DUAL Monitors - what am i doing wrong

Hmm_Messiah

I want to have two monitors at work - one with MS OFFICE open , one displaying the accounts and /or payroll packages

I have 2 monitirs
I have a split connect so both are going to one port on the pc tower
at the moment the same display is on both

I have a ATI radeon Xpress 200 card

I googled and it says it supports dual monitors.

Am I reading hat wrong - is it only allowing me identify two monitors but not customise whats on display ?

I've opened ATI catalyst center but am not getting any where, when I click on the 2nd moniotr it says " not enabled" and asks me do i want to enable - i say YES but then it makes no difference !

Admittedly I've not a clue what I am doing

When I ask it to identify monitors it will display 1 on both,

??? help

papu

right click on the desktop > go to properties > settings then click the number 2 moniter and - extend my windows desktop onto this monitor

themole

Firstly check that the cable is correct. If it is a two to one cable make sure the one end is a different size to the other two. You can run two vga monitors off of one dvi connector with some graphics cards. Thats what i do myself.

If the cable is ok you will then have to enable dual monitors. This may be done with the gaphics card sw, you mentioned ATI catalyst.

After that you will then need to select in windows to expand the desktop over two monitors, possibly under control panel -> display -> advanced. The default is usually to just replicate the same thing on both screens.

Smellyirishman

Yeah, in your settings you're looking for a select box or menu or something to set the mode. Atm it probably says clone or some such. You want to swap it to extended desktop.

Hmm_Messiah

Thanks for the replies - I am obviously doing somethign very stupid

I don't get an option to extend the desktop - some optons are shaded out

I am guessing I've the monitors connected the wrong way ?

I have the split connection (attached) connected to the tower then runnign to the VGA input for each monitor

I guess this only allows me display same desktop on both monitors

I want to work in one app on one screen, in MS offic eon the other

There is only a VGA connection on the tower, not VGA and DVI

Xp help says I need a video adaptor but not what that is and googling I can't find anything that would make sense

It would be really great if I could get this working

thanks again

sdanseo

To me it sounds like all you'll be able to do is clone one what's on one monitor onto another the way you have it - the graphics card still only has one output which is then being widened. You need to check if the card has another VGA output or else get something like Matrox Dual Head 2 Go (see GXM halfway down).

You can't follow papu's suggestion because the card will only be detecting one monitor, not two, if it only has one port.

Basically the problem is that you can only have one seperate monitor per output on the card - much like twin tuners or single tuner on a TV set. You can clone the image onto other monitors with splitters - or with Matrox, expand it so that your two monitors effectively make one that is twice the size. The cheapest thing do do, in my opinion, is swap the GFX for a cheap card with 2 ports - something like an X200 will not cost you much at all, certainly cheaper than Matrox.

Hmm_Messiah

That kinda dawned on me after reading the other posts

convincing some one here to give me a new graphics card will be fun - but then I think the advantages will outweigh and cost.

the Adaptor you refer to - I actually found on dabs I think after posting - if the adaptor would do what I want i.e. different apps open on each monitor - it might be the easier option

thanks for the fast reply

sdanseo

Just be aware that a PCI card with two ports will only set you back about €40, and you can keep your old card installed provided you have the slots. You could evn use 3 monitors then