***URGENT*** NEED HELP USING A LAPTOP AS A 2ND SCREEN FOR A BROKEN LAPTOP

[DrillyGang]

Soooo I have a broken screened Lenovo and I need to be able to use the HP I have as a second screen for it somehow... I have tried using an HDMI TO HDMI between the two and I either wasn't setting it up right or had the wrong cord or something... I don't have a TV or monitor I can use and it's absolutely imperative that I access my broken screened laptop ASAP until I can afford to Spring about $280-$300 to get it fixed (and that's with getting an aftermarket touchscreen replacement T__T ugh)

Any help info or tips is very very very appreciated!!! Thank you all so much !

[billytiddles]

As per this article, you can't hook laptops up physically to each other, but you can use it as a second monitor if you're using Windows 10 or 11:

(you need an account to see links)

If it's super urgent and you're struggling since you can't see, would you consider going to a local library or community centre and hooking up to their monitors? Should be free and give you quick access in the meantime to get yourself set up - unfortunately it means not being at home though

[kalez]

As @(you need an account to see links) said, hooking laptop to laptop with HDMI doesn't work out of the box, I believe there are adapters that do the trick, but it's hard to know if it'll actually work since that involves blindly buying something off amazon or something...
What do you need to do on the laptop (if it's not too personal)? There may be workarounds to get the files you need off the laptop if that's what you need.

[Infected]

The reason HDMI to HDMI doesn't work is because laptops only have output ports, not inputs.

As per this article, you can't hook laptops up physically to each other, but you can use it as a second monitor if you're using Windows 10 or 11:

(you need an account to see links)

This may not work either as it requires to have the primary screen working to project it onto another screen.

Your best bet I'd say is getting access to a friend's or a library's monitor that you can connect to with an HDMI, or extract data/files from the hard drive of your old laptop. You can find various methods for this online, ranging from programs/adaptors to help you do it, or putting your old hard drive into the secondary laptop.

[Tyranitar]

Well I have never do this but (you need an account to see links) says that you can do it with windows 10/11

Windows 10
1. On the the device you’re using as a second screen, open Settings
2. Click ‘System, then ‘Projecting this PC’ from the left pane
3. Again, you can adjust the settings here to your liking
4. From your main computer, press the Windows Key + P, and click the ‘Connect to a Wireless Display’ link at the bottom. Make sure you have your Wi-Fi turned on for this to work
5. From the options that appear, choose ‘Extend’
6. Click ‘Connect to a wireless display’, then choose the name of your other laptop when it appears

Windows 11
1. On the device you’re using as a second screen, open Settings and select ‘Apps’ from the left pane
2. Click ‘Optional features’
3. Click the blue ‘View features’ button
4. In the search bar, type ‘display’ and tick the box next to ‘Wireless Display’ and click ‘Next’
5. Click ‘Install’ from the next screen. Wait for it to finish installing, which should only take a few seconds
6. Next, click ‘System’ from the left pane, then scroll down and choose ‘Projecting to this PC’
7. Adjust the settings here to your liking, striking a balance between security and accessibility. We’d recommend the options below
8. On your main device, hit the Windows Key + P to open projection options, then choose ‘Extend’
9. Choose your second screen laptop, and the two should now be connected


And another option could be using AnyDesk or TeamViewer so you can connect and control your broken laptop with the second one, but it might be slower

[HiroiSekai]

Usually the issue with this is that laptops only use HDMI-Out in their ports, not dual-channel In-Out. Basically, they're built to plug into a monitor and project out, but not receive a signal inwards. I don't think it's a case of a Windows limitation in this case, but hardware.

My suggestion if you have some basic funds at the least? Buy the cheapest monitor (or even one of those little small portable monitors) on Amazon or Costco, use it for the stuff you need until you save enough for the laptop repair itself. Those two vendors in particular have some pretty great open-and-use return policies that are decently lengthy. They pretty much never ask questions either, so you don't have to explain yourself. Worst case scenario, if it takes more than a few months to save for the repair, you can repeat the process a few times and just return the item(s) before the return window closes.