Start panel on the second monitor windows 7. System tray on the second monitor. Work and play more efficiently on a multi-monitor PC

One of my readers had a question about how to connect a second monitor in “clone” mode. To be honest, I did not think that such a question could arise. But, after going through the forums, I realized that this kind of question is not uncommon.

Someone cannot connect a monitor, someone has a modern TV, someone does not have a new game in multiscreen mode (displaying an image on several screens), etc. So I had a desire to write a more or less detailed description of possible options for solving the problem with connecting a second monitor.

Below I will present 4 options for solving the problem, one of them should suit you.

connecting a second monitor in windows 7

Those of you who have the windows7 operating system installed on your computer are most likely the lucky ones. The developers of this OS have studied the most important problematic issues of users and provided quite effective solutions.

So, if you have windows7 installed, do the following:

1. Connect a second monitor to the output of the video card.

2. Press the key combination “WIN + P” on the keyboard, this picture will appear

3. Select the desired option and enjoy the resulting picture.

connecting a second monitor to a laptop

If you have a mobile laptop, then, as a rule, software developers for it have already taken care of the issue of connecting an external device to output a video signal. It is not always convenient to work behind a small monitor, and you don’t want to strain your eyes.

To connect an external monitor or TV to a laptop or netbook, you need to refer to the preinstalled system tools. Most often, a utility from Intel is installed. Look in the lower right corner on the taskbar next to the clock there should be a blue (if not an Intel utility, then a different color) icon.

Right-clicking on it will open the graphics adapter management menu.

Or the second option to call this panel is just to click in a free space on the desktop.

Next, select the “Output to” item –> and in the window that opens, select the option we need. To transmit the same picture as on the main monitor, you must select the “Display Clone” mode (underlined in red).

proprietary utilities from nvidia and radeon

I use this method, and it is suitable for all windows operating systems. What needs to be done? Yes, just open the “Video Card Control Panel”, the icon of which is usually located near the clock.

If you are a happy owner of a GeForce video card from NVidia, then the icon is green (as in the figure), and if you have an Ati Radeon card, then it is red, which still has the inscription “Ati”.

Double-click on this icon –> go to the “Video Card Control Panel” –> find “Display Manager” in the menu on the left –> then go to the item “Installing multiple displays” and adjust the resolution for each monitor by selecting the image display option.

working with CATALYST Control Center

This method is also universal, but unlike the previous one, it has great potential in the field of fine-tuning and image adjustment for a specific situation and a specific application.

The name of this universal control tool for connecting external output devices is “CATALYST Control Center”.

You can download the latest version from the developer's official website by selecting the appropriate platform.

Installing the program should not cause you problems. After launching the program, go to the left menu item “Display Manager”.

This section asks you to assign a primary display and a secondary display, select the desktop resolution and color depth for each, and rotate the image if your monitor supports it.

Setting up the desktop of each monitor is carried out using the context menu called by right-clicking on the image of the corresponding display:

You can choose from three desktop configurations:

  • By default, the found display is connected in extended desktop mode. All programs will open on the main desktop, but you can drag them to the second one with the mouse.
  • Cloning simply creates a copy of the desktop on the second display. This is convenient, for example, for organizing training or various presentations. You just need to connect a projector or a larger plasma panel.
  • The stretched desktop is useful when using two monitors installed in close proximity to each other. Your desktop is fully stretched across both displays, creating a kind of panorama.

Perhaps some of you will say that the second monitor is overkill. But, I assure you that for those who use a computer not only for Internet surfing, but also for work, it creates great convenience and comfort, and also increases productivity (improves ergonomics).

Also recently, connecting multiple monitors has become popular with hobbyists. computer games. For example, I often connect a TV to a computer in order to watch online movies from the Internet on the big screen with the whole family.

By the way, about monitors, here is a picture to cheer up, called “Milk formula gives 10 health and 10 mana” (do not forget to comment).

pc4me.ru

How to connect a second, third ... tenth monitor to one computer

The multi-monitor configuration of a PC today will not surprise anyone. And soon, we must expect, the presence of a single display on the table will become the exception, not the rule. So say people who have had the opportunity to compare the convenience of working at a computer with one and several monitors. And the second option, according to their words, is much more convenient than the first.

Statisticians are of the same opinion. According to their research, if you connect 2 monitors instead of one, the productivity of personnel involved in processing a large amount of information increases by 15-60%. What can we say about gamers for whom multi-monitor systems are the only way to go headlong into the virtual world?

How many monitors can be connected to one computer. Connection conditions

It is unlikely that anyone is able to name the exact number of possible monitor connections to one PC, but 50 or more can definitely be. It all depends on the budget that you are willing to allocate for it. To create video walls from dozens of modules, as, for example, in the photo below, special controllers are used. Their task is not just to display the image on many screens, but also to provide each picture with a decent quality.

However, video wall controllers are an extremely expensive solution that not every enterprise can afford. A more affordable option is a video server with several multi-channel video cards. But even it can cost the owner several hundred thousand rubles.

The average user, like most of us, does not need such excesses. Home gaming systems usually consist of no more than six monitors, and they can be connected not just to one computer, but to one video card. But in order to achieve the highest possible image quality, it is better to distribute monitors so that there are no more than two or three monitors per video camera.

Connecting two monitors is supported by almost any modern video card, even built into the processor (chipset). Three or more - All AMD models from Series 5 and NVIDIA GTX 600 and up.

In addition to multi-channel support, the following is important for creating multi-monitor configurations:

  • The presence on video cards of outputs that match the inputs of monitors (the use of adapters is allowed in extreme cases when there is no other way to connect). Moreover, AMD requires a mandatory DisplayPort interface on at least one of the displays (with the exception of individual branded video cards with a built-in DisplayPort-DVI adapter). NVIDIA does not set such conditions.
  • Support by video drivers for resolutions of all monitors.
  • Sufficient amount of video memory. 2048 Mb - a conditional minimum for a two- or three-monitor configuration in a non-gaming system. For four or more monitors, especially if you plan to use the computer for games, the memory should be at least 2 times more.
  • High data bus bandwidth (from 128 bits) and good memory speed (the more, the better). The narrower the tire, the higher the speed should be.

To connect monitors to different video cards, the latter do not have to be combined into SLI or Crossfire. In some cases, in addition to a discrete card (inserted into the slot), you can use the integrated video if the BIOS supports it. motherboard(there is an option "Always Enable" for the output of the built-in video card). But in such configurations, each pair of displays served by one video chip operates independently of the other. This means that creating a common visual space on all screens will not work.

If your computer is equipped with a single video card, you can connect monitors to several of its ports, or to one. To connect 2 or more screens to one video card with 1 input, you will need a signal divider - a splitter. For example, as in the photo below. This modification can distribute a signal to 4 monitors, but the picture quality, as a rule, decreases (it depends not so much on the splitter as on the video capabilities). If the stream is barely enough for a single screen, dividing it into “streams” will reduce both resolution and clarity and refresh rate. And the more connections, the lower the quality.

When connecting a splitter to displays with different resolutions, the picture quality on them will be different: on some it is better, on others it is worse. And you won’t be able to correct it individually, except perhaps through the settings of the monitors themselves.

AMD cards featuring Eyefinity technology (based on GPUs ATI Radeon R800 series) allow you to attach up to 6 displays to them and combine them into a single visual space. But here everything is tied to the DisplayPort interface, which, unfortunately, not all devices are equipped with.

The following are valid combinations of connection interfaces when building multi-monitor systems using AMD Eyefinity technology:

  • To combine 3 monitors into one system, one of them must be connected via DisplayPort or miniDisplayPort (miniDP), the second via DVI, and the third via VGA, HDMI or the same DVI.
  • If there are 4 monitors, two devices must be connected to DisplayPort, the third to DVI, and the fourth to VGA or HDMI.
  • In a five-monitor system, all 5 or 3 monitors are connected to DisplayPort (miniDisplayPort), one or two to DVI and one, if left, to HDMI.
  • A six-monitor configuration provides a connection through miniDisplayPort only.

NVIDIA Surround/3D Vision multi-monitor technology allows you to create a shared gaming space from up to three monitors. However, this requires either a dual-processor video card, or a combination of two or three cards in SLI. You can connect several more displays to the remaining video outputs, they will work independently of the others.

If you do not have the task of building a video wall to display one image on several screens, it is not necessary to adhere to the above rules. Monitors can be connected in any configuration through any interfaces, counting 2 devices per 1 video processor. In this case, each of them will display its own desktop, and you can switch between them, drag windows from one table to another, etc.

