Setting up the displays correctly with laptop

To set up your displays correctly and extend to your external monitors while keeping your laptop display active, you can follow these steps:

1. Open Display Settings: Right-click on your desktop and select Display settings.
2. Identify Displays: Click on Identify to see which display corresponds to your laptop and external monitors.
3. Multiple Displays: Under the Multiple displays section, select Extend these displays from the dropdown menu. This will allow you to use your laptop and the two external monitors simultaneously.
4. Adjust Display Order: You can drag and rearrange the display icons to match the physical arrangement of your monitors. This will help in moving your cursor smoothly between screens.
5. Keep Laptop Display Active: To prevent your laptop from turning off the displays when you close the lid, you need to adjust the power settings:
   • Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
   • Click on Choose what closing the lid does on the left sidebar.
   • Set the option for When I close the lid to Do nothing for both On battery and Plugged in.

This should allow you to close your laptop while keeping the external monitors active.

Welcome Marybeth Gaiser,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum. I’m happy to assist you with your question.

Before we proceed, have you had a chance to review the suggested answer from our AI assistant? Since the AI’s answer also applies to your case, you can refer to an additional method below.

• Go to Settings > search Change what closing the lid does 
• Under "When I close the lid," select the desired action for both "On battery" and "Plugged in." The options are "Do nothing," "Sleep," "Hibernate," and "Shut down." Select "Do nothing." then click "Save changes" to apply

Or you can try: Use Windows + P Display Mode Shortcut 

• Press Windows + P and select "Second screen only"
• This turns off the laptop screen or keeps extended displays active, so external monitors stay on when the laptop lid is closed 

I really hope that the information I gave above was helpful to you. Please feel free to reply below and let me know if you have further concern on this matter.  

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