Full screen program on secondary monitor?

[BCXtreme]

Hey,

Is there any way in Windows 7 to force a specific full-screen program (like a game) to open on a secondary monitor? Or does full-screen stuff only work on the primary monitor?

- Phil

 

[torrentg]

Many games have a setting in the options screen. Some ask you to choose your monitor when starting. Some you can hack to do so. They're all different.

 

[Antman]

I have a couple of apps that I run full screen in the second monitor. They open there automatically when the monitor is on. Sun VBox and Hulu Desktop.

The apps just seem to remember their position. I made no setting.

 

[MsFunk]

Are you trying to do this because you prefer the position of your second monitor, or because you want to still be able to see the taskbar while playing?

I haven't been able to get any fullscreen games to run on my secondary monitor without switching it to the primary, but before I open them, I just unlock my taskbar and drag it to the second monitor so I can still see it while I'm playing.

 

[BCXtreme]

Sorry for not responding over the weekend. The computer I want to do this on is a 16.4" laptop with a 22" external monitor. The screen on the laptop itself needs to be primary, but I want to play games on the larger monitor.

 

[Antman]

Do the games fail to remember the preferred monitor?

 

[BCXtreme]

Do the games fail to remember the preferred monitor?

I can't get them onto the preferred monitor in the first place. Well, if I put the game into windowed mode, I can drag it onto the second monitor. But then when I put it back in full-screen mode, it goes back to the primary monitor.

 

[TheTeZ]

what about running the game in a window. dragging that window to the 2nd monitor and maximizing the full window on that 2nd monitor.

To get a game or other full screen program to open in a window Create a shortcut to the program you want to run, Than right click and go to properties, Change the target to "Application or Game Location (this is already here)" -window ( or -w or /w depends on the program your trying to run)

it would look like this : "C:/games/worms" -window (actually i believe worms uses -w)

play around with it, see if it works.

 

[Lordbob75]

Gamers window relocater will relocate any windowed window set to the resolution of the monitor. This means if you set a game to windowed mode at the same resolution as the monitor, then you can move it over and it will move it over so it looks full screen.

~Lordbob

 

[BCXtreme]

what about running the game in a window. dragging that window to the 2nd monitor and maximizing the full window on that 2nd monitor.

To get a game or other full screen program to open in a window Create a shortcut to the program you want to run, Than right click and go to properties, Change the target to "Application or Game Location (this is already here)" -window ( or -w or /w depends on the program your trying to run)

it would look like this : "C:/games/worms" -window (actually i believe worms uses -w)

play around with it, see if it works.

I can't play this particular game in windowed mode, because it's an RTS with edge panning (move the cursor to the edge of the screen to pan around the view). In windowed mode, this feature becomes nearly impossible to use.

Gamers window relocater will relocate any windowed window set to the resolution of the monitor. This means if you set a game to windowed mode at the same resolution as the monitor, then you can move it over and it will move it over so it looks full screen.

~Lordbob

Would you know if this program actually restricts cursor movement to the game's window only?

 

[Lordbob75]

Gamers window relocater will relocate any windowed window set to the resolution of the monitor. This means if you set a game to windowed mode at the same resolution as the monitor, then you can move it over and it will move it over so it looks full screen.

~Lordbob

Would you know if this program actually restricts cursor movement to the game's window only?

It does not. I would not use it if it did.

Though if the game is an FPS that locks the cursor, you may need to alt-tab out.

~Lordbob

 

[BCXtreme]

Gamers window relocater will relocate any windowed window set to the resolution of the monitor. This means if you set a game to windowed mode at the same resolution as the monitor, then you can move it over and it will move it over so it looks full screen.

~Lordbob

Would you know if this program actually restricts cursor movement to the game's window only?

It does not. I would not use it if it did.

Though if the game is an FPS that locks the cursor, you may need to alt-tab out.

~Lordbob

Unfortunately, this program can't solve my issue then, as this particular game has features that are severely inhibited if the cursor can be moved off of the window. However, this program may be able to solve another, unrelated problem I've been having, so thanks for mentioning it!

 

[Lordbob75]

Would you know if this program actually restricts cursor movement to the game's window only?

It does not. I would not use it if it did.

Though if the game is an FPS that locks the cursor, you may need to alt-tab out.

~Lordbob

Unfortunately, this program can't solve my issue then, as this particular game has features that are severely inhibited if the cursor can be moved off of the window. However, this program may be able to solve another, unrelated problem I've been having, so thanks for mentioning it!

I would recommend giving it a try on the game anyways. Depending on the game, it should not matter (unless it is an FPS, or a game where it ALREADY locks it in. It will STILL lock if it does, thus no worries)

~Lordbob

 

[BCXtreme]

I would recommend giving it a try on the game anyways. Depending on the game, it should not matter (unless it is an FPS, or a game where it ALREADY locks it in. It will STILL lock if it does, thus no worries)

~Lordbob

That's the problem: this game doesn't lock in the cursor when it's in windowed mode. It only locks in the cursor if the game itself is set to full-screen mode.

 

[Lordbob75]

I would recommend giving it a try on the game anyways. Depending on the game, it should not matter (unless it is an FPS, or a game where it ALREADY locks it in. It will STILL lock if it does, thus no worries)

~Lordbob

That's the problem: this game doesn't lock in the cursor when it's in windowed mode. It only locks in the cursor if the game itself is set to full-screen mode.

Then you may want to see if there is a setting to change monitors in game.

~Lordbob

 

[BCXtreme]

Then you may want to see if there is a setting to change monitors in game.

~Lordbob

Already checked that. As far as I can tell, there is no way to do it from within the game. I will check on the developer's forums and see if there is a hidden way to do it.

 

[TheTeZ]

what about running the game in a window. dragging that window to the 2nd monitor and maximizing the full window on that 2nd monitor.

To get a game or other full screen program to open in a window Create a shortcut to the program you want to run, Than right click and go to properties, Change the target to "Application or Game Location (this is already here)" -window ( or -w or /w depends on the program your trying to run)

it would look like this : "C:/games/worms" -window (actually i believe worms uses -w)

play around with it, see if it works.

I can't play this particular game in windowed mode, because it's an RTS with edge panning (move the cursor to the edge of the screen to pan around the view). In windowed mode, this feature becomes nearly impossible to use.

Gamers window relocater will relocate any windowed window set to the resolution of the monitor. This means if you set a game to windowed mode at the same resolution as the monitor, then you can move it over and it will move it over so it looks full screen.

what game would this be? ive used this trick for many games that use edge panning. when you put it in a window, and then drag that window onto the monitor you want, than maximize it on that monitor (make sure the window is all to mostly in the screen you want) it will be a maximized screen and edge panning will still work... give it a shot.

 

[BCXtreme]

what game would this be? ive used this trick for many games that use edge panning. when you put it in a window, and then drag that window onto the monitor you want, than maximize it on that monitor (make sure the window is all to mostly in the screen you want) it will be a maximized screen and edge panning will still work... give it a shot.

The game is Sins of a Solar Empire (great game, BTW). I will try to test your idea ASAP ... ATM the secondary screen on my primary machine is dead, but should have it back up by the weekend. I'll test your idea and get back to you before I start upgrading to the retail Windows 7.

 

[TheTeZ]

so how goes it?

 

[curtdragon]

I know this is old but did you ever figure this out?
I had the same problem but what I did was used my NVidia control panel and made 2 profiles. One that uses my desktop monitor as primary and only display then when I want to play games I switch to a second profile using my HDTV as primary and monitor as secondary. The games and whatever opens full screen on the TV now. You can also customize it to auto change teh profile when the game is launched