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If you are running Windows Vista on a Laptop and wish to utilize dual displays, this is just the article for you. Instead of replicating the content on your laptop screen on to your external display, you’ll be able to extended your desktop across both. By doing so you’ll gain extra screen real estate meaning more space to work in. Once you have a successfully functioning dual display setup, windows can be dragged across from one screen to another and you can have two fully maximized applications visible at once!
Some Small Requirements:
- Decent Laptop with VGA or HDMI output
- A monitor with VGA or HDMI input
- A VGA or HDMI cable to connect both together
Getting To The Settings:
- Connect your laptop to your external monitor
- Right Click on your desktop and select Personalize
- Open the Display settings window (at the bottom)
Next arrange the two monitors to the setup you have. Monitor 1 would be your laptop’s display and Monitor 2 is your additional display. So, for example, if your laptop is on the left and the monitor is on the right, drag the two boxes around so that Monitor 1 is on the left and Monitor 2 is on the right.
Extending The Display:
- Select Monitor 2 in the visual or from the drop-down menu
- Check the box besides “Extend the desktop onto this monitor”
- Just hit Apply. The screen should flash and you are done!
You should now be able to drag a window, this web page for example, from one screen onto another. If you would like to move your Start Menu onto the other display, just drag it onto the other screen. (Right-click and unlock the Taskbar first!) Also note that sometimes Vista messes up the resolutions, so if one of the windows looks horribly wrong go back to the Display Settings and manually drag the bar to the correct resolutions for each monitor. If your machine is using either the NVIDIA or ATI control panel, I suggest using that to configure your setup instead of using the default Vista Display Settings.
If you have any problems, questions, or suggestions feel free to express them below!
Related Article: Setup Multiple Monitors In XP
Did this a while back.
Vista messed up the resolutions quite a few times like you mentioned but once got that issue sorted out it worked a charm.
Nice to see that your extending the knowledge out to everyone xD
Something that I also failed to mention was that I haven’t yet had any issues when using multiple monitors after upgrading to Vista SP1. Before that, just as you said, it sometimes randomly started to change resolutions and mess up the settings and I would have to go setup everything again. So if you are still experiencing those problems, I suggest you attempt to upgrade to Service Pack 1.
thanks for this. i had no i dea u could do this with a laptop.
i always just closed the lid on my laptop when i connected it to my big display
now i can use it to put all my widgets and chat windows.
I have Windows XP,but i want to download and install the upgrade adviser of
Windows Vista.
Ok, so now that I’ve done that and have the extended display on two monitors, how do I change it back so that both monitors display the same thing?
Thanks!
@Sarah
Go back to the display properties and uncheck the box for “extend this monitor”. Or if you happen to be using the Nvidia control panel, then just go to the multiple display settings and choose the option to clone the content on both displays. – Hope that helps!
I did all of this for my insignia tv. i accidentally clicked on “this is my main monitor” selecting the tv and now it says mode not supported on my tv and i can’t change anything because my screen goes blank. I have vista and am using all vga connections correctly. I just can’t edit my mistake and I tried using another monitor and that one worked fine, but it must be saving separate settings for different monitors. can anyone help?
I just posted to an earlier post, but my dual monitors are now working great and I used the monitor stands at buytech.com [link removed by admin] to align and mount my monitors. The monitor sit flush.
Thanks for the information on adding a monitor to use with my laptop. I use two screens at work, and it’s good to be able to do so at home, too.
Two screens are for minimalists…how about for a third screen? Is that possible on a laptop using Vista?
cool stuff though how do you use the other screen? i can connect with see both monitors but can only use one at a time. I also have NVIDIA.
Hello, I’m having a problem while trying to clone my pc monitor and the tv monitor.
when I’m trying to clone- on the tv screen I can see the desktop but my pc monitor gives me an error “Mode is not supported”.
I’m running on Vista SP1 32-bit, graphics driver is : 175.19 and my monitor is “Proview”
What can I do to fix this problem with cloning?
Thanks in advance.
I want my desktop to extend to the RIGHT, meaning when I drag a window from my left monitor to the right one, it should work. But right now, I have to drag the other way. How do you fix that?
@Johnny
Go to the Display Settings window. There you should see two boxes with the numbers ‘1’ and ‘2’. Click and drag them to the position your monitors are in. So in your situation, I think you’ll have to drag the number two box to the left of the number one box. Just hit apply and hopefully that should work!
I do not see two boxes on this screen. I only see one box. Now what do I do?
The second box appears only after you establish the connection to the second monitor. Therefore if you see only one monitor I guess you have a connection problem
I followed your instruction but both monitors were acting as two instead one, which means they both are displaying the same it. If I click start in the first monitor, the same thing will happen in the second monitor. Please advice
Hi there,
I am having a problem with my 2nd screen that is completely out of X-Y alignment. The bottom left of the screen actually appears close to the top right of my 2nd monitor, leaving the rest completely black. I have tried deleting the settings and the TMM string in the registry, but that did not help the alignment. I tried with another 2nd monitor and that also gave the same problem. Anybody an idea?
Hi. Have you tried to run a slide show, dvd etc extended to full screen in the secondary monitor only? yup it only displays in the primary!!!! Unlike XP which does behave. Also Media centre opened in the Second screen when expanded does not allow the use of the mouse in the primary screen unlike XP! This is true of both a laptop and a pc I have using different hardware and drivers. Its driving me up the wall, anyone else experienced this?
Tony
Can you extend to 3 external displays?
I use Vista and would like to use two external monitors (not my laptop monitor). I have a Tosiba Portege M400, with a port replicator that allows an analog and digital connection simultaneously. Each of the monitors works properly when I unplug the other, however I can’t seem to get both of them working simultaneously. If anyone can assist, I’d be most appreciative. Thanks
I have 2 monitors set up, one on my laptop and then another monitor. My problem is that my external monitor’s screen is really dim with bad contrast. I tried adjusting the settings on it but so far haven’t fixed the problem.Right now in the Nvidia settings, i have it set as laptop display+viewsonic and have my laptop set as the primary. If i change these settings to the opposite (viewsonic monitor+laptop display with the viewsonic as the primary, then the problem is the opposite, the external monitor is normal color and contrast and the laptop display is messed up. I know this is a long explanation but hopefully someone understand what i am saying…thanks for any help.
I’ve been using dual monitors with vista and now how do I change it back so that both monitors display the same thing?
I’ve tried to uncheck the box with “extend the desktop on this monitor” but it doesn’t work! plz help:)
i set my laptop and monitor to dual screen, sucessfully. the problem i’m having now is my lap top blinks on and off causing the video that i dragged to the monitor to drop back to the laptop. would you know what would cause that?