How to connect and configure additional monitors in windows

Physical connection of devices

Process physical connection the second, third, etc. monitor to the ports of the video card is nothing complicated. Just plug the connectors of the connecting cables into the jacks of both devices, remembering to unplug them first.

When creating a dual-monitor configuration, use the same interfaces whenever possible, such as DisplayPort only or HDMI only, so that the image quality on the two screens does not differ much. If there are no identical ports on your video card, connect through different ones, for example, DVI and HDMI or HDMI and VGA. Using adapters from one interface to another is permissible only in extreme cases, since signal conversion is always accompanied by its losses, sometimes significant. The same goes for splitters. If it is possible to do without them, try to do without.

After connecting, turn on the power of the system unit and monitors. Recognition of the latter, as a rule, occurs automatically. You just have to customize them to suit your needs.

Connecting a second monitor to laptops is done in the same way as to a desktop PC. The only difference is that the video card that will serve the additional screen is determined by the system, not the user.

Multi display adapters

If the picture quality on the main and additional displays varies greatly, and also if you need to connect not one, but 2 additional monitors to your laptop, a specialized device will help out - a multi-display adapter. This is a small box with a processor inside, resembling a multiport splitter, and a few cables included. With one cable, the box is connected to the output of the video card, the rest are connected to the monitor inputs. It receives power from a USB port or an external adapter.

An example of such a device is Matrox DualHead2Go Digital SE.

Setting up additional screens in windows 10 and 8.1 and 7

After the first turn on, the image on the additional monitor, as a rule, duplicates the main one. Sometimes the desktop is stretched to 2 screens at once. To select the desired mode, press the combination windows keys+P (Latin) - this will open the projection panel.

In windows 10 and 8.1 it looks like this:

In windows 7 - so:

The option "Duplicate" (Repeated) reproduces the same picture on all displays. "Expand" - makes the second screen a continuation of the first.

If the system could not automatically recognize the second display, open the "Display Settings" through the context menu of the desktop.

Click the "Detect" button (In windows 7 - "Find").

If the device is physically intact and properly connected, the system will most likely recognize it immediately. If not, open the "Multiple Displays" list and select "Try to connect anyway..." to a monitor that is not detected.

If this does not help, you should check the contacts and, if possible, connect the device with another known-good cable to another video output or another video card.

The "Define" button in the same section allows you to choose which of the two displays will be the main (first), and which - additional (second, third, etc.).

To change the settings of one of the displays of a multi-monitor system - the size of the displayed elements, the brightness level, the orientation, the resolution, the color rendering, etc., click on the rectangle with its ordinal number in the gray field under the heading "Customize your screen".

Changes will take effect after saving. You don't need to restart your computer for this.

Additional configuration settings for multiple displays are found in the NVIDIA and AMD Catalyst Control Panel menus.

Setting up additional screens in windows XP

To access the display settings in windows XP, also open the context menu of the desktop and click "Properties". Next, go to the "Settings" tab.

If the second monitor is correctly recognized, 2 display icons with sequential numbers will appear in the gray box. The "Find" option, as in modern versions of windows, is not here.

By default, the same desktop image is displayed on both screens. If you want to stretch it, click on the second display icon and check the "Extend desktop to this monitor" box.

Setting up each screen individually is done in the same way as in windows 10: click on the monitor icon in the gray field and set the desired parameters. The "Screen resolution" and "Color quality" options are there, and the rest - scale, adapter properties, etc. - is hidden behind the "Advanced" button.

Most of the settings take effect immediately, but some - only after restarting the computer.

CompConfig.ru

Connecting a second monitor (TV). Switching between monitors in windows. +90

Sometimes the question arises of connecting an external monitor, TV or projector to the computer. The reasons for this action may be different: there is not enough working space for one monitor, there was a desire to watch a video or play on a new large-screen TV, or you need to make a presentation by connecting a projector to your computer.

Connecting a second monitor. Connector types

To implement one of the above tasks, or something similar, firstly, you need to acquire the necessary equipment. To connect a second monitor or TV to a computer, you need a video card with at least two outputs (HDMI, DVI, VGA, etc.). Most modern video cards are equipped with two or three output connectors, so this should not be a problem.

