Can I use my laptop as monitor for a desktop?

[yungman]

I just bought a new desktop and I need to power it up and load all the basic programs. I don't want to steal the monitor from the existing desktop because my wife is using it all the time. I don't have another monitor so I have to resort to trying to use one of my old laptop as monitor.

So! Can I do that? What port do I use? Do I have to run anything to make the laptop as monitor? I know I can hook a monitor into a laptop, but can the other way around doable?

Thanks

 

[Routaran]

the simplest solution is to borrow your wife's monitor for a few minutes. Boot up your new desktop and enable remote desktop on it (if you have a version lower than professional, then install UltraVNC server to setup remote access on the desktop)
When that's done, use the notebook computer to remote to your new desktop.

I do not believe plugging your desktop video out to your notebook computer's video out will work. However, i have never tried this. Give it a shot and see if it will work.

 

[yungman]

Thanks, I decided to share the monitor with the desk top and wait until my wife goes to bed and work on it.

 

[Borek]

Do you have a reasonably modern TV?

 

[yungman]

Do you have a reasonably modern TV?

I have a Sam Sung LCD of less than 3 years old. But I am almost complete in replacing the old computer already.

Thanks

 

[harborsparrow]

If it's Windows, just use Remote Desktop to connect to it. You'll have to logon once and enable Remote Desktop access, and it is easier if your logon on both machines is identical. I use my desktop machine all the time remotely from my laptop and seldom, if ever, turn on the monitor and actually logon to the desktop machine directly.