Dual Monitor Setup question

[DarylVTR]

At work i have just installed a dual monitor setup for the music department. All is working ok, but the task bar is only across 1 screen. Also if you maximise a window it just fills the primary monitor, not the secondary aswell. If you manually stretch the window or roll the mouse over it goes onto the secondary monitor no problems.

So questions are

1) Is it possible / How do I make the task bar stretch across both screens?

2) What is the correct method for setting these up?

Thanks! :) :A:

[betty02]

This any good?

http://freepctech.com/pc/001/guide_dual_monitors.shtml

If not i will write a guide, you using 3 GFX cards or a VGA splitter?

[Scattle]

Something like this?
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i144/manutd1808/duel.jpg

[DarylVTR]

yup just like that but only 2 monitors not 3

[Scattle]

That guide betty put up is pretty decent, not sure myself tbh. To set them up don;t you just use Vga and/or dvi cables....

[Karl]

Never done this myself, how do you go about doing this?

[betty02]

Its all about the normal [proeprties, so rigt click abckground, then go to properties, Settings, should then see a HUGe number 1 & 2 then just go into advance and mess about in there somewere, the guides you best bet!

[Scattle]

Never done this myself, how do you go about doing this?

Graphics cards can have more than one output. the back of your computer first and see if you've got two outputs.

If not, you can buy a replacement graphics card with two outputs fairly cheaply. Older cards may have two VGA outputs, but it's common now for them to have 1 VGA and 1 DVI, or even 2 DVIs.

[betty02]

best thing i would say is 2 GFX cards they should function automaticly to run dual and spread start bar backgrounds etc, or you can get a VGA splitter, which i dont think it's possible to do it with as it thinks it only has one monitor still its just splitting the signal!

[Karl]

Cool beans.

Off the top of their head, anyone know if the 8500 GT or 8600 GT has 2 outputs?

[Karl]

best thing i would say is 2 GFX cards they should function automaticly to run dual and spread start bar backgrounds etc, or you can get a VGA splitter, which i dont think it's possible to do it with as it thinks it only has one monitor still its just splitting the signal!

its gotta be possible with a splitter, its done in one of the Language labs at my school, just not got round to looking at it.

[betty02]

It is but it's alot more difficult and stuff, i think we just used some crappy freeware when we did hours, had 5 displays in the studio and stuff and they were just spread right across was pathetic tbh!

as for your other question the 8500 GT has 1 VGa and 1 DVi 1 s-video, the 8600 GT has 2 DVI and S-Video iirc?

I plan on making this when i rebuild my custom desk!!

http://www.fileslinger.com/images/Ur-Guru-Monitors.jpg

[Karl]

O_o some people take PCs far too serious,
I mean...
wow.

on the topic of 8500GT and 8600GT is it worth paying an extra£35 for the 86?

[Scattle]

Some info here on the 8500gt and 8600gt http://www.pro-clockers.com/review.php?id=216&page=4

[Karl]

"A look at the numbers would say that it will offer near GTS number performance and totally crushing the 8500GT"

Sold it to me instantly, cheers.

[betty02]

Personally i would of aswell without reading that!! i was going to get the 8600GT but theres anothr which is about the same rpice can't remeber which has HDMI whihc i was tempted buy but then decided to get a mac book instead haha!

[Karl]

Id love a MacBook, but the gf getting one, so buying a budget Gaming PC, not for much, mainly media and a bit of Online MMORPG.

[betty02]

was looking on ebay this morning at another one, as i dropped mine :( and i saw one on there for £400 i think it was, which i was really supprised at, just didnt come with an OS, but weasy 2 aquire that, was really tempted!

Not really into gaming myself but im right in saying its just a shit hot PC?

[Karl]

Sorry to thread Hi-Jack, but what sort of performance increase am I gonna see If I opt to buy a bigger power supply.

for example as a basic spec:
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.66Ghz processor
4 GB 667mhz RAM
250GB HDD.
8600GT Graphics card..

Why should I buy a 600W PSU over a 400W PSU when a 400 will work?

[betty02]

400 will still work but it bassically split for each molex, so theres so much power going to the mobo, so much to HD , CD Drive etc etc, so the mroe power you've got the more power its going to run things and like a human the more power they got the better they are , logically speaking!

[Karl]

:/ so your saying my PC wont be fully functional? :S

[betty02]

No sorry...it will still be fully functional, it's hard to explain, it just that with the mroe power things could possibly be done faster as it has more power, its kinda hard to explain, also better if your powering alot of things and stuff, bassically the more power the better, but i don't see much diffrence in performance, it's worth paying the extra little bit 9depending on brand) for the extra power for future expansion etc

[Karl]

is it worth an extra £30 in your opinion to go from 400 > 600.

