How to Change Main Display on Windows 11/10

A monitor is an output device connected to your computer to display information. If there are two or more monitors connected to your PC, how to change main display? Here this tutorial on NewsPivot explains how to set primary monitor Windows 11/10.

Dual displays or multiple displays are particularly important for multitasking users, such as engineers, designers, customer service, etc. Configuring multiple monitors can help you expand your work area, handle multitasking in parallel, and save you from constantly switching windows. Most modern operating systems support connecting up to four displays.

In the Windows operating system, the primary monitor is usually the one that displays all taskbar and desktop icons by default. Therefore, you may need to set up primary and secondary monitors due to different working window needs. Here are the specific steps on how to change main screen on dual monitors in Windows 10/11.

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How to Change Main Display Windows 10/11

Here we list two ways to change primary monitor Windows 10/11, and you can choose the preferred one.

Way 1. Via Windows Settings

First, you can see how to change primary monitor through Windows Settings.

On Windows 10:

Step 1. Right-click on any blank area on your desktop and select Display settings. Alternatively, you can press the Windows + I keyboard shortcut to open Settings, then go to System > Display.

Step 2. In the Display section, available monitors will appear as numbered boxes. For example, box “1” corresponds with the left monitor, and box “2” corresponds with the right monitor.

If your monitors are not detected automatically, you can click the Detect button to make them be displayed.

Step 3. On the top of the screen, select the numbered box you want to set up as the primary monitor, then scroll down to check the option of Make this my main display under Multiple displays.

On Windows 11:

Step 1. Press the Windows + I key combination to access Settings.

Step 2. Make sure that you are in the System tab, then click the Display option on the right side.

Step 3. Expand the Multiple displays section. After that, select the monitor you want to set as primary and tick the Make this my main display checkbox.

Once these steps are finished, your primary monitor should be changed. The other monitors will automatically be set as secondary monitors. This way, you can optimize work areas and task distribution according to your needs.

Also read: Is “Make This My Main Display” Greyed Out? Useful Fixes Here

Way 2. Via NVIDIA Control Panel

If you have Nvidia graphics card and drivers installed, you can choose to change the primary monitor via NVIDIA Control Panel. The NVIDIA Control Panel is usually installed when you download and install the latest version of the graphics card driver.

Step 1. Launch NVIDIA Control Panel.

Step 2. Make sure the Display section in the left panel is expanded, then select Set up multiple displays.

Step 3. Next, right-click on the display number you want to set as the primary display and choose Make primary from the context menu. The monitor number with an asterisk (*) is the current monitor.

Step 4. Finally, click the Apply button.

This is all about how to change main display on Windows 11/10 via Settings and NVIDIA Control Panel.

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Bottom Line

As you can see, it is quite easy to change main screen on dual monitors via Windows display settings and NVIDIA Control Panel. You can follow the steps listed above to change the main display when it is necessary.