Attention! All connections to the video card should be made with the computer turned off.

If everything is connected correctly, then immediately after turning on the computer, the image will be displayed on both monitors, but after a few seconds, the additional screen will turn off. This is because the video driver controls the display of images, and two monitors will work until it is loaded.

Setting up windows to work with two monitors

Now it remains to configure the display on the main and additional monitors. The fact is that the computer defines one monitor as the main one, the other as an additional one. You can configure dual monitor modes in windows 7 in the Display Settings window. To do this, follow the link Screen resolution from the context menu of the desktop

In this window, you can assign a primary monitor and a secondary monitor, set the screen resolution, select the display orientation, and select the dual monitor display mode.

In the settings it is possible to change their roles and places. There are four options for displaying an image when connecting a second monitor (projector, TV):

  1. Display desktop only on 1 In this case, the image will be displayed only on the main monitor.
  2. Show desktop only on 2 The option is similar to the previous one, only the image is displayed on an additional monitor.
  3. Duplicate these screens When this mode is active, the image is duplicated on both monitors.
  4. Extend these screens When this mode is activated, the taskbar will be displayed only on the main monitor, and the second monitor will expand the boundaries of the first. By default, open programs will be displayed on the main monitor. They can be easily dragged to an additional screen by grabbing the title bar with the mouse.

Depending on the location of the main and additional monitors, the space may expand in different directions. The relative position of the two monitors can be adjusted by simply dragging the monitor icons in the display settings window

The Detect button allows you to determine which monitor you are currently behind. When you click on it, a large number appears on each of the monitors indicating the number of the monitor in windows settings.

It is very convenient to switch the image output modes on monitors using the Win + P hotkey combination. When you press win + P, all 4 options for displaying an image on monitors are available. Switching between monitors is carried out as follows: simultaneously press Win + P and, without releasing Win, press P until the desired mode is selected

Also, the combination of hot keys Win + P may be needed in the following case. You used two monitors, and then removed one of them from the system, and at the same time the main one. The next time you turn on a computer with one monitor, the screen may be black. This is where the combination Win + P is needed to switch the mode.

If you have an ATI video card and when outputting to a TV or projector, the image does not occupy the entire screen, and you see black bars around the edges, then you need to turn off the scaling mode in the Catalyst Control Center video card driver settings by setting the slider to 0. The scaling mode is used in if the resolution of the secondary monitor or TV is higher than the main one.

populararno.com

How to use multiple monitors in windows 7

When I work a lot with the computer, a way to increase the efficiency and organize myself better tasks is to use multiple monitors for the same computer. In windows 7, adding a second (and third - if you have two VGA ports to your computer/laptop) monitor can be configured in just two ways:

  • Shortcut Keyboard: Use the key combination windows + R (where the windows key is the windows key mark on it)
  • Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Display > Change Display Settings (Or just right click on Desktop > Screen Resolution)

Using the windows + P key combination highlights one desktop Quick menu of options (which can be accessed from Control Panel > Display > Connect to Projector) Namely: Computer only (Using the primary monitor only) Duplicate (Shows the same desktop on both monitors) Extend (Extended desktop to two monitors connected) and Projector only (Use only the second monitor), from which you can choose the most convenient for you (as a rule, when you connect a second monitor to a laptop, the windows option is automatically selected, duplicates ).

The second way is to set up multiple monitor screen resolution. The 1 and 2 numbers displayed on the monitors will help you to distinguish between the primary monitor and the secondary when you want to change the settings for them (well, you can click on the Identify button to ensure that they are displayed correctly).

To set the display mode on multiple monitors use the following drop-down Multiple screensIt contains all the quick menu options displayed by the contextual windows + P.

STEALTH SETTINGS - How to use multiple monitors in Windows 7

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How to connect two monitors to a computer or laptop: setting up in windows

In order to increase productivity when working at a computer, many users decide to connect a dual monitor to a system unit or laptop. Working on two screens, you can expand the desktop space or, if necessary, duplicate the image from one of them to another. You can connect two monitors to almost any computer or laptop, but this procedure has a number of nuances, both on windows 7 and windows 10, which we will pay attention to in this article.

