Acer Swiftbook 2nd monitor help, when I try extending the display I just get an empty desktop on my monitor.

Hi all - I have an Acer Swiftbook and a 2nd monitor. The monitor is connected by HDMI and work fine as a duplicate screen. I would like to be able to drag applications / windows between my laptop screen and the monitor, but when I try extending the display I just get an empty desktop on my monitor. The desktop itself is there but with no icons and I can't drag anything from my laptop to the 2nd screen. All the existing help topics seem to be about a 2nd screen that's completely blank or won't work at all. Any help gratefully appreciated!

[Edited the thread to add model name to the title]
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Jack22

@ALCC

To resolve an empty desktop on an external monitor when extending your display, try restarting Windows Explorer via Task Manager, checking your display settings and arrangement, or moving an open window onto the external display using the Windows key + Left/Right Arrow. If the issue persists, verify your hardware connections and try a different cable or input port, and ensure the monitor's input source is set correctly

ALCC

Hi there - thanks so much for replying. I've done that but no joy.

Going into 'extended' mode gives me two different displays but I can't move anything from my laptop display to my monitor - when I try and drag and drop it's like it hits a brick wall at the edge of my laptop…

billsey

That is perfectly normal. Extending the desktop to an external monitor doesn't move any of your icons, they still stay on your main display. Try dragging something over, like an icon or window, to the second display.