Windows XP/2000: Setting up a Multiple Monitor Desktop Setup

Contributor Icon Contributed by seamonkey420 Date Icon July 25, 2004  
Tag Icon Tagged: Windows

This is a recipe for true geekdom or max efficiency. Setting up your pc to run with a mulitple monitor configuration.

Prerequisites:
-Dual output video card (ie has vga and dvi out or vga and s-video, most new ati and nvidia cards come with more than one output) OR
two video cards (similar setups)



my workbench.. hehe..

Dual monitor setups have been around for ages. Most people really haven’t ever used such setups, but those us of who have can’t live with out it. Dual monitor setups let you have two seperate desktops and also let you ‘throw’ windows between the monitors (i use a thirdparty program to do this, ultramon HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!). This kind of setup makes web dev so much easier and photo editing the same; and it adds to the geek look of your desk with two monitors!

Onto the recipe:

Step 1. Install video card(s)
Most likely its already in your pc so this is easy or done already.

Step 2. Hook up your monitors to the video card.
Note: most ati and nvidia video cards have a rgb output and dvi output. If both of your monitors use rgb (standard monitor cable), you’ll need a dvi-to-rgb adapter.

Step 3. Setting Up Windows for Multiple monitors
Usually when you hook up two monitors, they go into Clone Mode, meaning they both show the same thing.

However, you can change that in your Display Properties > Settings part
It should show two monitors after you’ve hooked them up.

Click on the Greyed monitor (prob number 2), and click the box
Extend my Windows Desktop onto this Monitor and click apply.

Hopefully the second monitor will come alive with its own desktop.

You will want to adjust the resolution and all to fit that monitors settings.

Once you do your good to go!

some hints:
-in the Display Properties > Setttings menu
you can move the monitors to how they are aligned (ie if you have at the same level or if one is higher up than the other) When you do this, hopefully when you move your mouse to the other screen it will show up where you think it would

-Most 3D games will only be played on the Primary monitor.
Dvds and videos however can be viewed on either monitor (this depends more on your video card and if the secondary monitors/outputs can handle 3d overlays or not)

-NoTE about TRIPLE OUTPUT direct from ATI Support
Regarding three outputs:

You are absolutely correct, you can connect CRT display (VGA) + DFP display (DVI) + TV via S-video output. The TV display will “clone” the image of one of the other two display.

Regards,

Saul Kagzi
Customer Care
ATI Technologies, Inc.
http://www.ati.com

Enjoy!

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Viewing 37 Comments

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    I tried all of the instructions above, they did not work for me howerer, I have an HP with a 32MB NVIDIA GForce 2 onboard video Card, i added a 16MB ATI Video card in my PCI slot, then i plugged in both monitors. When i booted up into Windows XP The 16MB ATI video card took over my onboard video, and i did not have a picture on both monitors. I thought maybe i had to reboot, so i rebooted and the picture then switched to my onboard 32MB NVIDIA GForce 2, i do not know what is wrong, please help me. (Upon first startup XP automatically installed my 16MB ATI Video Card
    • ^
    • v
    hello.

    Unfortunately, in most cases, its not really possible to use your onboard video card and an external card. Usualy motherboards that have onboard video give you the option of either the Onboard video or a PCI or AGP add-on video card, not both.

    However, you would be able to do this if you have two add-on video cards.
    1 PCI Slot video card and 1 AGP video card.

    Also, check in the BIOS Settings of your motherboard, to see if there's an option like an Enable Onboard and PCI or something.

    Hope that helps!

    peace
    seamonkey420

    ps I'd just reccommend buying a Geforce 4 or Radeon 9600 with DVI and VGA outputs (then get the DVI to VGA adapter), cost probably around $60 or so (depending on how good of geforce 4/radeon you want)
    Cheap but still perform...
    • ^
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    More of seamonkey420's multimonitor hints can be found here:

    http://www.tech-recipes.com/windows_tips533.html
    • ^
    • v
    Hello,

    My poor little noggen is mush from another round of "How do I get this crap to work?".

    Basic problem... I have two seperate video cards for (as SeaMonkey describes) my cant-live-without-it dual monitor setup. One is the ATI All-In-Wonder 8500 DV (in the agp slot) and the other is the Nvidia GeForce 2 MX/MX 400 (in the pci slot). YES, I NOW KNOW THAT VIDEO CARDS FROM THE SAME COMPANY IS SUGGESTED!

    I have had this setup for about two years and it has done reasonobly well for me but it has never quite worked 'perfect'. I had to live with limitations such as having to disable control panels (just using the driver on one card or the other instead of using the driver and the mfg's software). Somehow Ive always been able to come up with ways to use each mfg's most recent drivers and software work despite the fact that each card obviously hates the other! It has been getting more difficult with each new driver release to bring peace to my 'puter.