What you need to connect two monitors to your computer

An external monitor is connected to the system unit or laptop through the output on the video card. To connect two screens, it is necessary that the video card can send a signal through at least two outputs. Almost all video cards released since 2005 have two or more connectors for connecting an external monitor. On laptops, as a rule, there is only one such connector, but in this case, the laptop display itself can serve as a second monitor.

Most often, DVI, VGA and HDMI connectors (various versions) are used to connect a monitor. On modern laptop models, a USB Type C or Thunderbolt connector can also be used to transfer information to an external monitor. Due to the obsolescence of VGA technology, the user may encounter a situation where it is impossible to connect a monitor due to the lack of a corresponding connector on the video card. In such a situation, adapters, for example, HDMI-VGA, which are easy to purchase, will help.

Please note: Your monitor may have multiple ports for connecting to your computer. Before purchasing an adapter, we recommend that you carefully examine all the connectors on the back of the display.

How to set up dual monitors

Most often, when you connect a system unit in the windows operating system to a monitor, all the necessary settings are performed automatically. Accordingly, immediately after the system boots, both screens will work, and the user will only have to configure the monitors' mode of operation. The following three options are available for a windows computer with a monitor:


Managing the operation of two monitors is carried out differently on modern windows 10 and earlier versions of the operating system. Consider how to set up two monitors in different versions of windows:


Please note that if the image on the monitor is blurry, you must also select the correct resolution in the screen settings.

It is worth noting that some video card manufacturers release their own software that allows you to set up two monitors on your computer. In the presence of such software, you can use it to customize screens, most often it is more functional than the standard settings in windows.

Connected two monitors work fine in extension mode, how to make it so that it is not in extension mode, but a full-fledged second virtual desktop is displayed on the second one? in extreme cases, at least duplicate the taskbar.

Work and play more efficiently on a multi-monitor PC

Adding a Second Laptop Monitor

Since every laptop contains a built-in screen, only one monitor needs to be connected to use two screens. This is easy as most laptops are equipped with a video port. (Unlike desktop computers, two video ports are rare on laptops.) Connect a monitor to a DVI or VGA port and Windows 7 will automatically detect it. As described above, an adapter may be required to connect a DVI cable to a VGA port (or vice versa).

I connect my monitor to my laptop when I'm at my desk and unplug it when I take my laptop on the road. There is no need to change any settings in Windows.

The Multiple Displays drop-down list is displayed when Windows detects multiple monitors connected to the same computer.

With Windows 7 it's easy

When you connect two monitors to a desktop computer or one monitor to a laptop, Windows 7 should automatically detect each new monitor and provide options for working with multiple displays. You can choose one of the following actions.

Screen extensions. This will stretch one desktop across both monitors, allowing you to drag and drop items between the two screens. This is how most users set up two monitors, this setting is the default.

Screen duplication. Selecting this option will display one desktop on two monitors. For a laptop, this is the default setting. It is convenient to use during a presentation on a laptop connected to a projector or large monitor.

Desktop display on only one monitor. This option is most commonly used on a laptop if you want to leave its screen blank after connecting it to a large desktop monitor.

To find these options, click the Start button, select Control Panel, type "screen" in the search box, and then under Screen, click Connecting to an external display. For more information, see

You get used to good things quickly, and many comfortable things are taken for granted. For example, system unit having multiple monitors is no longer considered a luxury item and an expensive whim. But even some seven or eight years ago, far from everyone could afford such a configuration. Now, almost any modern video card has several ports for connecting two, three or more devices.

The presence of an additional monitor makes working on the computer more convenient. For anyone who hasn't worked in multi-display mode, it's hard to imagine how much more desktop space makes things easier. This is not a virtual desktop, but a real screen - it is always in sight. Windows placed on the screen of the second monitor do not disappear from view when you have to work with other applications. Well, as for working with such complex programs as graphic and video editors, then there can be no two opinions - the additional workspace saves time and spares the user's eyesight.

But managing multiple monitors at the same time is not as easy as it might seem to an uninitiated user. Of course, in the standard system settings there are some functions for controlling the contents of additional screens. So, for example, you can determine the order of the desktop parts, you can choose the resolution for each of them. But on this, by and large, the standard Windows features regarding the management of multi-monitor configuration functions end. Some additional options for configuring multi-monitor systems can be found in video card drivers, but these may not be enough.

⇡ New multi-monitor experience in Windows 8

With the release of Windows 8, which, as a reminder, is scheduled for release on October 25, owners of multi-monitor systems (according to data collected by the Windows Feedback Program, this is 14% of desktop PCs and 5% of laptops) will have at their disposal more tools for customization. In the new operating system it will be possible to set the display of a separate desktop background on each monitor, or stretch the desktop background to all monitors. In Windows 8's personalization options, you'll even find a new panorama theme.

The new operating system will for the first time implement such a popular feature as showing the taskbar on all connected monitors. Moreover, the way the icons are displayed can be flexibly controlled. For example, the buttons of running applications may be displayed:

  • only on the taskbar where the window is open;
  • on the taskbars of all monitors;
  • on the taskbar of the main monitor and on the taskbar where the window is open.

The changes will also affect the way to access the interface controls. In Windows 7, the Start menu only appears on one monitor, but in Windows 8, you can display the Start screen, Charms bar, or bar to switch between running applications from any monitor - corners and edges on all displays will be interactive. There will also be the ability to run desktop programs on one monitor and Metro-style apps on the other. Finally, the developers promise to drag and drop Metro applications between monitors using the mouse and using hotkeys.

Thus, Windows 8 eliminates all the major flaws that related to working with multiple monitors on Windows 7. But until the new system is released and not widely used, third-party applications that solve the old problems of multi-monitor systems will remain relevant.

The most famous of these programs are Actual Multiple Monitors, DisplayFusion and UltraMon. But they're all commercially available, and given the improvements in Windows 8, there aren't many people willing to pay for a license that might not be needed after switching to a new OS. So let's turn to free apps and see what they have to offer Windows 7 users.

⇡Multiwall 1.0.17

  • Developer: Sumeet Patel
  • Distribution: Free
  • Russian interface: yes

This little utility solves one of the main problems with using multiple monitor systems on Windows 7 - the inability to set a different wallpaper for each display. With its help, you can either set separate background images for monitors, or stretch one image over the entire area of ​​​​a huge desktop.

MultiWall allows you to download wallpapers directly from the program window. You can immediately process them: scale, crop, rotate, apply various effects, invert colors. In addition, it supports automatic download of wallpapers from a specific site and their automatic change on each monitor at specified intervals.

⇡ Dual Monitor Taskbar 1.21

  • Developer:
  • Operating system: Windows 7
  • Distribution: Free
  • Russian interface: no

Connecting a second monitor expands the usable desktop area, but not all standard system features work on an additional screen. So, for example, certain inconveniences may arise due to the fact that the taskbar remains only on the first screen. It turns out that the space for the arrangement of windows increases, and it is possible to operate with a large number of windows. However, a large number of running applications means that there is not enough room on the taskbar for the buttons of open windows.

The solution to the problem can be Dual Monitor Taskbar. This program creates a second taskbar on the secondary monitor. The second taskbar is similar to the original element in many ways. For example, it has a notification area. And if you move the cursor to the button of the open application on the additional screen, you can observe the thumbnail in the pop-up window.

True, unlike the original system interface element, the Dual Monitor Taskbar taskbar has slightly different capabilities. First, by default, the second taskbar works as a continuation of the first. You can launch Task Manager from the right-click menu.

If you want to work on a second monitor with an exact copy taskbar, you can enable a test option to display the Start button on an additional screen. It should be borne in mind that this function is extremely unstable. Buttons on the secondary taskbar are not grouped. Even the developer himself, just in case, warns in the program settings that this option is at the beta testing stage.

One of the useful features of Dual Monitor Taskbar is setting the rules for the layout of application windows. You can specify applications that will be displayed only on the main monitor and applications that will open on the secondary screen. You can also set a rule for individual applications - open only on the screen on which the cursor is currently located.

You can define the rules for arranging application windows either manually by setting the class and title of the window in the settings, or automatically. To automatically determine the program window to which the rules are assigned, a special identification tool is used. In order for the Dual Monitor Taskbar to “understand” for which application the settings are specified, it is necessary to drag the target shortcut to the area of ​​the window of this program.

⇡ Dual Display Mouse Manager 1.1

  • Developer:
  • Operating system: Windows 7
  • Distribution: Free
  • Russian interface: no

Although connecting a second monitor makes the user experience much more comfortable, extending the desktop has one small drawback. The fact is that when you work with maximized application windows open on the entire “left” screen, at first it is difficult to get used to hitting the “close”, “minimize”, “maximize” buttons with the cursor. The same problem occurs when you need to "grab" the scroll slider, which is located at the edge of the screen. At the same time, the cursor continually strives to jump out to the adjacent display.

The creator of the free utility Dual Display Mouse Manager came up with two original ways to solve this problem at once. The first option is that when you start the Dual Display Mouse Manager, the cursor moves unevenly across the screen, with a delay on the border that separates the area of ​​the first desktop from the second. As a result, it becomes much easier to hit the cursor on the desired button or in the desired area on the border of two monitors.

Another method of cursor control is to cross the border of two screens only if the user holds down the Ctrl key. If this key is not pressed, the cursor will be "locked" on the monitor screen and will not be able to go beyond it.

⇡ Dual Monitor Tools 1.8

  • Developer:
  • Operating system: Windows 7
  • Distribution: Free
  • Russian interface: no

Dual Monitor Tools is a suite of multi-monitor applications that includes five separate utilities: DisMon, Dual Launcher, DualSnap, Dual Wallpaper, and Swap Screen.

Swap Screen is designed to quickly move windows from one monitor to another using hotkeys or icons in the system tray. Windows can be moved to a predetermined position, such as the top left corner. You can also define hotkeys for minimizing all windows except the active one, for switching between desktops, and maximizing the active window. Using Swap Screen, you can also control the cursor, for example, pin it to the active screen or slow it down on the border between desktops.

Dual Launcher is a solution for quickly launching apps. With the help of the utility, you can determine in advance on which display this or that program will open. You can also specify the size of the window and its position on the screen. Dual Launcher offers to launch using a keyword or an arbitrary set of characters.

Having two or more monitors is convenient, but sometimes they can get in the way. For example, if some games are running. The DisMon utility allows you to disable additional monitors when certain programs are launched. This utility does not yet have any settings, and disabling monitors works until DisMon closes.

Dual Snap can also be useful for gamers, although there are certainly other uses for this program. The utility captures the screen and, after pressing the specified key combination, displays a screenshot on the second monitor. Thanks to this, you can, for example, keep before your eyes a map of goals in the game or a list of player options. Dual Snap can also save screenshots as PNG files or copy them to the clipboard.

Dual Wallpaper is designed to manage wallpapers on two monitors. The program stretches the background image across two desktops or allows you to set a separate image on each monitor. In this case, you can separately control the position of each image, scale it and move it around the screen.

⇡GridMove 1.19.60

  • Developer: DonationCoder.com
  • Operating system: Windows 7
  • Distribution: Free
  • Russian interface: no

The main purpose of GridMove is to manage a large number of windows and intuitively arrange them on the screen according to a predetermined pattern. The program allows you to quickly resize a group of windows, fill the entire screen space with open windows, and pin some of them on top of all windows.

The user can divide the screen into separate areas and create a grid in which newly opened windows will then be placed. GridMove supports "hot" keys, so that the organization of a large number of windows is possible by pressing one combination.

Among the pre-installed grid templates is the Dual Screen option, which can be used to arrange windows on two screens. Or you can create your own window layout that will take into account the particular configuration you have - whether it has two, three or more monitors. Variables of the form , , etc. are used to create templates. And if you accidentally activate a template created for multi-monitor systems on a configuration with a single monitor, the program will still process it correctly. That is, it will simply ignore the part that is responsible for working with the second and subsequent displays.

⇡ SoftTH v2.08b

  • Developer: Keijo "Kegetys" Ruotsalainen
  • Operating system: Windows 7
  • Distribution: Free
  • Russian interface: no

Multi-monitor systems are convenient not only for work, but also for games. You can verify this by installing the SoftTH program. It stretches your gaming space across three monitors without the need for additional hardware.

The program works with Direct3D 8 and 9 games ( full list games that are definitely supported is published on the official website). To use it, three monitors must be connected to the computer. At the same time, since only one graphics adapter is used for rendering, the second video card can be of the low end class, it is enough that it supports Direct3D technology.

