Laptop as HTPC...How do I get my Monitor to stay on when I close the Lid of my Laptop???

[masmdu]

Power setting are set to "do nothing" when the lid is closed. But the screen on my laptop goes blank/black when I close the lid and then the monitor I have connected to the laptop via HDMI also goes blank.

How do I set it so that I can close the lid on my laptop/htpc and STILL have the screen display on my connected monitor?

THANKS!

[petronius]

1. I'm just guessing, but on the display options can you change the other

screen to be the "primary monitor"?

[blogslut]

2. nevermind

ignore me. i'm an idiot

[MadMaddie]

3. You can have dual Monitors

I use dual monitors at work. It's great!

[frylock]

4. depends on your laptop..

with most laptops, you can cycle through the display modes by hitting the Function (Fn) and F5 keys. On the Lenovos it's Fn+F7. You should also be able to configure your display settings in the app associated with your display adapter. You can clone the display or just opt for an external display.

[Trekologer]

5. Check your Power Options in Control Panel

Presumably, you are using a variant of Windows. The Power Options in Control Panel should have what you are looking for. You want to have it never turn off monitor, system standby, and system hibernate when plugged in and possibly running on batteries.

[masmdu]

8. Yes. Windows7...I already have it set as you suggest yet still the attached Monitor goes blank when

the lid of the laptop is closed. ?????

[Paulie]

6. It's not the screen but it's sleep mode

You're trying to do clamshell mode. You didn't say Mac OS or Win or Linux, but there should be a setting specifically about what happens when you close the in the power options.

[masmdu]

9. sorry...win7...yes the setting is set to 'do nothing' when lid is closed...as well as never sleep or

hybernate. ??????????

[5X]

7. Most modern laptops have a magnetic switch

activated by closing the lid. There is usually a strong magnet
under the bezel that surrounds the LCD. If you remove that magnet, it won't
activate the switch.

[masmdu]

10. Seriously? Remove the magnet? Isn't there a setting I can change?

[5X]

15. Yes.

Remove the magnet, the switch is bypassing any settings you make
from the keyboard. Trust me, I work on these things all day long.

[Hawkeye-X]

11. Does your laptop have those pictures on the top of the function keys

and one of them looks like a dual monitor? That's the key you want. Hit Function and that key.

That should help your monitor stay on.

[masmdu]

12. Yes I can do that so that monitor is on and Laptop screen is off...But when I CLOSE the laptop the

monitor goes blank. ??????????/

[Old and In the Way]

13. Might want to repost in the computer forum.

I'm interested in finding a solution to this as well. The Computer Help and Support group has a lot of helpful posters who monitor that forum, but may miss this because stuff rapidly sinks in GD.

[demwing]

14. Whats the manufacturer and model of the computer?

And are you running Win 7?