Two Different Desktops on Two Monitors?

[Ogrodek]

I just got a second monitor, and I was hoping I could have two different desktops running on each. Right now, I just have it extending the desktop, which shows the same background, and there is only one taskbar on monitor 1. I was hoping that I could have two backgrounds and then identical taskbars and shortcuts on each.

I thought I might be able to do this with ATI's Hydravision (I have an X800), but instead I'm just able to switch between two different desktops, but it changes the desktop on both, which, again, is not what I was going for.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I'm interested in something similar. Jetway sells this "MagicTwin" software with some of their motherboards, that enables WinXP (and W2K, although the fact that they support it as well is buried in amongst the fine-print), to allow two users to login to the machine, with their own desktop, display, and input devices. I'm actually quite surprised that no-one else seems to sell equivalent software to be able to do such a thing. They seem to imply that it requires their specific motherboards, but I'm pretty sure that it is doable, with only a set of PS/2 keyboard/mouse + USB keyboard/mouse, and a suitably-equipped dual-head or dual single-head video cards.

NT-based OSes use something called "desktops", and "window stations" internally. I have a feeling, that if you could convince NT to allocate two of them, and map the PS/2 keyboard/mouse and primary display to one of them, and then the USB keyboard/mouse and secondary output to the other, then it would be doable on a "stock" W2K/XP config. The question is - what kind of arcane configuration magic do you need to utter to get it to do that, proparly.

I'm very interested in using my dual-head machine to be able to play multi-player 3D FPS games, in a vs. style mode, on the same PC. I think that would be cool (if a bit taxing on the host system).

 

[rjb]

I just got a second monitor, and I was hoping I could have two different desktops running on each.....

Check out UltraMon. You can have different desktops and separate taskbars, plus many other options.

 

[Ogrodek]

You are a godsend.

I'm not at home right now, but I'll install it and see if it works as soon as I get back. Thanks!

 

[yhelothar]

Just put the two wallpapers together into one picture with MS paint or any image editing software.
Set it as your wallpaper on tile mode.