Windows 7 - Extended screen mode in windows 7

Hello everyone,

I've got Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit on my HP laptop, and seeing as I got a new monitor as a Christmas present, I'll need to make the proper adjustments to make use of both my laptop screen and the new monitor. I've been able to change the display settings so that they are mostly to my liking, and I've even gotten the start menu to show on both screens, even though I was forced to download a 3rd party program to get this working. The problem I have not managed to get past is that whenever I run any program in full-screen mode, the program is opened on the primary screen by default. What I'd like to be able to do is to choose which screen the program should be displayed on. Is there any way to do this?

Try Windows Key + X, and click Connect Display.

Sorry but I'm not sure I understand what you mean. My displays are already connected and everything else is working fine. The only problem is that if I want to run a program in full-screen mode I am currently forced to use the primary screen for this. So, as an example, if I want to watch a movie on my primary screen while I play a game on the secondary screen, I am forced to play the game in windowed mode so that I can drag it over to my secondary screen, and I'd prefer not to do it this way.

I now realize I should have thought of a less confusing title for my post. Having said that, I still hope to find a solution for this problem (problem explained in post(s) above). Any help would be much appreciated, thank you.

Short of installing another 3rd party software, there is no way to do this with any consistency, natively, in Win 7.

There are a few tricks but they don't "stick" forever. You have to reinitialize it every now and then and, even at that, it's hit and miss. One thing I do is open the program that's opening on the wrong monitor (it needs to open maximized), restore it down, move it to the monitor I'd like to make as it's default and re-maximize the window. Close the program, re-open it and it should open on the monitor you prefer, however, as I mentioned, it's hit and miss; also, it doesn't "stick" forever when it does work.

EDIT: The window doesn't necessarily have to open maximized. I just tried it by opening my "System Properties" (Win + Break). It opens on monitor 1 in an un-maximized state. I move it to monitor 2, maximize it and restore it back down. Close it, re-open it and it opens on monitor 2. Again, move it to monitor 1, maximize it, restore it back down, close it, re-open it and it opens on monitor 1.

Thank you for the tip. I actually already tried dragging the program in windowed mode to the secondary screen and then turn full-screen mode back on, but for some reason all programs I've tried jump back to the primary screen when I turn full-screen mode back on.

Looks like I have to find another 3rd party program. My main problem is that even the program I downloaded to get my start menu to show on both screens is a trial version which I can only use for 30-days for free, and I have a feeling that I wont be able to find a free program to fix this issue either.

What is your graphics card? Newer ATI errr AMD cards have a means of doing this.
You can even remove the app for the start menu. Eyefinity makes multiplie monitors appear as one to Windows.

http://www.amd.com/US/PRODUCTS/TECHN...eyefinity.aspx

If you're using AMD's CCC, you can duplicate the display without a 3rd party application. You can also extend and swap the dispay.

Are you using CCC?

I find this issue, and Mikedl's answer, really confusing. Only certain games refuse to open full screen on other than main display, but mostly all programs and applications open fullscreen on any display in Windows 7. Natively, without third party display software.

I am using an external display with this laptop of mine. I have absolutely non whatsoever problems to open any application in fullscreen (exception some games) on either the laptop screen or the external display. I do not use any third party software to control display settings, all is done by native Windows 7 tools.

Just to demonstrate my point, here some screenshots.

Laptop screen as main display, DivX Player and WMC running fullscreen on display two (external monitor):





External monitor as main display, DivX Player and WMC running fullscreen on
display two (laptop screen):





Kari

Yes, Kari, you are confused.
My post is not dealing with the issue of full screen mode jumping of it's own accord but having it come up on the monitor of choice each time - not necessarily the primary monitor.

And, please, Kari, if you are ever going to quote me again, please don't take my words out of context or I'll start changing fonts on you.