[betty02]

in my opinion? No, well yes, well depends what your planning on running, for a gaming PC, i wouldn't hold back mate, but if its a non branded PSU then try ebuyer there 600's are pretty cheap!

EDIT: Not sure on your budget but this is a gud'en

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/116522

[betty02]

love this one http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/info_1727.html

http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/1727.jpg

[DarylVTR]

havnt read it all yet but yeh the graphics card is a Geforce 7600GS only £39 but has 2 outputs. 1 x vga and 1 x dvi, got 2 VGA monitors with a dvi splitter. works ok just the task bar i wondered whether i could change it

[betty02]

the guide should deffo help you mate, if you get a window open and drag dead fast of one screen as if u was going of one monitor with the mouse to the other kind of thing with the window does it mvoe it to the 2nd screen?

[Karl]

That does look awesome betty, but the majority of the time, its only gonna be used for Media, watching downloaded films, music, iTunes, and playing a game thats like running on the Original Unreal tournament engine.
So I reckon itll be fine at 400W...

[betty02]

400 should be fine really for any PC, my HTPC has only got a 360W in, and that has no problems at all! Should be fine ;)

[Karl]

Im sure it will be,
Gonna get Vista Home Premium with it....
Hopefully there wont be any compatability issues with the only PC game I like, lol...

[Mystic]

At work i have just installed a dual monitor setup for the music department. All is working ok, but the task bar is only across 1 screen. Also if you maximise a window it just fills the primary monitor, not the secondary aswell. If you manually stretch the window or roll the mouse over it goes onto the secondary monitor no problems.

So questions are

1) Is it possible / How do I make the task bar stretch across both screens?

2) What is the correct method for setting these up?

Thanks! :) :A:

Wooooooahhhhh, Daryl got hijacked so bad that hes even participating in his own hijacking :hijack:

I used to use a great pice of software to do this but the name has escaped me. It extends the taskbar accross both screens though & each task bar contains the windows only on its own screen.

Also up next to the close/restore/minimise buttons you get 2 extra buttons.
1 to maximise a window over both monitors
and another to chuck the window onto the other monitor

Just done a quickj search & theres one called Oscars Taskbar (http://www.mediachance.com/free/multimon.htm) but ill keep trying to remember what the oen i used was called. :sad:

[Karl]

..ps, sorry for the thread hijack.

[DarylVTR]

Thanks Mystic gonna try that software now!

As for PSU, no performance increase to upgrade to bigger 1. Its just how many devices you want and giving it sufficient power to run everything.

Ive got a 700W Jeantech STORM psu and its perfect but only bought it cos it looked pritty as its modulated :)

[Mystic]

Ive got a cheap ass QTEC 550W PSU which i bought as a temp replacement when my last one became to weak. Bloody thing has lasted 5 years... Not bad for a cheap brand lol, cost me all of £12



































































BOOM
*Mystic has gone offline*

[DarylVTR]

Cheap ones tend to HISS or Whine after awhile which is y i forked out for the jeantech. Been ideal so farr in my Antec 900!

Mystic do you know if that extends the bar across or gives you 2 different task bars?

[Karl]

Sweet, the 400W will do for what im using it for then. :)

[Mystic]

Cheap ones tend to HISS or Whine after awhile which is y i forked out for the jeantech. Been ideal so farr in my Antec 900!

Mystic do you know if that extends the bar across or gives you 2 different task bars?

Same thing...isnt it?

Your primary monitor keeps the start button & possibley the system tray. & the extra monitor just gets a bluebar.

My legend of a PSU doesnt whine & has been runing without fans in it for the past year lol :P

[betty02]

no fans eh not bad, as far as i knew if you did it threw windows then everything stays on the left unless you get som manyu porgrams open and then they start to open on the right bar if that makes sence?

But the software i used pushed everything acros

[betty02]

This any good?

http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=513628

[Jacko]

im gunna hook my lap top up to three otherlaptops...see hoe this turns out..

[DarylVTR]

rite update........ DONE

Mystic you are a legend. That software does just the job! It allowes you to have 2 windows open full screen on left and right hand screen by the click of a button! Its brilliant just what we needed.

[Scattle]

Good to see it's done.

[Mystic]

No problemos mate. I should be a tech section mod tbh. My head is filled with random PC knowledge & firm opinions on the iphone :P

[98silvervts]

i set mine at work duel screen.. (Dell with onboad video)
i added a pci video card and ran the onboard and pci together ...

at home i used a duel head card vga & dvi...

sorry i only used the task bar on one screen...

[RootDogg]

http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/

You can't actually stretch the taskbar over in windows but this program does..

If you need a "Thing" pm me