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Connect to a desktop monitor or share files with a desktop PC
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If you want to use a larger screen than your laptop, you can easily connect your laptop to a desktop monitor. If you need to access files that are stored on your desktop computer from your laptop (or vice-versa), you can set up file sharing between the two computers. Then you can transfer files via a wired or wireless connection. This wikiHow article teaches you how to connect a laptop to a monitor as well as how to share files between a laptop and desktop computer on both Windows and Mac.

Connect a Desktop to a Laptop

You can connect a laptop to a desktop monitor using an HDMI cable. You can share files between a laptop and a desktop on the same network (or connected via an Ethernet cable) by enabling file sharing and selecting the shared folders. Access the shared folders on the other computer using File Explorer or Finder.

Method 1
Method 1 of 7:

Connecting a Monitor to a Laptop (Windows)

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  1. Most laptops have an HDMI port on the side of the keyboard. In some cases, it may be on the back.
  2. Connect an HDMI cable from the HDMI port on your laptop to a free HDMI port on the back of your monitor.
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  3. This opens the Display Settings menu on your laptop.
  4. If you don’t see a diagram with two rectangles, representing your laptop monitor and your desktop monitor, this will force Windows to detect your desktop monitor.
  5. Use the drop-down menu in the diagram at the top of the Display Settings to select how the image will display on the desktop monitor. The options are as follows:[1]
    • Duplicate: This option will display the same thing on your laptop monitor and desktop monitor.
    • Extend: This option will use the desktop monitor as a second screen and allow you to move items from one screen to another.
    • Second screen only: This option only displays an image on the desktop monitor.
    • PC screen only: This option only uses your laptop screen as a display.
  6. If you are using the desktop monitor as an extended display, click and drag the diagrams to match their real-world position. If the desktop monitor is on the right side of your laptop, place it on the right side. If it is on the left side, place it on the left side in the diagram. You can also place the two displays on top or below one another.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 7:

Connecting a MacBook to a Monitor

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  1. If your MacBook has an HDMI or DisplayPort out, you are good to go. If it only has USB-C ports or Thunderbolt 4 output, you’ll need to purchase a USB-C-to-HDMI adapter or a Thunderbolt-to-HDMI adapter.[2]
  2. Use an HDMI cable or DisplayPort cable to connect the MacBook to the monitor.
    • If you are using an adapter, connect the HDMI or DisplayPort cable to the adapter, then connect it to a USB-C port on the MacBook.
  3. Use the following steps to do so:
    • Click the Apple Icon.
    • Click System Settings (or System Preferences on older devices).
    • Click Displays.
  4. If your MacBook doesn’t detect the desktop display, hold the Option key and click Detect Displays. This will force your MacBook to detect the desktop monitor.
  5. This allows you to change the orientation of your displays.
  6. If the external display is to the right of your MacBook, drag it to the right. If your external display is to the left of your MacBook, drag it to the left. If you want the external display to show the same thing as your MacBook display, hold Option and drag the displays on top of each other.[3]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 7:

Using Wi-Fi on Windows

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  1. As long as both PCs are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, accessing the other computer to share files will be simple.
    • You can also use this method if both computers are connected to the same network using an ethernet cable, such as through a router or switch.
    • The steps are similar in both Windows 10 or Windows 11.
  2. You can do this on both the desktop and the laptop computer if you want folders to be accessible from both sides.
    • File Explorer is the folder icon on the taskbar or in the Windows menu.
  3. A dialog window will expand.[4]
    • You can also share individual files instead of folders if you'd like.
  4. It's at the top of the window.
  5. This opens a window that lets you share the folder with certain people.[5]
  6. Click the menu to see a list of accounts, and then choose the account you want to share with. Click Add to add that user.[6]
    • By default, the file or folder is automatically shared with the owner's account. If you sign in to both the laptop and the desktop using the same account, you don't have to add any other accounts.
  7. If you're sharing with another account, Read permissions are assigned by default. If you want to give that account full permissions, click the drop-down menu next to "Read" and choose Read/Write.
    • If you're the owner of the file and plan to sign in with the same account on both computers, you don't need to adjust permissions—you already have full permissions.
  8. This shares the file with the selected user(s).
    • If network discovery and file sharing are not turned on, you'll be prompted to turn these services on now. You can choose No if you're currently on a private network, such as at home, or Yes if you want to enable file sharing over public networks (such as coffee shops and college campuses).
  9. Use the following steps to access shared files from another Windows computer:
    • Open File Explorer.
    • Click Network.
    • Double-click the computer you want to access.
    • Log in to an account that has permission to access the shared files.
  10. Use the following steps to access the shared files from a Mac computer:
    • Open Finder.
    • Click Go in the menu bar at the top.
    • Click Connect to Server.
    • Click Browse….
    • Select the Windows computer.
    • Sign in if prompted.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 7:

Using Wi-Fi on Mac

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  1. If your MacBook and desktop are both connected to the same network—either wirelessly or wired through a router or switch—it's easy to set up file sharing between the two.
  2. Use the following steps to do so:
    • Click the Apple icon.
    • Click System Settings (or System Preferences on older devices).
    • Click General.
  3. You may need to scroll down to find it.
  4. This turns on File Sharing on your Mac.
  5. It’s the icon that resembles an “i” inside of a circle. Click this icon next to “File Sharing.”
  6. To do so, just click the + under "Shared folders" in the left panel, browse to the folder, select it, and then click Add.
    • Repeat for all other folders you want to share.
    • If you want to allow all users to access your entire disk drive, click the toggle switch next to “Allow full disk access for all users.”
  7. Select the folder you're sharing, and then choose an account in the "Users" section to share with. You can also click + to share with an account that isn't listed here.
    • You can choose Everyone to make the files available to anyone who connects to your network, or select a group to make the file available to everyone in that group.[7]
  8. Next to each user, you can select what type of permission they'll have—for example, if you want full access to the folder when you're logging in from your desktop or laptop, assign all permissions (Read & Write).[8]
    • The folder or file(s) is now shared.
  9. If you want to share your files with a Windows computer, use the following steps to do so:[9]
    • Click Options at the bottom of the screen.
    • Toggle on the switch next to Share files and folders using SMB.
    • Click the check mark next to your account.
    • Enter your account password.
    • Click Done.
    • Note the “smb://” address that appears at the top of the File Sharing window under the text “File Sharing: On.” Users on Windows computers will need that information to connect to your Mac.
    • Go to System Settings > Network and click your current connection, then click Details.
    • Click the WINS tab on the left side of the window.
    • In the Workgroup field, enter the workgroup name of the Windows computer you want to connect with, then click OK.
    • Go to System Settings > Users & Groups and create an account for each Windows user or group you want to grant access to your Mac. For more detailed instructions, see this article from Apple.
  10. Now that you're sharing a folder or files from one of your Macs, you can open Finder on the other Mac to access the shared files. Open Finder, and then:
    • Click Network under "Locations" in the left panel. After a moment, you'll see the name of the other Mac in the list.
    • Double-click the name of the other Mac.
    • Click Connect As at the top-right corner.
    • Log in to the other Mac using any active account.
    • You can now drag and drop files between the desktop and laptop.
  11. Now that files are shared from the Mac, you can access them from Windows in File Explorer. Here's how:
    • Open File Explorer on the PC—it's the folder icon in the taskbar or in the Windows menu.[10]
    • Click Network in the left panel. If network sharing isn't turned on, you'll be prompted to turn it on now.
    • Double-click the Mac and enter your login info. The files are now available.
      • If you don’t see the Mac listed, enter the Mac’s SMB address in the address bar.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 7:

Using an Ethernet Cable on Windows

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  1. Plug one end of the ethernet cable into the square port on the back of your desktop PC, then plug the other end of the cable into the matching port on the side of your laptop.
  2. You can do this by typing control panel into the search bar next to the Windows menu and clicking Control Panel in the search results.[11]
  3. Use the following steps to do so:
    • Click Network and Internet.
    • Click Network and Sharing Center.
  4. It's a link to the right of the "Unidentified Network" connection in the right panel.
  5. This is in the bottom-left corner of the window.
  6. You'll find this line of text in the middle of the window. Clicking it to highlight it. Then click Properties below the window.
  7. Check the "Use the following IP address" box near the top of the page, then fill out the following fields:
    • IP address - Type in 192.168.1.1
    • Subnet mask - Type in 255.255.255.0
  8. Use the following steps to do so:
    • Go to the Network and Sharing Center in the same way that you did on the desktop.
    • Open the Ethernet properties, select Internet Protocol Version 4, and click Properties.
    • Check the "Use the following IP address" box at the top of the page.
    • Type 192.168.1.2 into the "IP address" field.
    • Type 255.255.255.0 into the "Subnet mask" field.
    • Click OK twice.
  9. Use the following steps to do so:[12]
    • Right-click the folder you want to share.
    • Click Properties.
    • Click the Sharing tab at the top.
    • Click Share.
    • Click the drop-down arrow.
    • Click Everyone (or a specific user).
    • Click Add.
    • Click Share.
    • Click Done when prompted.
  10. To do so:
    • Find the files that you want to share.
    • Select the files.
    • Press Ctrl + C to copy the files.
    • Open the shared folder.
    • Press Ctrl + V to paste the files.
  11. Go back to the Windows laptop or desktop on which you want to access the shared folder.
  12. Press Win + i to open File Explorer. Then click Network. Click the desktop computer's name in the lower-left side of the File Explorer window, and double-click the folder.
    • You may need to enter the login password for the other computer to access the shared folder.
    • You may have to scroll down through the far-left column of folders to access the desktop computer's name.
  13. Select the files, press Ctrl + C, open a folder in which you want to store them, and press Ctrl + V.
    • You can also add files from your laptop to the shared folder if you want to access them on the desktop computer.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 7:

Using Thunderbolt Bridge on Mac

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  1. Most modern Macs from 2016 and later have this type of port. Look for an oval port with a lightning bolt near it on the laptop and the back of the Mac desktop.
    • Transferring files over Thunderbolt is a lot faster than transferring files over Wi-Fi.[13]
    • You have to use a Thunderbolt cable, which has the same kind of connector as a USB-C cable. A regular USB-C cable will not work.
    • Thunderbolt and USB-C ports look very similar. Thunderbolt ports will have a lightning bolt icon next to them.
  2. You'll want to make sure the cable you use is specifically labeled as "Thunderbolt 3," or "Thunderbolt 4," as there are other cable types with the same style of connector.[14]
    • If one of your Macs has Thunderbolt 2 instead of Thunderbolt 3 or 4, you can use a Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter.
  3. Use the following steps to do so:
    • Click the Apple icon.
    • Click System Settings (or System Preferences on older devices).
    • Click Network.
  4. You should see Thunderbolt Bridge listed as one of the options. Click Details next to it. Repeat for both Macs
    • If you don't see this option, click the button below the list of connections and select Add Service., Select Thunderbolt Bridge from the "Interface" menu, and then click Create.
  5. You’ll need to do this on both Macs.
  6. Make sure the IP address is set as follows for both Macs:[15]
    • Mac 1 IP address: 192.168.69.50
    • Mac 2 IP address: 192.168.69.51
  7. Use the following steps to do so:
    • Click the Apple icon.
    • Click System Settings (or System Preferences on older devices).
    • Click General.
    • Click Sharing.
    • Click the toggle switch to turn on File Sharing.
  8. Now that the Macs are connected with a Thunderbolt bridge, you can access files over the network. On either of the two computers, open Finder and do the following:
    • Click Network under "Locations" in the left panel. After a moment, you'll see the name of the other Mac in the list.
    • Double-click the name of the other Mac.
    • Click Connect As at the top-right corner.
    • Log in to the other Mac using any active account.
    • You can now drag and drop files between the desktop and laptop.
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Method 7
Method 7 of 7:

Windows to Mac with an Ethernet Cable

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  1. Macs don't have Ethernet ports anymore, but you can purchase a USB Ethernet plug-in item that attaches to one of your Mac's USB ports.[16]
  2. Plug the USB cable side of the adapter into one of the USB ports on your Mac.[Image:Connect a Desktop to a Laptop Step 22 Version 2.jpg|center]]
  3. Plug each end of the Ethernet cable into a square Ethernet port on each computer.
  4. Click on a folder that you want to share from your desktop to your Mac computer.
    • You can also create a new folder to share.
  5. To do so:
    • Click Share in the top-left side of the window.
    • Click Specific people...
    • Click the drop-down arrow.
    • Click Everyone.
    • Click Share.
    • Click Done when prompted.
  6. This menu item should be at the top of the screen.
    • If you don't see Go in the menu bar, open Finder or click the desktop to make it appear.
  7. It's near the bottom of the Go drop-down menu.[17]
  8. Type the IP address for your Windows computer into the text field at the top of the window.
    • You can find the Windows computer's IP address by opening Start, clicking Settings, clicking Network & Internet, followed by Properties at the top. Scroll down and check your IP address next to “IPv4 Address.”
  9. Doing so will bring up another window.
  10. To do so:
    • Check the "Registered User" box.
    • Enter the desktop's account username into the "Username" text field.
    • Enter the desktop's account password into the "Password" text field.
    • Click Connect.
  11. Switch back to your Windows computer, then do the following:
    • Find the files that you want to share.
    • Select the files.
    • Press Ctrl + C to copy the files.
    • Open the shared folder.
    • Press Ctrl + V to paste the files.
  12. Go to your laptop, then do the following:
    • Open Finder if it's not already open.
    • Click the Windows computer's name on the left side of the Finder.
    • Open the shared folder.
    • Select the shared files.
    • Click Edit at the top of the screen, then click Copy
    • Select a folder in which you want to store the shared files (e.g., Desktop).
    • Click Edit at the top of the screen, then click Paste Items
  13. To do this, simply place files from your Mac in the shared folder, then open the shared folder on the Windows computer and copy the files from there.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    I would like to connect my laptop to my desktop to use as a second monitor, but my desktop ethernet port is already being used by the internet. Can I tether it another way?
    Bryan Beege Berry
    Bryan Beege Berry
    Community Answer
    Laptops are not designed to act as displays. There is no hardware-supported way to do this. The best alternative may be to use some sort of screensharing software between the desktop and laptop, but this will not allow you to do things like extend display.
  • Question
    Can I use Ethernet adapters?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes, there's a special Ethernet cable, called a "crossover cable," designed for directly connecting two computers. This will create a miniature network between the two.
  • Question
    What if the second PC can't access the internet still?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You can restart the computer, unplug and plug the wires back in, and if it's WiFi, turn WiFi off or disconnect it, then reconnect. if it is still not working, contact the brand's customer support.
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About This Article

Travis Boylls
Written by:
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Travis has been a tech writer at wikiHow for more than 10 years. He has also worked in technical support for Dish Network and AT&T Wireless. He studied graphic design and web design at Pikes Peak Community College. He specializes in Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and video game consoles. Travis has had a fascination with computers and technology that goes all the way back to childhood. He is proficient in all manner of software and computer operating systems. This article has been viewed 1,550,196 times.
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Co-authors: 29
Updated: February 24, 2026
Views: 1,550,196
Categories: Laptops
Article SummaryX

If you want to connect your Windows computer to a Windows laptop, use an ethernet cable to connect the devices together. Once they’re connected, go to the computer’s “Control Panel” and select “Network and Internet” in the left column, then click ”Network and Sharing Center”. Next, click the “Ethernet” link and then “Properties”. From there, click ”Internet Protocol Version 4” and change the IP address for your connection. In the “IP address” field, type 192.168.1.1, for “Subnet mask” type 225.225.225.0, and for “Default gateway” type in 192.168.1.2. On your laptop, set your “IP address” to 192.168.1.2, “Subnet mask” to 225.225.225.0, and “Default gateway” to 192.168.1.1. For more help, like how to share files between your connected computers, scroll down.

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