By using dual monitors, users can increase the amount of screen space available to them on a single computer. Dual and multiple monitor configurations are now supported by Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X.
Double monitors can be easily set up. However, it requires the installation of an additional video card or a video card that supports dual displays. For users with a single video card in their computers, the following instructions apply:
Make sure that your computer is working properly and that more than one video card can be supported. In Device Manager, boot in safe mode to make sure only one video adapter and monitor are visible.
The second video card should then be installed, followed by turning off the system. Connect the second monitor once it has been installed.
In a properly installed system, the computer should continue to boot normally, and the second monitor should remain dark. A second video card may need to be installed depending on whether the correct drivers were packaged with the OS.
How to Setup Dual Monitors 2023
Microsoft Windows Dual Monitor Configuration
You may want to check Device Manager. Select Properties > Hardware > Device Manager from the top of the list when you right-click My Computer.
The Display Adapters section should have two monitors.
Specify the second monitor by right-clicking the desktop and selecting Properties. To access the Settings tab, click on the box that is bigger compared to the other. The two monitors connected to the computer are shown here. You can change the resolution and color depth of the second monitor by clicking the second window labeled “2”. Be sure that the monitor’s display parameters fit the monitor’s specifications.
If you want to extend your Windows desktop to this monitor, make sure to click “Extend my Windows desktop to this monitor.” A proper setup should result in the two monitors having the same size. You should be able to access the second monitor after clicking OK.
Setup of dual monitors troubleshooting
If the second monitor still does not work after following the above steps, check if the operating system supports both monitors.
You may also want to check what video card your computer has. Changing the BIOS settings so that the PCI card boots before the AGP card is needed if the computer has only one AGP slot and a PCI or ISA slot has to be used for the second video card.
Using a Splitter to Set Up Dual Monitors
A VGA or DVI-D splitter can also be used, depending on the specifications of the computer hardware, to connect two monitors. By connecting a male-to-female VGA cable end to a computer, a VGA splitter works.
Then it splits the digital signal into two parts without compromising either party’s quality, and it sends each part to its own VGA end, enabling one VGA cable to connect one computer to two separate VGA monitors. When a user wishes to use more than two monitors, a VGA splitter should be used that has more connections.
Using Separate Monitors to Display Different Applications
The user will need to make the necessary changes to Windows before the second monitor will be fully functional. Separate applications should be displayed on each monitor as follows:
- Open the Control Panel by clicking on the Start Menu.
- Choose “Adjust screen resolution” under the “Appearance and Personalization” category.
- You can activate the secondary monitor by selecting the “Multiple Displays” menu and then “Extend these displays.“
- Drag the programs to the secondary monitor and launch them. A secondary monitor will appear when the program window is dragged to the side of the main monitor.