    Two weeks ago I was bored and started to play around. Bad idea. See, with the ATI card in the AGP slot it takes seniority over the Nvidia card and I figure it is quite important to ensure that the ATI Control Panel software is working properly (especially since I need the Open GL and Direct 3D stuff to work with graphics programs like 3D Studio Max (http://www.discreet.com/) and Avid Xpress (http://avid.com/products/xpress/). Now, I just cant get this to work.

    Heres some info about my system:
    AMD Athlon XP 2400+ processor (runs about 1.99 GHz)
    512 MB DDR Ram
    AGP Video: ATI All-In-Wonder 8500 DV
    Driver pkg installed: wxp-w2k-catalyst-8-03-040610a-016126c
    Other ATI software: mmc-9-1-0-0 (and the dao-mdac)
    PCI Video: Nvidia GeForce 2 MX/MX 400
    Driver pkg installed: 61.77, 07/15/2004
    Windows XP Professional with sp-1 and all updates installed
    UltraMon version 2.4.21.0 installed

    I depend on this system (which I built myself *gloat gloat*) everyday as an indendant video producer. It is my livelyhood. Right now I cannot afford a new video card so please dont suggest it (unless you would want to trade my Nvidia pci card for your ATI pci card). A heart felt thank you along with a steady stream of butt-kisses shall be your reward for any help you can offer me.

    IDigPhish
    • ^
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    wassup...

    Yea, my buddy had a similar type of problem with his Geforce4 ti4200 and a PCI based TNT Vanta.

    When i get home tonight, i'll do some experimenting with my cards (i have two agp ATI Radeons and a few PCI nvidia cards.. and i also run those two programs your using , 3d studio max and avid)

    I will post some things to try tonight!
    check back for info!!!
    • ^
    • v
    wassup..
    sorry about the delay..

    here's what i would try (forgot i sold that pci vid card, doh!)..
    i would uninstall both the ati and nvidia drivers from the control panel

    Then shutdown your pc.

    Only leave in the pci vanta, install the nvidia drivers and all, be sure to turn off the icon and the quick resolution feature..

    Shutdown, put your agp ati card in.
    Install the ati card drives and be sure to set that video card as your primary monitor in Display Properties > Settings.
    I would also be sure to disable the taskbar icon and the quick resolution feature.

    What i hope will happpen is that since the ati card is installed last, that those open gl and direct3d settings will override your pci card, nvidia ones.. hopefully you'll be able to use both the nvidi and ati control panels in each video cards advanced settings....

    let me know what happens!
    peace
    seamonkey420
    • ^
    • v
    Got this reply from ATI about triple outputs (since i want to do the lcd mod to my case and connect the lcd to vid cards s-video and have it mirror my secondary monitor (and fullscreen on dvds!!!)... i'll post that recipe here, its not an original but i will give props to the dudes guide i'm using...)

    <ul id="quote">
    Regarding three outputs:

    You are absolutely correct, you can connect CRT display (VGA) + DFP display (DVI) + TV via S-video output. The TV display will "clone" the image of onr of the other two display.


    Regards,

    Saul Kagzi
    Customer Care
    ATI Technologies, Inc.
    http://www.ati.com
    </ul>
    • ^
    • v
    <ul id="quote"><h6>IDigPhish wrote:</h6>Hello,

    My poor little noggen is mush from another round of "How do I get this crap to work?".

    Basic problem... I have two seperate video cards for (as SeaMonkey describes) my cant-live-without-it dual monitor setup. One is the ATI All-In-Wonder 8500 DV (in the agp slot) and the other is the Nvidia GeForce 2 MX/MX 400 (in the pci slot). YES, I NOW KNOW THAT VIDEO CARDS FROM THE SAME COMPANY IS SUGGESTED!

    I have had this setup for about two years and it has done reasonobly well for me but it has never quite worked 'perfect'. I had to live with limitations such as having to disable control panels (just using the driver on one card or the other instead of using the driver and the mfg's software). Somehow Ive always been able to come up with ways to use each mfg's most recent drivers and software work despite the fact that each card obviously hates the other! It has been getting more difficult with each new driver release to bring peace to my 'puter.

    Two weeks ago I was bored and started to play around. Bad idea. See, with the ATI card in the AGP slot it takes seniority over the Nvidia card and I figure it is quite important to ensure that the ATI Control Panel software is working properly (especially since I need the Open GL and Direct 3D stuff to work with graphics programs like 3D Studio Max (http://www.discreet.com/) and Avid Xpress (http://avid.com/products/xpress/). Now, I just cant get this to work.

