Running a dual-monitor setup with Windows Vista

Posted by:
Brandon LeBlanc
05:52 AM Wednesday
Jun 20, 2007
75 Comments

Earlier this week I received my second Dell UltraSharp 2407FP 24-inch monitor to accompany my already in-use 2407FP monitor. I now have both 2407FP monitors connected to my ATI Radeon X1650 Pro via DVI. I have both monitors running at 1920x1200 screen resolution.

I created a video showing off running Windows Vista with multiple monitors and demonstrate Flip3D when two monitors are in use. I also talk about the ability to choose which monitor Windows Sidebar runs on.

Video: Flip3D with 2 Monitors in Windows Vista

Windows Vista's Display Settings allows you to control both your monitors. You can designate any one of the two monitors as your PC's Primary Display. Using the Identify Monitors button at the top of the Display Settings window you can identify which monitor is 1 and which is monitor 2. When I first connected my second monitor to my PC, it simply mirrored the screen from my first monitor. However, this was not the behavior I wanted. In Display Settings, I clicked on monitor 2 and checked "Extend the desktop to this monitor" to add the second monitor as usable desktop space. With this checked, I was then able to drag apps and use the second monitor's desktop as an extension of my desktop on my Primary Display.

Your PC will save the settings of the apps you drag to the second monitor. For example, I dragged Windows Live Mail over to my second monitor. When I exited Windows Live Mail and then opened it back up - it opened back up on my second monitor. Your PC will preserve - or "remember" - the settings of which monitor that app is opened up on even after rebooting.

So what do I use my second monitor for? I read a lot of RSS feeds and email throughout the day. While working on writing blog posts or editing video content, I keep Windows Live Mail opened up on the second monitor where I can watch and monitor new feeds (and email) as they arrive. I occasionally have Windows Media Center opened up and playing a recorded TV show on the second monitor while I work as well.

If you're running Windows Vista with two monitors, I'd love to hear how you're using both monitors!

You can also check out Nick's post from back in March on a PC running with 4 monitors.

The Dell UltraSharp 2407FP Monitors are Certified for Windows Vista.

Comments

ljames28

Posted on: June 20, 2007 at 6:32AM
Personally i've been using dual monitors for several years now on XP, i always used the second screen just to keep things like msn and widgets opens as well as e-mail.

I've now switched to three screens on Vista with a 7900GS and an FX5200 card, the monitors on the faster card are great but the third on the FX5200 is kinda sluggish with moving windows around. It should be said when i boot into XP all monitors are quick - the aero slows down screen 3.

I now find myself using the second screen for media centre constantly and the third for loads of gadgets open for testing.
davidacoder

Posted on: June 20, 2007 at 7:10AM
I used to have a very workable dual monitor setup by using my laptop as a second monitor for my desktop by using the incredibly cool maxivista software. Unfortunately it doesn't work anymore on Vista, or at least not with Aero Glass... They claim that MS disabled any option to get this to work, which seems a shame, if true. Are there any plans to enable this again at some time in the future? Of all things not working anymore on Vista, that one I miss the most.
Hurricane Andrew

Posted on: June 20, 2007 at 10:05AM
My only problem with my dual monitor setup (laptop display and a Dell2007WFP) is that using the laptop as the static display, and the monitor as my primary, everytime the screensaver kicks in, when I resume working, the primary and secondary monitors flip, with the laptop display taking over as primary and the monitor become the secondary.

I guess I'm just not working hard enough ;-)
Brandon LeBlanc

Posted on: June 20, 2007 at 3:44PM
Hurricane Andrew, I actually have the same monitor running on a different PC. I will hook it up to one of my laptops and see if I get the same issue.

- Brandon
qadaemon

Posted on: June 20, 2007 at 4:22PM
I have the same problem with the default display swapping back to the laptop. Even happens with a lock/unlock. Dell inspiron 9400 and 2007WFP here. Might be something with the dell hardware or the nvidia driver /shrug

--Evan
Karthik Hariharan

Posted on: June 20, 2007 at 4:47PM
I installed the beta version of Ultra Mon (a must have utility for Dual Monitors in Windows). Works okay with Vista...still not as good as the XP version though.

http://realtimesoft.com/ultramon/
JVottero

Posted on: June 20, 2007 at 11:37PM
What I have on my two monitors changes constantly. I start with Outlook in one, Visual Studio in the other. After that, anything goes.

Windows trys to remember window/monitor positions but, if I "Switch User", and then switch back, all of my windows move to monitor 1. That's not very nice.
Nish Vamadevan

Posted on: June 21, 2007 at 9:31AM
That is a known problem in Vista, I have seen that happening on two different machines... I hope MS finds the bug and sorts it out.
Hurricane Andrew

Posted on: June 21, 2007 at 2:39PM
qadaemon,

nVidia has certainly been weak with respect to Vista driver support. It wouldn't surprise me if that's where the issue lies.

Brandon,

I'd love to hear the results of your experiment when you get around to it. All I can figure is a driver issue, since the laptop dual boots Vista/XP, and dual monitor support in XP works as it should.
fragility_v2

Posted on: June 22, 2007 at 10:34PM
Ok, I have an issue that has been bothering me for a while. I have a Panasonic HDTV as my 2nd monitor. For some reason Vista does not always see it. So I have to go into Display, disable it, then enable it and all is well. Is this a normal issue (my first time using an HDTV as 2nd mon)? I cant think of a better place to ask this than here :) Thanks

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