This shortcut key combination varies depending on the laptop, but is often one of the following: hold the Fn key, and then press F3, F4, F5, F7, F8, F9, or F10. Once you plug the display into your laptop, you may be required to press one or more keys on the laptop's keyboard to 'activate' the external display. These various connections are shown in the images below. Most laptops utilize on or more of the following connections: HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, or USB-C ( Thunderbolt 3). To connect the external display to a laptop, locate the correct port on the body of your laptop. How to connect to an external display in Windows Will a monitor work with my laptop if my laptop screen is broken?.How do I disable the auto-switch or specify an external display?.How to connect an external display on macOS.