How do you expand the desktop to 2 seperate monitors on an ATI 9800 pro?

[big4x4]

I have a 9800 pro and was wondering how I can expand my desktop to span over the 2 monitors. Right now my primary monitor is diplaying my desktop, while the secondary is only displaying the desktop backround. Can anyone help me? Thank you

 

[Melchior]

Do you mean a desktop clone? Like basically a mirror image of each other, but no extra real estate right? I'm pretty sure there is an option if you right click on your desktop it to clone, or in your display options.

 

[big4x4]

Originally posted by: Melchior
Do you mean a desktop clone? Like basically a mirror image of each other, but no extra real estate right? I'm pretty sure there is an option if you right click on your desktop it to clone, or in your display options.

Yes, I want to try to clone it. Also, how do I get extra real estate as well?

So far, all I have done is check enable expanded desktop on my secondary display. Nothing else seems to do anything! Why can't they make it as easy as the dual displays for Nvidia cards!!!

 

[Melchior]

Well, you've got the extra real estate now, (You can move your mouse cursor between the two screens and drag and drop stuff between).
I haven't used an ATI based card for dual monitor so I can't really help you with the built in OS gui, but download a program called "Ultramon". It should solve all of your problems.

 

[big4x4]

Originally posted by: Melchior
Well, you've got the extra real estate now, (You can move your mouse cursor between the two screens and drag and drop stuff between).
I haven't used an ATI based card for dual monitor so I can't really help you with the built in OS gui, but download a program called "Ultramon". It should solve all of your problems.

Well, I actually had the monitor on the wrong side 😉

The expanded desktop works. Is it possible to get like a start menu so I can minimize programs and not have them on my primary. Also, why can't I use my secondary monitor while playing a game ( call of duty). I am not going to use the secondary setup on the computer, but I jut thought I would try it out on ati! Why can't they have the multiple desktops like nvidia?!?!?!

 

[Melchior]

Yes it is possible. You must set your primary output to your secondary monitor. Atleast its possible on the laptop I am using right now. Also I think Ultramon may help with that. Tinker around and it should work.

I never used an Nvidia card for multimonitor so I dont know how that works, but for games there are games that support surround gaming, though I dont think any game allows you to use your OS on one monitor and playing on the other, for stability purposes most likely.

 

[Miseryrail]

I tried this with my 9800 Pro a few months ago and I can't understand what you find difficult. the ATI Controls Display Properties are a breeze to understand with options for cloning or extra real estate (as it was phrased). I used the secondary display for my TV card and Windows Explorer or anything else that I wanted while I was fullscreen with the main display. The only drawback I found was that some things, mainly games tried to also take over half of the secondary display. I also disliked the fact that if you closed something down while it was on the secondary display then thats where it would open next time, course this meant that you had to have both monitors on all the time. I spent about an hour trying to figure out why Windows Explorer wasn't working, it was but not on the primary display.

 

[Spike]

Originally posted by: Miseryrail
I tried this with my 9800 Pro a few months ago and I can't understand what you find difficult. the ATI Controls Display Properties are a breeze to understand with options for cloning or extra real estate (as it was phrased). I used the secondary display for my TV card and Windows Explorer or anything else that I wanted while I was fullscreen with the main display. The only drawback I found was that some things, mainly games tried to also take over half of the secondary display. I also disliked the fact that if you closed something down while it was on the secondary display then thats where it would open next time, course this meant that you had to have both monitors on all the time. I spent about an hour trying to figure out why Windows Explorer wasn't working, it was but not on the primary display.

I also don't know where the difficulty is coming from. I ran dual desktops with my 8500 and my 9600 pro and found the setup marginally easier than with my current 6800GT. I always ran my second monitor kiddie corner to my main. ie the top left corner of your main monitor is point (0,0), my second monitor had it's lower right corner at (0,0). This prevented it from changing resolutions when playing games full screen on the main monitor and helped stop me from clicking off-screen in the second monitor while playing thus exiting the game.

I usually run my temp monitors, task manager, and trillian in the second screen. you can put your start menu over there if you want, just unlock it and 'drag and drop' it onto the second monitor. This would free up the main monitor from all clutter though you cannot use both at the same while gaming. The only way I know to use multi-monitor gaming where you are not simply expanding the screen is using a matrox parahelia (sp?). With that card you can do triple head gaming and get side vision on almost all Q3 engine based games and some racing and simulators as well.

-spike