Comments on: How do I setup dual monitors in Windows Vista?

By: James

James — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:53:42 +0000

I recently upgraded from XP media Center to Vista Ultimate, my dual monitor setup worked fine on XP but for some reason Vista Ultimate will not rgister two monitors and every time i do updates it switches my monitors, lol conspiracy??? HELP!!!

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:01:16 +0000

hey. my nvidia 9400 has one slot for monitors, but i was wondering if i could just use integrated graphics to run my second monitor. thanks

By: Kim

Kim — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:57:32 +0000

I have a dell inspirion 530S and I am trying to set it up with a dual monitor. I went to display settings and it show Monitor 1 and Monitor 2. I set Monitor 1 just like you said. When I click on Monitor 2 and click the extended to desk and then I try to change the resolution, it will not allow me to change the resolution. I click apply and it asks me “Do I want to keep these changes” and I clicked yes. But when you move Monitor #2 to the left of Monitor #1 it asks me do I want to enable it; I clicked yes and then apply. But for some reason, after you click apply; it show Monitor #2 as disabled? Help, Please.

By: Dan Shavalier

Dan Shavalier — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:04:06 +0000

Thanks for the simple answer to something that I had never done on my new Vista but was working fine when I plugged another monitor in.

The “problem” is – - – It just quit working ‘overnight’ (literally).

Thanks again,
Dan

By: Sootah

Sootah — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:54:05 +0000

Update – I’ve moved since the previous post showing my Samsung LN46A750 television setup as my third display. That television is now used in another room, and I have a 19″ wide aspect-ratio Dell E198WFPf LCD monitor in its place.

This display (top right in the screenshot below) is hooked up to my new IOGEAR GCS632U 2-Port USB KVM. This makes it incredibly easy to work on multiple machines using the same monitor, mouse, and keyboard as my primary desktop computer.

If you’ve not tried a multi-machine setup this way – I highly recommend it. Not only does it free up desk space, but it also makes the actual hookup of extra computers far easier. All I have to do is plug the KVM’s secondary cable set into the computer I’m working on and then I simply hit scroll lock twice in rapid succession to switch back and forth between the two computers. I have a third monitor and workbench monitor all wrapped up into one tidy package!

If any of you do decide to use a KVM, then IOGear is the ONLY way to go. I’ve had Belkin and Linksys KVMs previous to the GCS632U, and they simply don’t work that well. The IOGear, on the other hand, works flawlessly.

By: Sootah

Sootah — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 04:05:05 +0000

No, a splitter will not work for desktop extension. It will only display the same thing on both ports because it is only duplicating the display to both.

In order to get real dual monitors working you’ll need to get another video card with more than one D-Sub or DVI port. Alternatively, you may be able to install a second video card with just one video out port on it and hook your other monitor up to that assuming that your motherboard will allow both the onboard video adapter and an aftermarket one to work at the same time.

By: LF

LF — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:24:58 +0000

Does this work if you use a splitter? I have managed to get 2 monitors but only displaying the same thing – can’t get one to be an extension of the other (and on the NVidia control panel, the 2nd monitor isn’t recognised).

By: Sootah

Sootah — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:42:30 +0000

Try plugging your new monitor into the primary display port to make sure it works. Does your monitor have both a D-Sub and a DVI hookup? If so, perhaps your monitor is trying to access the other connection and is ignoring the one you have hooked up.

For instance, I can switch my Samsung 216BW over to the D-Sub connection, and then it gives me the “No Signal” error because I have it hooked up via DVI.

I assume that the Windows Display properties now allow you to extend the desktop onto the secondary display port?

By: Ty

Ty — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:07:07 +0000

hey

thanks for the quick response, i updated my driver and it gave me more options in the nvidia control panel to customize my two monitors. so it acknowledges the second monitor, yet it does not wake it up from its sleep mode and make it usuable.

if i turn the second monitor off then back on it says: NO SIGNAL INPUT

not sure if that helps to narrow down the problem.

By: Sootah

Sootah — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:33:00 +0000

Try installing the updated drivers from nVidia at the link above. Make sure that "Extend the desktop onto this monitor" is checked for it, the resolution is set correctly, as well as the position is set correctly. Generally speaking, that's all it should take. You also may have to do a little configuring in the nVidia control panel to get it working, but with an nVidia card (I also own an 8800, as well as a 7800 for my third monitor, which happens to be a 46" Samsung LN46A750 LCD TV) the Windows Display Settings should be all that's required. It's all I had to do to get my setup working, anyway. Beautiful, eh? Usually I just use the TV to run Windows Media Center (as shown in the picture), Windows Media Player 11, or Hulu on it, but sometimes it's nice to have a place that's out of the way of my regular workspace to drag an application or document up to for reference. Comes in QUITE handy while programming. Here's a shot of the Windows Display Settings config for my setup: