Disable laptop screen when lid is closed

Question

I'm on a Lenovo Y50, running Windows 10.

I have an external monitor attached (HDMI) and I use the laptop screen as well as the external. Sometimes I want to close the laptop lid and just use the one screen. When I close the laptop lid, the screen turns off, but Windows still thinks of it as a valid display, and as such, doesn't move my windows and stuff from the laptop screen to the external screen. Every other laptop I've had has disabled the laptop screen on closing the lid, thus making the OS behave as if there's only one display connected.

This is particularly annoying because I'd like to be able to move my mouse to the edges of the screen without it moving off into another screen that I can't see because the laptop lid is closed.

Is this a problem I can solve? I'd like the laptop to let the OS know that the display has been disabled when the laptop lid is closed.

Answer 1

Try Win+P -> "Second screen only" Set 'what happens when lid is closed' to 'do nothing' in Control Panel->Power Options->choose what closing the lid does

Answer 2

See below for how I do it. Here is a good ref I used to help me -

• Chron - How to Disable a Laptop Monitor to Use a Regular Monitor

My Setup

• (1) Laptop (Win10 Home)
• (2) LCD Monitors

Need

• Output to both displays with laptop closed and laptop-display off

Steps

• Open Settings->Display ('Change Display Settings')

• Identify which display you'd like to disable (#1 for me)

• Select display (tap on #1)

• Scroll down to 'Multiple displays', set to 'Disconnect this display' & Confirm

Here is how to confirm, Settings will show greyed out if off -

• With Laptop Display Enabled
• With Laptop Display Disabled

Answer 3

This will be sort of an addendum to J-Dizzle's answer I'm making because I couldn't find the 'Disconnect this display' option in the last step.

The only real difference is ensuring your laptop monitor is not your main display before trying to disconnect it. Perhaps this is common sense, but it took me a while to figure out. Big thanks and credit to J-Dizzle for his answer though!

My Setup

• Windows 10
• Two LCD Monitors

Need

• Output to both displays with laptop closed and laptop display off
• Continue to have the laptop display off when I wake my laptop from sleep

Steps

1. Open 'Change Display Settings' (search for that in the start menu or right click the desktop and click 'Display Settings')
2. Open your laptop lid
3. Identify which monitor is your laptop monitor (#1 for me when laptop is open)
4. Select one of the monitor displays (#2 and #3 for me)
5. Scroll down and click 'Make this my main display'
6. Select your laptop display (#1 for me)
7. Scroll down to the 'Multiple displays' dropdown menu and click 'Disconnect this display'

Here is how to confirm, Settings will show greyed out if off -

• With Laptop Display Enabled
• With Laptop Display Disabled

Answer 4

Something you should know about: Win10 creater update version can play a role in this too:

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/forums/v3_1/forumtopicpage/board-id/tp01_en/thread-id/116179/page/1

Answer 5

On my Windows 10, version 1703, I am usually using laptop display and a second screen on an extended mode. When I want to use just the second screen, I just need to close the lid. The second screen will become the only recognized by OS and will gather all windows that were running on my laptop display.

Important to note that I configured my Power Settings to "Do Nothing" when lid is closed. Tested with both "on battery" and "plugged in" and both work.

Answer 6

You need to setup the settings to do nothing if laptop lid is closed and laptop is plugged-in to the power. To make these settings, you need to go to Power Option. Under Control Panel screen, search for the Power Option. It will give few options. Select "Change what the power buttons do". This will let you set the option while laptop lid is closed.