Windows7 can't do a real fullscreen for Dual Monitor system


  1. SotM
    Posts : 3
    Windows Ultimate x64
       New #1

    Windows7 can't do a real fullscreen for Dual Monitor system


    The specs of my current comp:
    TV Tuner, nVidia GeForce 9600 GT 512 Mb, 2 identical 19" monitors Acer AL1917 (resolution is 1280x1024, connected via DVI, which gives the total resolution 2560x1024)

    For several years I've used Windows XP SP3 x86 with this hardware.
    I've taken some photos of the monitors so it can be easily understood.
    1. Desktop

    2. Right click on the desktop to see this menu (NVIDIA Control Panel & nView Desktop Manager are present there)

    3. Settings of NVIDIA Control Panel (Horizontal Span)

    4. nView dialog window

    5. Video player plays fullscreen over 2 monitors (Media Player Classic, Light Alloy & Windows Media Player)

    (P.S. The video is The Bourne Supremacy)
    6. TV Tuner plays in windowed mode

    7. TV Tuner plays in fullscreen mode

    8. TV Tuner plays in fullscreen mode (#2)

    9. Youtube playing fullscreen

    10. Youtube playing fullscreen (#2)

    11. Video settings in a game (Call of Duty - Black Ops), maximum available resolution is 2560x1024 (which is obvious)

    12. Game plays in fullscreen mode over 2 monitors

    13. Game plays in fullscreen mode over 2 monitors (#2)


    So Windows XP supports Dual Monitor in fullscreen without any additional software. And it is very good.

    And now I installed Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 x64 (on a separated drive)
    1. Desktop (I used the same background image). And it looks the same.

    2. Right click on the desktop to see this menu (only NVIDIA Control Panel is present here. I guess nVidia removed nView feature from the drivers for Windows 7).

    3. Settings of NVIDIA Control Panel

    4. Windows settings for the monitors.

    5. Video player plays fullscreen only within one single monitor (Media Player Classic, Light Alloy)

    6. Video player plays fullscreen only within one single monitor (Windows Media Player)

    7. TV Tuner plays in windowed mode

    8. TV Tuner plays in fullscreen mode, but only within one single monitor

    9. Youtube plays video so to speak in fullscreen mode

    10. Youtube plays video so to speak in fullscreen mode (#2)

    11. Video settings in a game (Call of Duty - Black Ops), maximum available resolution is 1280x1024 (which is lame)


    I use the latest nVidia drivers 332.21 (for WinXP SP3 x86 and for Win7 Ultimate x64)

    So the obvious question is: What happened to Dual Monitor fullscreen support in Windows 7 as compared to Windows XP? It seems like Win7 has a limited support, and it's very lame.
    I've looked through several forums but couldn't find any useful answers.
    I thought the time has come and I wanted to finally move from WinXP to Win7, but right now I kind of doubt that Win7 is much better...
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  3. logicearth
    Posts : 5,642
    Windows 10 Pro (x64)
       New #2

    The difference between the two systems is not Windows XP or Windows 7 feature set, its the drivers for your video card. In your own screen shots in the Nvidia control panel you setup "Horizontal Span" on the Windows XP machine. That is the feature that is giving you the desired effect. (This feature is not built into Windows XP.)

    Today, things are much different with the Nvidia drivers, the functionality that you are looking for is under a different system. Which problem will not function. Nvidia calls it Surround.
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  4. SotM
    Posts : 3
    Windows Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       New #3

    Thanks for the answer.
    Surround? Where and how can I get? Is it possible to get it to work under Windows 7?
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  6. logicearth
    Posts : 5,642
    Windows 10 Pro (x64)
       New #4

    Surround would do what you want but...it requires SLI and other things.

    Unless Nvidia brings back nView, you won't be able to do what you want on Windows 7.
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  7. SotM
    Posts : 3
    Windows Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    Requires SLI? This is quite a surprise. To be honest this is lame.
    It is weird why Nvidia decided to make it so hard for users...
    So there is no other way to use a single Nvidia card for such things on Windows 7?!

    What if I change my old Nvidia card to something like GTX650 but from AMD/ATI? I've never worked with ATI video cards, maybe they have the required functionality?
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