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General discussion

Using two monitors on one PC Windows XP

by bunniegirl Feb 19, 2009 8:25AM PST

Greetings.

WOO HOO! I have two monitors going for the first time...eva...and my question is on the secondary monitor...should there be a windows task bar? More importantly, Can there be a windows task bar?

I may be confusing the terms cloning, mirroring, etc. But as it is now...the two monitors combined actually form an extended desktop of computer #1. I can drag and drop items between the two. Is this as good as it gets? Or can I actually give the second monitor commands to grab a website like CNET and the other monitor grab a website like Cookinglight? Again I would need windows to do that, right?

Be gentle...and I just a toddler in this stuff. Thanks.

Not sure if it is important:
#1 is Samsung flat screen 24" dvi-d single
#2 is Sony CRT 21" vga to dvi converter
to a Nividia GEforce pci card second port

Discussion is locked

3 Posts
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Ahh, the joys of two monitors.
by MarkFlax Former Forum moderator Feb 19, 2009 7:53PM PST

I have two myself, and couldn't do without them now. You're right, there is no component of Windows itself that will stretch the Taskbar across two monitors unless they are mirrored. I don't know if there are any 3rd party utilities available.

You can move the taskbar across to the other monitor if you like, or you can 'pretend' there's an extended taskbar. I had a few spare moments a while ago and decided to be frivolous and create my own extended taskbar. The image is here;
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9948/2monitorsgo7.jpg

It's just an MSPaint desktop image with the taskbar copied, pasted, and horizontally reversed.

Visitors to my home just sigh and ignore me.

I don't think Active Desktop will allow you to create an HTML web page for both monitors. When I tried it I just got an active desktop web page on the primary. But again, there may be other utilities available.

Happy experimenting.

Mark

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BAN those visitors!
by bunniegirl Feb 19, 2009 10:37PM PST

They should be paying homage to the master! I would. I would at least say..."Mark that is really cool!"

So, Mark that is really cool! Great idea. I will try it later today myself. Brilliant on the copy and paste thing. Never would have thought of it on my own.

My husband is much like your visitors...concerning the the two monitors. He doesn't get it. I thought he wanted the two...but nay...He wanted me to set up his old computer to rob the monitor settings off of it...as he hates the new WIDE flatscreen size. I have tried changing everything for him-the settings, and font and he can't find a happy medium. Swears the fs is evil and just can't get settled into it. Looks like he is going back to his old CRT...and I am getting the new Samsung big bertha!

Maybe like your visitors, we just aren't ready for the two. Thanks for your input. I really will try it!

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Ahh, ban the visitors. If only I could.
by MarkFlax Former Forum moderator Feb 20, 2009 4:37AM PST

I did have another idea about this 2nd monitor and that dummy Taskbar. But when I told it to my best friend she just looked at me, sighed, and said, "Whatever", Devil

That image I gave may not have been that clear, but the taskbar image has the word Finish in the right and corner. To complement the "Start" in the opposite corner of course.

There is a way to create a shortcut to the Shutdown routine. The Elder Geek explains the method. As it is a shortcut on the Desktop, the shortcut tick on the icon can be removed. I got rid of those many moons ago and there are various resources for doing that. The Microsoft, "Powertoys for Windows" TweakUI is perhaps the easiest.

But then being a shortcut, you can change the icon to a blank one so it is see through, (perhaps I mean transparent). And then rename the icon to some sort of small punctuation, like a - or similar. Then drag it across to where it says "Finish".

Then when you want to shut the system down. Just click on the Finish button! Happy

I haven't done that yet, but I am soooo tempted.

I agree. The world isn't ready for us yet.

Mark

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