Dual monitor set up help.

scottyb · 17 Nov 2013

HI Guys - thanks in advance for any help.

New Dell XPS desktop. I'm having trouble setting up dual monitors. Had them set up before. But so much is new. I need help. Nvidia 650GT. Fresh install of windows 7. Updated. Both monitors work. They just won't work together.
They will duplicate but they wont 'extend'. The mouse simply won't travel screen to screen. Both screen power up. Resolution recognizes both monitors by model # = Acer G215VH and ViewSonic VA2703
The Nvidia control panel recognizes both monitors also.
The device manager shows The Viewsonic with the latest driver.
The second driver is identified as PNP monitor and says best driver installed but it doesn't list the acer by name... ? When I search drivers for Acer I find only vista 32bit drivers - sorry to be so long here.
Both screens are same resolution and refresh rate although different sizes ?
Acer is on VGA cable and VA2703 is on a VID cable, these are the two jacks this card has.

techhead287 · 17 Nov 2013

What version of Windows 7 are you using? Windows 7 Starter?

scottyb · 17 Nov 2013

I'm using windows 7 home premium 64 bit, thank you.

AddRAM · 17 Nov 2013

Right click on your desktop, click screen resolution and post a pic of the window.

What is a VID cable ?

Also post a link to your exact video card.

smarteyeball · 17 Nov 2013

AddRAM said:

What is a VID cable ?

Either shorthand for video cable or DVI cable.

It may be easier using the Windows Screen resolution setup

Try right clicking the desktop > Screen resolution

From there you should see your primary screen (the laptop screen) and a blanked out pic of the external monitor.

Click on the disabled display and select "extend these displays" > Apply

By rights you should now have an extended display instead of cloned mode.

The drivers shouldn't matter. It will most likely show up as PNP monitor.

scottyb · 17 Nov 2013

Thank you for your suggestions guys, Yes I meant DVI-D cable.

Both monitors work when selected as primary the screen and both work in 'duplicate display' mode but only #1 works in 'extend display' mode and mouse courser can not go from screen to screen at any time.

Kari · 17 Nov 2013

Hi Scotty, welcome to the Seven Forums.

Does the Windows Screen Resolution tool show the displays as they are located on your desk? I mean, if your main display is at left and your secondary display at right, does the tool show the same, number 1 on left display and number 2 on right?

If not, you can drag and drop the display icons in Screen Resolution tool as you wish. An example:

Originally I had Display 1 at left, Display 2 at right. Now I have physically moved my secondary display (2.) on my desk from right to left, I also need to change how they are displayed in Screen Resolution tool, because only the location of displays as shown in Screen Resolution tool determines how the mouse pointer moves from one display to another.

Original situation, I select the display 2 and drag it in to a new position to the left of display 1:

Dual monitor set up help.-2013-11-17_225106.jpg

Now the display icons are located as the real displays on my desk, display 2 at left and display 1 at right:

Dual monitor set up help.-2013-11-17_225214.jpg

Notice that you can set the display icons exactly as you want to but you need to remember that the way you organize the display icons determines the area and direction where mouse can move from one display to another. See the screenshot below; the top and bottom red arrows show where mouse cannot move over the edge to the next display, the highlighted yellow area and the bidirectional arrow in it show where mouse can move over the display border to the next display:

Dual monitor set up help.-2013-11-17_225435.jpg

More here: Dual Monitor issue GTX 260

Kari

scottyb · 17 Nov 2013

You are a genius!
One thousand thank yous.
The fix was as simple as swapping the display icons

Kari · 17 Nov 2013

You are welcome :).

AddRAM · 17 Nov 2013

Thought you would have tried that already, but glad you got it sorted. :)