⇡ Conclusion

The display is one of the few parts that is outdated and still usable. So even if you don't have an extra monitor right now, don't be discouraged. After all, sooner or later you will come to the idea of ​​an upgrade, and when it happens, the old monitor will not be superfluous at all. It remains only to re-read this article and, by installing the appropriate programs, take full advantage of the large desktop.

Connected two monitors work fine in extension mode, how to make it so that it is not in extension mode, but a full-fledged second virtual desktop is displayed on the second one? in extreme cases, at least duplicate the taskbar.

Work and play more efficiently on a multi-monitor PC

Adding a Second Laptop Monitor

Since every laptop contains a built-in screen, only one monitor needs to be connected to use two screens. This is easy as most laptops are equipped with a video port. (Unlike desktop computers, two video ports are rare on laptops.) Connect a monitor to a DVI or VGA port and Windows 7 will automatically detect it. As described above, an adapter may be required to connect a DVI cable to a VGA port (or vice versa).

I connect my monitor to my laptop when I'm at my desk and unplug it when I take my laptop on the road. There is no need to change any settings in Windows.

The Multiple Displays drop-down list is displayed when Windows detects multiple monitors connected to the same computer.

With Windows 7 it's easy

When you connect two monitors to a desktop computer or one monitor to a laptop, Windows 7 should automatically detect each new monitor and provide options for working with multiple displays. You can choose one of the following actions.

Screen extensions. This will stretch one desktop across both monitors, allowing you to drag and drop items between the two screens. This is how most users set up two monitors, this setting is the default.

Screen duplication. Selecting this option will display one desktop on two monitors. For a laptop, this is the default setting. It is convenient to use during a presentation on a laptop connected to a projector or large monitor.

Desktop display on only one monitor. This option is most commonly used on a laptop if you want to leave its screen blank after connecting it to a large desktop monitor.

To find these options, click the Start button, select Control Panel, type "screen" in the search box, and then under Screen, click Connecting to an external display. For more information, see

Who tried to work in Windows 8 on a regular computer, not on a tablet and without a wheelbarrow? I tried. I deployed it on a virtual machine and honestly tried to live with it. I thought I would take an upgrade to Windows 8 for a $40 promotion, while they give it. But according to the test results, I didn’t take it even at such a bargain price. You can't live with this nightmare.

I assume that on tablets Windows 8 will be in its place, especially on transformers (a laptop with a removable tablet screen). I can't confirm, I haven't tried it myself. Also, probably, the figure eight will be interesting on a computer with a touch, although personally I do not see any interest in a touch on working computer with any operating system. What is the fan to keep your hands on weight? But what I'm pretty sure about is that the new interface (which was once called Metro) is completely unsuitable for a normal working computer. For example, here small overview of the new interface, not particularly abusive (carefully,).

People have already pulled themselves up, and there are many ways to cut out a new interface from Windows 8 so that it does not interfere with work. So to speak, to make a seven out of the eight. But why do I need all this gembel if I already have a seven? For the sake of new features that are not in the seven? There are not very many of them, and they are not critical. So I'm staying on Windows 7. Maybe Microsoft will work on the bugs and the next version will be worth the upgrade. Everything is possible, although personally I hardly believe in it. Well, it would be nice if I turned out to be a pessimist ...

Let's move from the lyrics to the point: there is one feature that is present in Windows 8, but not in Windows 7, and which I personally really lack. Seven supports multiple monitors, but the taskbar (taskbar) is displayed only on the main monitor. Eight can show the taskbar on all monitors, and the window buttons will be on the same monitors as the windows themselves. It's MUCH more convenient. To be honest, I somehow didn’t even think about this option, I’m used to the “wrong” one. Here it is, the inertia of thinking. But as soon as I saw it, I immediately wanted to myself. I threw a net on the Internet, found several commercial programs and one free one. I stopped at the last one:. Not without some roughness (which is natural in this case), but overall it works great. In addition to the main purpose, it can also duplicate the tray on the second monitor (tray, notifications area - icons near the clock). It also knows how to automatically transfer windows to a second monitor - this is quite valuable. Of the limitations, it supports only one additional monitor. For me personally, this is not a problem, I have two of them and it's worth it.

I installed this program, set it up - and now I have no desire to switch to Windows 8 at all.

Upd. Recently the program has been updated, and now Dual Monitor Taskbar supports more than two monitors.