Using Multiple Monitors

 

There have been two things in my computing life that I have said would be pried from my cold dead fingers: fast Internet, and using multiple monitors. Nothing has improved my productivity more than spreading my desktop over two monitors.

Your first reaction might be that you don't need so much screen real estate, but once you use it, you will probably never go back. I normally keep Outlook for email open on one side, and a browser open on the other. No minimizing and maximizing windows. When I'm doing other work, I can have multiple documents open, so I can, for example, copy and paste text between documents without closing windows. The effect is like having one W-I-D-E monitor. You can drag windows across the two monitors. The only requirements to do this are that you have a video card that supports it (you can install a second card in most cases), and that you have the desk space for the monitors. It also helps to have LCD, or flat, monitors, since CRTs take up so much room, but CRTs can be used.

So let's look at how to set this up:

You'll need to make sure your video card is compatible. If you have a discrete video card, meaning video that is seperate from the motherboard, it may look like this:

This card has two ports that we will be concerned with. The blue one (that is most common) is the VGA (Video Graphics Array) port. The white one (on newer cards) is the DVI (Digital Visual Interface) port. DVI is the preferred port for graphics quality. Most likely, your monitor is connected to the blue VGA port. If you don't have a cable for the DVI port, you can get an adapter that will allow you to connect a VGA corded monitor to the DVI port, and vice-versa.

So let's assume you have two monitors, and they are connected correctly.

1. Right-click anywhere on your desktop. In XP, select Properties, then the Settings tab. In Vista, select Personalize, then Display Settings. You will see a window similar to this:

 

The bolded monitor image is your current, working monitor. If you see a second, greyed-out monitor image, Windows should be aware of the second monitor.

 

 

 

2. Click the greyed-out monitor, then check Extend the Desktop to this Monitor.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Slide the resolution slider to the right until it reaches the desired resolution for the monitor.

Click Apply. The second monitor should come to life, and you are on your way.

 

If you need to, you can virtually move the monitors to position them the way you want by clicking the monitor image, and dragging it to the desired relative position. I've never had a need to do this, however.