# Laptop - how to boot to external display? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-how-to-boot-to-external-display/474284 "2008-11-24T17:59:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-how-to-boot-to-external-display/474284/1 "2008-11-24T17:59:20Z")
I have an old laptop which I want to use with an external monitor as the default display. It’s a Dell Inspiron 5160 and I’m using the normal VGA output for the monitor. The laptop is in a cabinet, and while I can get to the on/off switch, it’s not easy to do the Fn+F8 toggle to get the external display to show. Question is: can I set up the laptop to automatically favour the external display on startup? I’ve had a look in the desktop options but there’s nothing obvious. Maybe a bios setting to force it to external display? Or is there a little script I can put into startup that replicate the Fn+F8 toggle? Any ideas gratefully received! ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-how-to-boot-to-external-display/474284/2 "2008-11-24T18:12:52Z")
> [@Wallenstein](#): > > I have an old laptop which I want to use with an external monitor as the default display. > > It’s a Dell Inspiron 5160 and I’m using the normal VGA output for the monitor. > > The laptop is in a cabinet, and while I can get to the on/off switch, it’s not easy to do the Fn+F8 toggle to get the external display to show. > > Question is: can I set up the laptop to automatically favour the external display on startup? I’ve had a look in the desktop options but there’s nothing obvious. > > Maybe a bios setting to force it to external display? Or is there a little script I can put into startup that replicate the Fn+F8 toggle? > > Any ideas gratefully received! If your laptop is in a docking station, it should be automatically defaulting to the external monitor when it is started up. If you have to push the power button on the laptop to get it to turn on, and in doing so, you are opening the laptop up - then you need to either (A) get a docking station, or (B) set your laptop options so that when you close the laptop screen it “does nothing”. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-how-to-boot-to-external-display/474284/3 "2008-11-24T18:16:58Z")
Sorry, should have clarified… no docking station, just monitor plugged into the back of the laptop. It boots to the laptop screen, which means I need to toggle the display. I want to get it to display on the external monitor… either with the laptop screen lit, or blank, no really fussed! I’ll check the powersave options and see if it will let me set a preference there. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-how-to-boot-to-external-display/474284/4 "2008-11-24T18:21:08Z")
Nevermind. Didn’t read the OP properly. ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-how-to-boot-to-external-display/474284/5 "2008-11-24T18:48:42Z")
On a Dell, its Start/Settings/Control Panel, then Power Options, then the Advanced tab, When you close the lid on your portable computer, set it to Do Nothing. If you are going to frequently use your external monitor, getting a docking station is the easiest way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-how-to-boot-to-external-display/474284/6 "2008-11-24T19:15:13Z")
Sorted now… outdated display drivers, quick update and now all fine. :rolleyes: Many thanks for the input chaps, have tweaked the powersave option when I close the lid too.