Running two monitors with WinXP
- Thread starter sanjuro
- Start date
Plug it in and, using whichever monitor you want, go to your display settings. If two monitors show up like a normal dual-monitor display setup, you can use it. You can try rebooting in between plugging the monitor in and checking the display settings. Also try cycling through your output modes (Output to laptop screen/Output to monitor) to see if there's a third mode that will output to both.
If two monitors don't show up, your video card probably doesn't support dual output. You can check for video card driver updates, of course, to make sure, but the video card needs to have hardware support for dual output. Since dual-monitor support is native in XP, you shouldn't even need an updated driver.
If two monitors don't show up, your video card probably doesn't support dual output. You can check for video card driver updates, of course, to make sure, but the video card needs to have hardware support for dual output. Since dual-monitor support is native in XP, you shouldn't even need an updated driver.
...except, as I said, it only works if the video card supports it 
here is another question: I set it up, but I put my second monitor above my laptop. How do I change the monitor orientation so my mouse goes up to get to the next monitor, not right?
EDIT: I figured it out. It is under Display options as well. You just move the monitor orientation there.
EDIT: I figured it out. It is under Display options as well. You just move the monitor orientation there.
sanjuro said:
You can designate which is the "main" monitor too, and in some vid cards you can adjust the "landscape" or "portrait" modes for flat monitors that swivel. This is handy for having one standard horizontal monitor setup on one side, and one that runs vertically on the other side for working in spreadsheets, etc that have a ton of rows.
I do alot of data entry and database work - two monitors is essential.
Yeah, duals help me when I code for sure. I want a 3rd (wide aspect ratio) one in between the two I already have for when I play w/ video, but the card I got won't go... Wonder what a 3 or 4 head PCI-E vid card runs these days (haven't started looking yet). Back in the day, Matrox was the bomb-diggididy...
The MSI K8NGM2 motherboard I'm using has a rockin vid chip in it, (nvidia 6150) - actually useful for light gaming (Battlefield 2 runs at med to lower res pretty smooth)Pau11y said:
I've read that with a PCIe card with two outputs, you can run thre or more monitors with it. The mobo has analog AND digital output too.
I have a dual DVI 7800GT. My board is a SLI, but when I stuck a 2nd one in of the same model, my machine didn't boot. Infact, I think it may have melted my OS w/ garbage code for the vid driver.
Oh, BTW, for those of you who are running dual eyes and want some sweet wallpapers:
http://users.rsise.anu.edu.au/~fergus/wallpaper/dualscreen/
Oh, BTW, for those of you who are running dual eyes and want some sweet wallpapers:
http://users.rsise.anu.edu.au/~fergus/wallpaper/dualscreen/
I stand corrected - the mobo I have can support FOUR monitors with the right combo:
WAY too much info HERE:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=29&threadid=1803985&enterthread=y
WAY too much info HERE:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=29&threadid=1803985&enterthread=y
Nice. H8R, thanks for the tip on that mobo. Looks like that will be my next purchase. 4 monitors! I'll be the envy of all my geek friends!
Paully, Thanks for the wallpaper link.
With the nvidia software you can have seperate wallpaper settings for each monitor.
Paully, Thanks for the wallpaper link.
With the nvidia software you can have seperate wallpaper settings for each monitor.
I can remember back in the day when I was school running NT with 3 monitors... no dual heads, I had to run 3 identical cards... 3 pci Voodoo3 3000s
Is there any way to run 2 outputs from one motherboard on 2 monitors?
Say 2 powerpoint documents...
Say 2 powerpoint documents...
Hum... interesting little goings on...
I just d/l the latest certified Forceware and got dual monitor going in SLI mode (actually, I had to disable the SLI in software to get the 2nd eye going). IN SLI mode I can only do one eye. However when the mode is disabled, there are 2 DVI output/desktops and a ghost desktop originating from an analog output. Funny thing is both my cards have daul DVI's. I think the analog is the S-video/component out. Sweet, but quite useless for my purpose...
I just d/l the latest certified Forceware and got dual monitor going in SLI mode (actually, I had to disable the SLI in software to get the 2nd eye going). IN SLI mode I can only do one eye. However when the mode is disabled, there are 2 DVI output/desktops and a ghost desktop originating from an analog output. Funny thing is both my cards have daul DVI's. I think the analog is the S-video/component out. Sweet, but quite useless for my purpose...