Is it safe to plug a projector into the ThinkPad VGA port while system is active?

[Mark_Lenovo]

Question

I use a Lenovo L412 for PowerPoint presentations. I'm told it is unwise to connect the VGA to an active projector while the L412 is operating. Is this true? If so, is it OK to close the lid and put the L412 into sleep mode while the connection is made?

Answer

It is perfectly safe to connect a projector or other external display to the VGA port while the system is operating.

You may need to use the FN + F7 key to toggle to external or simultaneous display modes.  

To place the system into extended desktop mode vs cloned screen mode, right click on desktop and select properties and display while the external display is attached, you can drag and drop the second display logically to be above , below, to the left or right of the primary display.