PC Training & Consulting Weblog

Using Multiple Monitors

March 11, 2004

Q: Can I add a second monitor to my computer?

Two screens are better than one. I have email on one screen and my web browsers on another. Or I edit webpages on one while browsing those pages on another. It's a simple change that gets more out of your computer. It's just cool. mjh

Here's how (with a few pictures) ...

Windows will support up to 9 monitors (in theory). Each monitor must connect to a graphics card. You can buy graphics cards that have two connections (supporting two monitors) -- that option is more expensive, but requires fewer slots inside the computer case (where the graphics cards go). In this case, you'd be able to run 3 monitors from one computer. Or you can buy an extra, normal single monitor graphics card to add to your computer, in which case, you'd have two monitors.

In a nutshell, you open the case, insert the new graphics card(s) into an available slot. Close the case, plug the extra monitor(s) into the new graphics card(s). Turn everything on, and Windows should detect each card and monitor. At that point, everything will appear on the ''primary'' monitor and the secondary monitor(s) will be blank. You can open a window or program and drag that over to the other monitor.

Then you may want to do more with this. Windows allows some tweaking in the Settings tab of the Display properties. That may be adequate, but I recommend a utility called UltraMon which extends your taskbar over to the other monitor(s) and makes it very easy to determine which monitor something appears on. www.ultramon.com

mjh

Mark Justice Hinton
PC Training & Consulting (since 1984)
www.mjhinton.com/help/