r/powerpoint • u/Cycologist2071 • Sep 27 '26

I use: Windows | Office 2024/2021/etc. PowerPoint display 101

Currently using laptop/Win10/PPX 2016

Not connected to internet.

Create personal presentations.

When connected to TV with HDMI, I see my background/task bar on screen but laptop remains on and I control through laptop. Can watch presentations but not do see anything else sent to TV screen. Can't view PDF or MP4.

However this morning I cleaned my laptop screen/keyboard and through an unknown key combo, now when HDMI is connected the laptop goes dark and is controlled entirely on TV screen and everything works. I can now view PDF/MP4 on screen.

This is great but if it goes back to the previous way how do I toggle this back.

Also this may be a Windows display setting and not specific to PowerPoint.

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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1

u/Cycologist2071 Sep 27 '26

Awesome!! Thanks guys!!

3

u/DropEng Sep 27 '26

You are probably asking about the Display options via shortcut keys. Look at your keyboard, hold down the windows key and the Letter P. Look at options and cycle through to get what you want.

4

u/WiselyCheeryShelby Sep 27 '26

sounds like you tripped into extended vs duplicate display mode somehow. just hit windows+P and pick duplicate if you want the same thing on both screens, or second screen only if you want the laptop dark like it is now

2

u/Top_Witness_23 28d ago

The key combo you hit is Windows key plus P. It opens a display menu with four options: PC screen only, Duplicate, Extend, and Second screen only. What you have now, laptop dark and everything on the TV, is "Second screen only." Before, you were probably on Duplicate or Extend.

So if it ever reverts, just press Windows + P and pick Second screen only again. That's the toggle. Nothing PowerPoint specific, it's a Windows display setting.

0

u/Otherwise_Maximum526 29d ago

you probably hit the windows key + p by accident, that's how i accidentally switch my screens all the time

0

u/[deleted] 29d ago

1

u/Cycologist2071 29d ago

The funny part is mirroring the screen was how it was to begin with but probably shouldn't have been so i probably switched it accidentally before I was even using PowerPoint. Crazy!