Hi,

Right I am looking for a way to run two PC’s from one keyboard/mouse and monitor. The old PC(which we need to keep for now) has Display port and VGA outputs, the new mini PC has hdmi. Looking at using a KVM switch but yeah there are so many. Helps?

cheers

You can get mechanical switchboxes with a big rotary switch on the front. Avoid these like the plague, they’re complete shite.

If you only use one occasionally, would RDP from one to the other work?

Monitor is easy; just wire it to both, and select input. (assuming the monitor has more than one input…)

to be honest, keyboard and mouse – i’d buy a wireless pair; and then just switch the wireless receiver across to each machine when required.

obviously this depends a little on how quickly you need to switch between and how often? but it cant be that bad to swap a USB cable across once in a while?

If you don’t know what Cougar’s suggestion of RDP means – it stands for Remote Desktop Protocol and it’s a way of connecting from one PC to the other to use the normal desktop as if you were sat at it.

If you only use one occasionally, would RDP from one to the other work?

If you have a Pro version of Windows might it be possible to run the old PC as a virtual PC on the new?

Well I didn’t know what RDP was untill I googled it, it does might work depending on how easy it is to use as this is for my folks and neither is the best with tech.

Decent KVM switches are expensive. Was using a cheap Aten one at work for a while but it’s VGA only (was fine just don’t need it anymore). HDMI/DVI/DisplayPort ones especially if they support a high resolution seemed all well over £100 when I checked.

A software only solution; Mouse Without Borders

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/garage/profiles/mouse-without-borders/

Takes a bit of setting up, not sure if it works on Win 10

install teamviewer on both, and just use that to access the old pc.

Easy/clunky option is a monitor with two inputs and a USB keyboard and mouse plugged into a hub. Just select the monitor input (may even be automatic once one has fired up) and plug the usb hub lead into whichever pc you are using. Cheap and easy for occasional use, which it sounds like in your case

this is for my folks and neither is the best with tech.

Can I ask why they want to do this in the first place?

Well I didn’t know what RDP was untill I googled it, it does might work depending on how easy it is to use as this is for my folks and neither is the best with tech.

Caveat here, the target computer will need to be W10 Pro, it’s not supported on Home editions (without some 3rd party hackery). As @seosamh77 said, TeamViewer is probably an easier / better solution in this instance. Or hopping a wireless keyboard / mouse dongle between the two as others have suggested.

What do you “need to keep” the old one for, specifically? There may be other solutions to achieve what you’re trying to do. Eg, if you just want files off it you could set up network sharing or whip out the hard drive and stick it in a USB caddy.

I’ve got one of these Belkin 2 way switches on my desk at work. Does exactly what you are describing in terms of switching, but you’ll probably need some kind of HDMI to VGA adapter for the new PC.

Sage accounting software. My mum is retired and dad semi-retired..not worth getting getting a new license.

That’s easy enough then, the licence isn’t locked to an individual PC. You can just move it.

https://ask.sage.co.uk/scripts/ask.cfg/php.exe/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=11744

Can’t you just use a wireless keyboard and mouse with a receiver on both?

I’ve some on a laptop and they work well. The monitor also picks up if it is either the laptop or pc turned on automatically. One is hdmi and one what ever those new ports are called.

We dont have access to the license key anymore as it was via my mums work and shes now retired.

the wireless keyboard/mouse sounds like a good idea, anything specific i should look for?

We dont have access to the license key anymore

From the link: Click Help / About to view the licence details?

I have to switch back and forth from a Mac to PC and didn’t want to have two mice and two keyboards on the one desk so have ended up using Sharemouse. Just hold Ctrl and move the mouse across to the other computer. Works PC to PC and you can add multiple computers to it. Works best over wired network but have got mine on wireless without a problem after upgrading the pc wireless adapter.

Pretty sure there’s a free version you could try.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MP2OOWG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works well for HDMI/USB switching as long as you don’t want 4k

You can get DP to HDMI cables easy enough!

Did this with a desktop and laptop (with dock) sharing same monitor / keyboard & mouse.

As both use different connections to monitor, just connect both to different inputs, set monitor to auto detect input.

Buy a logitech wireless keyboard and mouse that uses their unified USB receiver, then buy a second receiver.

Now, whichever one you switch on will use the keyboard and mouse, and cause the monitor to switch to that input.