    Heres some info about my system:
    AMD Athlon XP 2400+ processor (runs about 1.99 GHz)
    512 MB DDR Ram
    AGP Video: ATI All-In-Wonder 8500 DV
    Driver pkg installed: wxp-w2k-catalyst-8-03-040610a-016126c
    Other ATI software: mmc-9-1-0-0 (and the dao-mdac)
    PCI Video: Nvidia GeForce 2 MX/MX 400
    Driver pkg installed: 61.77, 07/15/2004
    Windows XP Professional with sp-1 and all updates installed
    UltraMon version 2.4.21.0 installed

    I depend on this system (which I built myself *gloat gloat*) everyday as an indendant video producer. It is my livelyhood. Right now I cannot afford a new video card so please dont suggest it (unless you would want to trade my Nvidia pci card for your ATI pci card). A heart felt thank you along with a steady stream of butt-kisses shall be your reward for any help you can offer me.

    IDigPhish</ul>
    • ^
    • v
    hey,

    im running on an nvidia GeForce FX 5200. i have an LCD monitor hooked up to the dvi input and a crt hooked up to the VGA. however, only the crt will display. i tried playing around with the MultiView set up but nothing seems to work. help please?

    shao
    • ^
    • v
    wassup..

    ok.. lets see....

    i'm kind of been with ati lately so my nvidia is a bit rusty..

    first, do you see the two monitors in the Display Properties > Settings area? or just one?

    second, when you go into the advanced settings/nvidia control panel; is there any options for clone or spanning of monitors?

    thirdly, what os are you running?

    here is a good link to realtimesoft's faq on multi monitor setups.. (they make ultramon)
    http://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon/faq.asp

    i'll check back in a bit...
    peace
    seamonkey420
    • ^
    • v
    <ul id="quote"><h6>chris wrote:</h6></ul><ul id="quote"><h6>IDigPhish wrote:</h6>Hello,

    My poor little noggen is mush from another round of "How do I get this crap to work?".

    Basic problem... I have two seperate video cards for (as SeaMonkey describes) my cant-live-without-it dual monitor setup. One is the ATI All-In-Wonder 8500 DV (in the agp slot) and the other is the Nvidia GeForce 2 MX/MX 400 (in the pci slot). YES, I NOW KNOW THAT VIDEO CARDS FROM THE SAME COMPANY IS SUGGESTED!

    I have had this setup for about two years and it has done reasonobly well for me but it has never quite worked 'perfect'. I had to live with limitations such as having to disable control panels (just using the driver on one card or the other instead of using the driver and the mfg's software). Somehow Ive always been able to come up with ways to use each mfg's most recent drivers and software work despite the fact that each card obviously hates the other! It has been getting more difficult with each new driver release to bring peace to my 'puter.

    Two weeks ago I was bored and started to play around. Bad idea. See, with the ATI card in the AGP slot it takes seniority over the Nvidia card and I figure it is quite important to ensure that the ATI Control Panel software is working properly (especially since I need the Open GL and Direct 3D stuff to work with graphics programs like 3D Studio Max (http://www.discreet.com/) and Avid Xpress (http://avid.com/products/xpress/). Now, I just cant get this to work.

    Heres some info about my system:
    AMD Athlon XP 2400+ processor (runs about 1.99 GHz)
    512 MB DDR Ram
    AGP Video: ATI All-In-Wonder 8500 DV
    Driver pkg installed: wxp-w2k-catalyst-8-03-040610a-016126c
    Other ATI software: mmc-9-1-0-0 (and the dao-mdac)
    PCI Video: Nvidia GeForce 2 MX/MX 400
    Driver pkg installed: 61.77, 07/15/2004
    Windows XP Professional with sp-1 and all updates installed
    UltraMon version 2.4.21.0 installed

    I depend on this system (which I built myself *gloat gloat*) everyday as an indendant video producer. It is my livelyhood. Right now I cannot afford a new video card so please dont suggest it (unless you would want to trade my Nvidia pci card for your ATI pci card). A heart felt thank you along with a steady stream of butt-kisses shall be your reward for any help you can offer me.

    IDigPhish</ul>

    are u back up or what???
    • ^
    • v
    <ul id="quote"><h6>seamonkey420 wrote:</h6>wassup..

    ok.. lets see....

    i'm kind of been with ati lately so my nvidia is a bit rusty..

    first, do you see the two monitors in the Display Properties > Settings area? or just one?

    second, when you go into the advanced settings/nvidia control panel; is there any options for clone or spanning of monitors?

    thirdly, what os are you running?

