Any way to either add shortcut or fully automate mirroring to wireless display

[britechguy]

I've begun working with someone who has macular degeneration and we are using a 55" UHD TV as his display - the laptop screen blown up very large, and that's working quite well so far.

The thing is (and I realize I may be in "brain dead" state here), I have not found a way to make the laptop automatically screen mirror to the TV. The TV itself will automatically accept the request without user input, and begin mirroring the laptop screen, but we have to go into Settings, System, Display Pane and activate the Connect to a wireless display link every time.

It's not that the above is impossible, but is is inconvenient. Even if we were to have a desktop shortcut that ran a command to do this it would be a lot less of a PITA.

If anyone happens to know what options exist, I would appreciate hearing about them.

At the moment we're using Windows 10 21H2, but I expect we'll update to Windows 11 very soon, as this client has no computer experience to speak of and I can see no point in teaching Windows 10 then dealing with Windows 11 later.

 

[Sky-Knight]

The only thing you can do in Windows is press Winkey + K to open the wizard to connect, but as far as I know there's no way to manipulate wireless displays outside of that wizard, and no means to automatically activate one.

I would instead hard wire the TV to the laptop, and get some wireless peripherals for it. Because wireless display tech is in and of itself a buggy mess.

*Edit* Googling is suggesting use of Autohotkey to make a macro that performs the appropriate clicks and such on a configured keystroke. That could work, but it'd be fragile... and possibly broken with every windows update.

 

[phaZed]

You can use "Power Automate" in Windows, a general macro program or possibly even a "Ducky Script" on a USB stick he can plug in to initiate the process.

 

[britechguy]

Thank you, gentlemen.

I believe I am going to return to a wired connection. While Tuesday went without a hitch, today the TV end of the arrangement just kept freezing at random.

The laptop will not be used "directly" anyway. We have a large print wired keyboard and wireless mouse and the client needs to be "up close and personal" even with the 55-inch TV screen, with some magnification, to read it. At first I thought we might gain some advantage using wireless mirroring but the trouble is not worth it, particularly with a beginner.

 

[HankArnold]

Thank you, gentlemen.

I believe I am going to return to a wired connection. While Tuesday went without a hitch, today the TV end of the arrangement just kept freezing at random.

The laptop will not be used "directly" anyway. We have a large print wired keyboard and wireless mouse and the client needs to be "up close and personal" even with the 55-inch TV screen, with some magnification, to read it. At first I thought we might gain some advantage using wireless mirroring but the trouble is not worth it, particularly with a beginner.

I would also hold off on any update to w11. Unless there is a specific "improvement" or "feature" that you know will help, I don't, frankly see any advantage (and only potential disadvantages) for 90% of home users.

 

[britechguy]

Well, we'll have to differ on that one.

It's not about feature advantages, it's about long term support. This guy is a computer neophyte, a real neophyte, and there is no point in teaching him anything except Windows 11 as a starting point.

 

[VISA MC]

Thank you, gentlemen.

I believe I am going to return to a wired connection. While Tuesday went without a hitch, today the TV end of the arrangement just kept freezing at random.

The laptop will not be used "directly" anyway. We have a large print wired keyboard and wireless mouse and the client needs to be "up close and personal" even with the 55-inch TV screen, with some magnification, to read it. At first I thought we might gain some advantage using wireless mirroring but the trouble is not worth it, particularly with a beginner.

That’s exactly what I’ve done in the past. I’ve worked with maybe 2-3 folks that needed a setup like that, nowhere near the level you have.

I’ve set up a laptop behind their TV set it so that when the lid was closed to not go to sleep, large print keyboard and mouse and HDMI to the tv. Off to the races he went. It’s what they had to work with already. If it was a new setup I would probably do the same thing except use an Intel Nuc or something similar instead of a laptop.