Somewhere in many homes sits a laptop that has been set aside, its usefulness quietly going unused. In August 2021, Windows Central offered a way to bring it back into service: a Windows 10 machine can extend its display onto a spare laptop through Miracast, the wireless projection built into many devices. It is a small, almost domestic answer to a familiar wish, the desire for more room to work, reached without buying anything new. Whether it suits a given desk depends first on a quiet question of hardware, namely whether both machines can speak this wireless language.
How to Use an Old Laptop as a Second Monitor with Miracast and Windows 10
A laptop in the closet can go back to work as a second screen.
Mark
So what's the basic idea here? Use a laptop you already own instead of buying a monitor?
Mimi
Yes. The guide says a spare laptop can act as a second display through Miracast, which is wireless projection built into Windows. The appeal is saving the cost of a new external monitor.
Mark
What do you need before you start?
Mimi
Both the main PC and the laptop have to support wireless Miracast. That's the one stated requirement.
Luke
That's also where I'd pause. The guide says it works if both support Miracast, but it doesn't tell you how to check that. So the reader has to find out separately.
Mark
Fair. What does the setup look like on the laptop side?
Mimi
In Settings, under System, there's a Projecting to this PC tab. You set the first drop-down to Available everywhere on secure networks, which in the example means your home Wi-Fi.
Mark
And on the main PC?
Mimi
Windows key plus P opens the projection options. You pick Extend, then Connect to a wireless display, and choose the laptop by name.
Luke
Worth noting what the piece doesn't cover: how well it performs. Nothing here on lag, picture quality, or how it compares to a real monitor. It's a setup guide, not a test.
Mark
So it tells you how, not how well.
Luke
Right. And it says the process works with two laptops too, but gives no detail beyond that statement.
Mimi
For people who want a dedicated monitor instead, it links to a separate multi-monitor guide for Windows 10.
El Pulso
- A familiar desire for more screen space collides with the cost of buying a dedicated monitor.
- Idle hardware in a closet or on a shelf is suddenly pressed into a new role as a second display.
- Both the main PC and the spare laptop must support wireless Miracast, and that single requirement decides whether the plan can proceed at all.
- Setup moves through a few Settings choices and the Windows+P shortcut, with the Extend option turning the laptop into a true additional screen.
- Readers who find the approach unsuitable are steered toward a dedicated multi-monitor guide for Windows 10.
Somewhere in many homes sits a laptop that has been set aside, its usefulness quietly going unused. In August 2021, Windows Central offered a way to bring it back into service: a Windows 10 machine can extend its display onto a spare laptop through Miracast, the wireless projection built into many devices. It is a small, almost domestic answer to a familiar wish, the desire for more room to work, reached without buying anything new. Whether it suits a given desk depends first on a quiet question of hardware, namely whether both machines can speak this wireless language.
A laptop gathering dust in a drawer may have one more useful life left. Windows Central's August 2021 guide shows how a Windows 10 PC can use a spare laptop as an extra screen, skipping the expense of an external monitor. The idea is simple: a second display for more room to work, borrowed from hardware already owned.
The one firm condition is that both machines support wireless Miracast. On the laptop, the reader opens Settings, chooses System, and finds the Projecting to this PC tab. There, the first drop-down is set to Available everywhere on secure networks, with the home Wi-Fi serving as the secure network in the example.
The rest happens on the main PC. Pressing Windows+P opens projection options, where Extend turns the laptop into an additional display rather than a mirror. Connect to a wireless display brings up the laptop's name, and selecting it completes the link. For anyone who would rather buy a dedicated monitor, the article points to its separate multi-monitor guide for Windows 10. The guide's advice comes down to checking Miracast support first, since everything else depends on it.
A laptop sitting unused in a closet or on a shelf can go back to work as a second screen, and it costs nothing to try. Windows Central published a guide in August 2021 explaining how to turn a spare laptop into an extra display for a Windows 10 machine, using a wireless feature called Miracast.
The pitch is simple. A multi-monitor setup is a well-known way to get more done, and a dedicated external monitor is the usual route. But the guide points out that anyone who already owns a second laptop can skip that purchase and save the money. The one real condition is that both the main PC and the laptop must support wireless Miracast connectivity. The guide says the same process also works when the two machines are both laptops.
The setup begins on the laptop that will act as the second screen. There, you open the Settings app and choose System. Scrolling down leads to a tab called Projecting to this PC. Under the heading that says some Windows and Android devices can project to this PC when you say it's OK, you open the first drop-down menu and pick Available everywhere on secure networks. In the guide's example, the secure network is simply your home Wi-Fi.
The remaining steps happen on the main PC. Pressing the Windows key and P together opens the display projection settings. From the list of options, you choose Extend, which is what lets the laptop behave as an additional screen rather than a copy of the first one. Next, you select Connect to a wireless display. When the laptop's name appears in the list, you select it to establish the connection.
Once the PC is projecting to the laptop and Extend is active, the laptop works as a second monitor. The guide treats the process as short and quick, and it is written for Windows 10 users specifically.
For readers who decide a laptop isn't the right fit and would rather use a dedicated external monitor, the article points to a separate Windows Central guide on setting up multiple monitors on Windows 10. It also lists further resources covering Windows 10 and Windows 11 for readers looking for more help.
The practical takeaway is to check Miracast support on both machines first, since everything else in the guide depends on it. If both machines have it, the walkthrough is a matter of a few settings and one keyboard shortcut.
Citas Notables
You can save money by using a laptop you already own instead of buying a new external monitor, as long as both devices support wireless Miracast.— Windows Central guide (paraphrased)
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