    </ul>

    i only see one monitor.

    there are options but none of them work

    xp pro


    thanks man
    • ^
    • v
    ok..
    hmm...

    are you using a dvi to vga adapter for the lcd? if so, try flipping around the monitors (ie hook up lcd to vga, and vga to dvi-vga adapter).
    i know i had a prob with my compaq monitor and it wouldn't work on the normal vga output with my other lcd on the dvi-vga adapter. So i had to hook up my lcd to the main crt/vga output and then my compaq to the adapter..

    hope that made some sense.. haha...

    also.
    have you tried to use each output, seperately?
    hook up the crt to the dvi (again, only if your using the adapter and the lcd isn't an actual dvi input one..)

    hope that helps!
    peace
    seamonkey420
    • ^
    • v
    im using a straight up dvi cable for the lcd, vga cable for the crt.
    • ^
    • v
    ok....

    have you been able to use the LCD byitself?

    if not, try checking in your BIOS during startup to see if there's a DVI or LCD monitor option.

    Also, does the Nvidia Control Panel have any DVI based settings?

    peace
    seamonkey420
    • ^
    • v
    the lcd works when the crt is unplugged, but it defaults to the crt when that is plugged in aswell.

    the panel does have dvi based settings but only when the crt is unplugged
    • ^
    • v
    Hi there,

    I followed the directions to set up dual monitor successfully, but now I have a question. Eventhough the screen now extends to two monitors (side-by-side), the windows task bar does not. It is only found on the left monitor. Is there a way to extend the task bar to the right monitor so that when I open lots of windows I can have the taskbar buttons extend to the second monitor as well?

    Thank you in advance

    Min
    • ^
    • v
    as for the taskbar quesiton...


    windows won't extend the taskbar over... again.. you'll need a thirdparty program for such things...

    like i've said before, i personally call Ultramon GOD as a multi-monitor utility.... it has a smart taskbar option that will add a taskbar to the other monitors and lets you show: windows on that screen in it, or all monitor windows.. and the wallpaper option.. drool.. lets you have two different wallpapers or one wallpaper spanned across the monitors.. plus theres the screensaver that lets you run two diffferent screensavers, a different one on each monitor, some limitatoins but pretty cool!


    as for the lcd...
    hmm...

    i'm still a bit conufsed on a few things...

    1. your video card has a dvi and crt outputs, correct?
    2. your lcd works when it is plugged into the dvi output (only monitor connected), but does not work with the crt plugged in (the crt works only)?
    3. you do not see two monitors in your Control Panel > Display Settings > Settings tab ?
    4. there are no options in the nvidia control panel for "span" or "clone" mode when both monitors are hooked up?

    ok.. so for somethings to try...

    when you hook up the monitors, you have to reboot your pc with them plugged in adn turned on for windows to know they are there initially..

    contact nvidia/your graphics card manufacturers tech support.. you might have a defective card or they might know some model specific tips....


    hope that helps a bit more.. hehe..
    peace
    seamonkey420
    • ^
    • v
    1. your video card has a dvi and crt outputs, correct? yes
    2. your lcd works when it is plugged into the dvi output (only monitor connected), but does not work with the crt plugged in (the crt works only)? yes
    3. you do not see two monitors in your Control Panel > Display Settings > Settings tab ? no i do not
    4. there are no options in the nvidia control panel for "span" or "clone" mode when both monitors are hooked up? there are but they dont do anything

    apparently nvidia doesnt do end user support, and ive been contacting sony about it but they are really dumb.

    thanks for all the effort btw.
    • ^
    • v
    I've read all the multiple monitor posts from this thread, but I am still confused. I'm not a really techie person, but I need to buy video card to hook up additional montior (doing this as a surprise for my husband who loves Flight Sim).

    So I finally talked him into getting us a new computer (got a Dell for about $1000) - before that he couldn't even play Flight Sim because we still had Windows 95, ugh.

    Anyway, as a surprise, I went out and bought a second monitor because we were reading about how you can have that with Flight Sim (and with XP). I got a good deal (I think) on a monitor from Office Max (normally $140, on sale for like $80). But now my question is---how do I hook this up? I am guessing I need to buy another video card? I called Dell and they said I'd need a "dual" video card which would be about $100-$200. I'm trying to go for the cheapest card possible (as this is just a second monitor and won't be used all the time).

    What's the best option for finding out what kind of card I need? Can I just walk into a store and easily find what I am looking for and install myself without too many hours of trying? I just am doing this by myself and I don't want to screw it up big time.

    Any thoughts/comments/ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!