any tips on dual monitors/multiple programs

[CaptainStoner]

Hello

A friend of mine who is a tattoo artist would like to run a windows desktop on one monitor, and simultaneously run a slideshow type program on a second display.

The machine is a laptop-based unit housed in a 24" touchscreen monitor. It has an Intel quad core CPU, 8MB RAM, Win 7 64-bit, Nvidia graphics card (540M I believe). It has 2 additional HDMI outs.

Initial attempts in Windows display settings cannot detect the 2nd monitor.
What is the best way to go at this? Nvidia driver software? 3rd party monitor management software?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Windows should automatically detect the second monitor as soon as you hook it up to the computer. You might have to turn it on, too. But once you do that, it should show the second monitor in the display properties, and let you decide how to arrange them.

As for the slideshow part, XnView is good for that. I believe you can set it to just display images on the second screen, with various transition effects and a custom delay.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

A guy at work uses a 2 monitor setup. I think there's a driver or app helping him do this, but we do still use XP at work. He's able to drag between the monitors.

Win7 might be able to run 2 monitors without anything extra.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

UltraMon is the last program I used for any kind of special dual-monitor setup. Win7 works with dualies just fine, though.

 

[PurpleBuddha]

Even XP works well with dual monitors. Just go to display properties and choose the option to extend the monitors (same thing in windows 7).

As to the OP, if Windows 7 is not seeing both monitors in display properties, it is not likely any 3rd party software will see it either. Are you sure there is a good connection? You've probably tried, but if you have a spare cable, try using that along with plugging into the other port.

Is there no option in display properties to extend monitors?

Finally, this may be an known issue with the particular system you have. You might try
Googling the model of you system along with the dual monitors. This is probably you best chance at resolving it if nothing else works. And if you find nothing from the search, there is no cable issue and the second monitor has been verified to work, then make sure the system's firmware (normally found on the manufacture's support site along with update instructions) is updated and your graphics card drivers are updated. If none of that works, it may be a hardware issue (but that seems unlikely to me at this point).

 

[PurpleBuddha]

One other thing I forgot to ask. Does this have the blue fn key like most normal laptops? Many laptops can toggle dual monitors off and on, usually when it is holding the fn key and pressing F8 (if it has this functionality you should see an LCD symbol in blue on the F8 key). I do not think this is your problem, but it is worth a quick check.