Dual Monitors

[Phase]

I'm using two 22'' Widescreens both connected to my current nVidia 9800GT Vidcard, is there a way to extend screen 1 to screen 2? For example, having the taskbar start on screen 1 and finish on screen 2? I know in the nVidia control panel it just lets you run multiple displays...

would I need an additional vid card? I'm planning to ugprade to the gtx285 soon..

 

[CyberZeus]

Hi! I think you can't. I use two monitors like you and I can't figure out how to do it.

 

[smarteyeball]

There is no horizontal span availability in Seven.

The closet you can get is to use 3rd party apps like Display Fusion or Ultramon. With these you can add a taskbar to your secondary screen (however it doesn't function like the main taskbar ie no pinable icons, or start orb etc)

Realtime Soft UltraMon

DisplayFusion: Multi-Monitor Taskbar and Desktop Wallpaper|Binary Fortress Software

 

[drywallguy]

Ultramon is the superior of the 2 IMO. I've tried each. True you can't pin icons, but windows opened on second monitor will minimize to that taskbar. Also you can make the left monitor your second with the app.
If you use Aero and Windows 7 you must drag to the right.

 

[johnhoh]

Ultramon is the superior of the 2 IMO. I've tried each. True you can't pin icons, but windows opened on second monitor will minimize to that taskbar. Also you can make the left monitor your second with the app.
If you use Aero and Windows 7 you must drag to the right.

I use displayfusion and like it. Why do you feel Ultramon is better? I migrated from ultramon to displayfusion 6 months ago when ultramon was having problems on win7 64-bit.

 

[Phase]

Does either of them give you the ability to run full screen mode on one screen while using the other screen to do regular stuff? i.e. can i watch a movie will in full screen mode on monitor 1, and browse the internet/chat/etc on monitor 2 without minimizing full screen mode on 1?

 

[zezasu]

I can do that with gom player watching movies and such. If you do it on the 1st main screen and work/surf the web make sure you make the task manager not pop or auto hide it. it works better on 2nd screen while working on the first screen. Flash on a web browser doesn't work so if i want to see a video on you-tube you have to press the option to make a pop video player and maximize it. I am pretty windows media player does it also.

Slide show for pictures blackouts though.

 

[drywallguy]

John, oddly enough displayfusiom was buggy for me with Windows 7x64. Maybe it's a crap shoot as to which works for a particular setup. have to love free trials.
Phase, yes ultramon will let you watch a full screen movie and work at the same time. Works with WMP.
I do use monitor 2 for the video so I have the full task bar function on monitor 1 .
Try both to see what works for you.

 

[Zepher]

Ultramon is the superior of the 2 IMO. I've tried each. True you can't pin icons, but windows opened on second monitor will minimize to that taskbar. Also you can make the left monitor your second with the app.
If you use Aero and Windows 7 you must drag to the right.

Confused with what you mean with that statement.
Are you saying with Aero enabled that only the right screen can be your secondary monitor?
What happens with 3 monitors using the Primary in the center?

 

[zezasu]

Ultramon is the superior of the 2 IMO. I've tried each. True you can't pin icons, but windows opened on second monitor will minimize to that taskbar. Also you can make the left monitor your second with the app.
If you use Aero and Windows 7 you must drag to the right.

Confused with what you mean with that statement.
Are you saying with Aero enabled that only the right screen can be your secondary monitor?
What happens with 3 monitors using the Primary in the center?

I enjoy ultra mon way better and I think I know what he is talking about. I tired out display fusion and the thing about it is, when you minimize it zips trough my first primary even though its on my second monitor. It does minimize into the task bar on the second screen though. With ultra mon it minimizes on my second screen and nothing graphical happens on the first screen. It allows for the minimizing action to appear on the second screen correctly as if it were just a single monitor.

And other topics is you can fix how the screen works inside Ultra mon instead of going into ATI/Nvidia or the screen resoultion since its built in I think

I hope you understood the way I explained it to you.
The way it handles wallpapers is also nice. While not visually appealing it and shiny it, works and works in the way I enjoy about it. Also the hot keys are much more simple to me to fix imo. I am glad to play for it.

 

[Yey456726]

I just hocked up my my second display to my laptop and changed the arrangement and it works fine. I changed some settings in the "Adjust Screen Resolution" control panel.

 

[Zepher]

I am using Ultramon 3.0.7 Beta and when I minimize on the right screen the animation goes on the primary screen.

EDIT: I just installed the latest version and it still animates down from the secondary to primary screen.

 

[zezasu]

Thats weird it works alright for me, thats why i liked it. I am using 3.10 though, maybe that might be something wrong? I know for some time i didnt like it even on vista awhile back.

 

[Zepher]

I am using 3.10 now as well. Maybe it is an Nvidia thing.

 

[drywallguy]

If you use Aero and Windows 7 you must drag to the right.[/QUOTE]

Confused with what you mean with that statement.
Are you saying with Aero enabled that only the right screen can be your secondary monitor?
What happens with 3 monitors using the Primary in the center?[/QUOTE]

Sorry
What I should have said was with no 3rd party app Aero Snaps stops movement at the left of the primary screen. My secondary was left but I had to drag right to get to it. A little hard to get used to. Thats when I went shopping for apps.

 

[zezasu]

If you use Aero and Windows 7 you must drag to the right.

Confused with what you mean with that statement.
Are you saying with Aero enabled that only the right screen can be your secondary monitor?
What happens with 3 monitors using the Primary in the center?

Sorry
What I should have said was with no 3rd party app Aero Snaps stops movement at the left of the primary screen. My secondary was left but I had to drag right to get to it. A little hard to get used to. Thats when I went shopping for apps.

I know what you can do its pretty neat trick. You use windows log key and left or right to bounce it to one side of the monitor ( areo snaps). It works and if you do <- <- twice it will move it to the monitor on the left side. Vice versa for the right. Windows + up arrow makes it max and down arrow puts it to the regular box before it was maxed and then down again will minimize it. I think there is a section for windows tricks to use for W7.

 

[drywallguy]

Thanks for the heads up on that trick zezasu!
I'm still using 3.07 with no problems (ATI) with 1 exception. The other day when I booted up all the shortcuts and files from screen 2 jumped to screen 1 stacked on top of each other. No telling what was up with that.

 

[zezasu]

Thanks for the heads up on that trick zezasu!
I'm still using 3.07 with no problems (ATI) with 1 exception. The other day when I booted up all the shortcuts and files from screen 2 jumped to screen 1 stacked on top of each other. No telling what was up with that.

are you using Ultra mon? or nothing or display fusion?

On ultra mon you can lock your shortcuts and files.
There is a save position and if they do switch you can restore them if you saved it previously. Also it might have jumped because your secondary display stopped or blacked out and the graphics must have thought you wanted only one screen.

[[Find the ultra mon on your task-bar or the little box that hides it, right click and go to Desktop icons to find it.]]

The only other thing I can think of is when windows is loading and you have set up a password or login instead of automatic, ( on mine my secondary blacks out for a second even on auto login ) and you didn't log in fast enough so windows was pre loaded and saw one monitor so it moved your items to the primary desktop before you were even logged in? prefetch stuff I think?

 

[drywallguy]

I'm using UltraMon and Stardock Fences. The latter may have something to do with it. No password and my secondary flickers also. I'll try the save position. Thanks

 

[zezasu]

Which ATi card do you have? I know the 5850 has some problems with screen flicker and such and such. Why, because I had it to and I used the hot-fix and had to reboot 2 times and it got fixed. I think the ATi CCC has way to save positions also.