Dual-Monitors: Basic Setup

Once you have two monitors connected to your computer the OS should immediately recognize the second monitor and will usually start mirroring the main desktop on to the second screen. To make that monitor useful, we need to pop in to the display settings and change a few things. Start by right clicking on your desktop - for Windows XP select "Settings" then click the "Settings" tab in the dialog box; for Vista select Personalize then select the Display Settings link (bottom of the list); for Windows 7 select "Screen Resolution". You should now be viewing a window that looks like the one below:

The first thing to do is click Identify Monitors. This should briefly display a 1 on monitor 1 and a 2 on monitor 2. If the monitor displaying 1 isn't the monitor physically on the left, click and drag monitor one so that it is to the right of monitor 2.

The shot above is an examply of what the screen looks like while the monitors are being re-arranged.

Your screen should now look similar to the one above. Now we need to set the Main Monitor and tell windows to extend the desktop across both monitors (as opposed to merely mirroring the same desktop). First click on the monitor where you would like the Start Menu and Task Bar to appear - check the "This is my main monitor" checkbox if it isn't already checked. Now select the other monitor and check the "Extend the desktop onto this monitor" checkbox. You now have the basics configured to enjoy your multi-monitor setup!

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