How to Connect an External Monitor to a Compaq Notebook

by Jason Taetsch

There's no reason you have to confine your digital photos and video to your laptop's small screen. Compaq notebooks feature video output ports that enable you to send images and video from your laptop's video card directly to an external monitor. Use a VGA cable to connect your laptop to the external monitor and begin enjoying your digital files on a much larger display.

Step 1

Locate the "VGA" port on the side of the Compaq notebook. The port looks like a blue rectangle with pins in the middle.

Step 2

Insert the VGA cable into the port and screw down the pins on either side of the cable end.

Step 3

Run the other end of the cable to the "VGA" port on the input panel of the external monitor.

Step 4

Press the "F5," "F7" or "F8" key to enable the external monitor function. The image from the Compaq display will appear on the external monitor's screen.

About the Author

Jason Taetsch graduated from The College of New Jersey with a degree in English. Taetsch co-founded the on-campus literary magazine, "Paperclips." In 2006 he began writing professionally. He wrote news articles and independently authored op-ed columns for the on-campus newspaper, "The Signal" and had articles published in "Garden State Surf Magazine."