-dvi-vga.jpg
>
> Guy