I cannot activate Extended desktop with Windows Vista Home Premium & Nvidia geforce

forrestleigh · Jul 2, 2013

I cannot activate Extended desktop with Windows Vista Home Premium & Nvidia geforce

My apologies if this is in the wrong forum, but I don't know if my problem is windows related or graphics card or monitors. As said in the title I want to activate extended desktop and I'm at my wits end.

I have an HP compaq PC, Nvidia Geforce 4800 with DVI output, I understand it supports dual monitors.

The grahics card DVI has a splitter cable to 2 x VGA which are attached to two identical HP VGA monitors.

I can get an image on both screens, in the display settings two monitors show, one generic and one HP, the option to extend my desktop is there but whatever I do the same image shows on both monitors.

In the control panel however in the NVidia control panel it only says one monitor is attached

Please, can anyone help or need any more information about this

Thank you all

Patrick · Jul 2, 2013

Re: I cannot activate Extended desktop with Windows Vista Home Premium & Nvidia gefor

Hi,

Go to the Desktop and right click, on the context menu should be nVidia Control Panel, Properties, etc.... However, if I remember correctly, there should also be a 'nView Properties'. Click this. I believe through here you will be able to set up extended dualview.

Regards,

Patrick

Laxer · Jul 3, 2013

Re: I cannot activate Extended desktop with Windows Vista Home Premium & Nvidia gefor

If the above does not work you may have the wrong cord...

Can you identify if it is single or dual link?

Just pull the connector off and look at it or upload a picture.

I think dual link dvi output only works with dual link cords if not you get the same signal sent to both monitors...

forrestleigh · Jul 3, 2013

Re: I cannot activate Extended desktop with Windows Vista Home Premium & Nvidia gefor

Thank you for the response, I'm at work at the moment but I will check when I get home, to confirm, my output should be DVI-I or DVI-D and I will require a DVI (I or D) splitter cable which will give outputs to dual monitors rather than just one output to two monitors. Assuming I have the correct splitter can I then use a DVI-VGA adaptor on each 'split' to achieve dual monitor output and then achieve extended desktop. If this is the case do I need a particular adaptor or will any adaptor pick up the correct output

Digerati · Jul 3, 2013

Re: I cannot activate Extended desktop with Windows Vista Home Premium & Nvidia gefor

I will require a DVI (I or D) splitter cable which will give outputs to dual monitors rather than just one output to two monitors.

Ummm, I think there is some confusion here. "Dual monitors" is the same thing as "two monitors". Splitter cables are just that, splitters - one input and two identical outputs. Splitter cables are NOT "intelligent" devices that put half the desktop on one monitor then "extend the other half on the other monitor. You need two separate outputs from your graphics device, or two cards to create an "extended" desktop.

The word or phrase "dual link DVI" does NOT - in any way - mean it supports two monitors. It means it supports "a" (as in a single) monitor that requires or supports roughly twice the video bandwidth for faster response times and greater resolutions. See here and here.

See they Microsoft articles, Dual monitor setup is easy in Windows 7! and Work and play better with multiple monitors.

If like me, once you get used to running with 2 monitors, you will wonder how you lived with just one. While Windows (XP and newer) supports (for the most part) multi-monitors, not all programs do. And even the latest operating systems sometimes have little issues, and seem to get confused occasionally as to which monitor is primary and which is secondary. So a multi-monitor utility is almost a necessity. My favorite is UltraMon – not free, but worth it. Others have suggested the free DisplayFusion, but I have no experience with it.

Tekno Venus · Jul 3, 2013

Re: I cannot activate Extended desktop with Windows Vista Home Premium & Nvidia gefor

Hey there,

If I am correct, your issue is that both monitors are showing a clone/mirror of the same desktop, rather than allowing you to extend across multiple desktops an therefore drag windows from one monitor to another. Am I correct here?

I will need some screenshots here to get an idea of what's happening. I have experience setting up multiple monitors with NVidia control panel and I know it can be a bit of a pain. I've tried (and succeeded after about an hour!).

Could you try something please? I have just set up a multi monitor set up with my laptop to try and get you some steps :)

Open NVidia Control Panel. On the left hand side, you'll see "Set up Multiple Displays". Click that. You will see a window like the one below:

Right click the (1)(2) bit and choose Extend. Press Apply. See if that helps. If the wrong monitor is primary, try right clicking the other numbered display and choose Make Primary.

If that doesn't work, could you open the following windows and take a screenshot of them and attach them to your next post?

Right click on the desktop --> Screen Resolution

Open NVidia control panel --> Set up multiple displays

Hope that makes sense!

Regards,
Stephen

forrestleigh · Jul 3, 2013

Re: I cannot activate Extended desktop with Windows Vista Home Premium & Nvidia gefor

I think some confusion here does not come close :huh: my video card based on the graphics posted is a DVI-I dual output, so I presume that this will actually output as two separate outputs from my graphics device? If that is the case does my DVI-I splitter then take both outputs split them at the splitter cable stage and feed one to each monitor?

I'm also confused because I have two monitors connected, all be it they both recieve the same signal, but in the NVIDIA control panel it only detects one monitor, however the graphics card properties appears to show both monitors - both monitors are the HP w2007v 20" widescreen. As I only have one 'output' on my card is this why two monitors are not picked up?

I have two 'splitters' (yes I can see this is getting funny now :dance: one is a DVI-I which splits to two cables both with a dvi output which I can't use at the moment as my monitors are VGA input so I'd need two DVI to VGA adaptors for each 'split' correct or not?

I also have a 'splitter' that is DVI to 2xVGA which is how I get the identical signal on both monitors, which I'm not suprised at (even though I am not doing very well on the rest of it) I understand the point about a splitter doing the identical signal, but if the card has one output but supports two monitors isn't the splitter the thing I need?

So, basically, if I have dual output on my graphics card, two monitors, and I get DisplayFusion, UltraMon or some other software, and I have a DVI to 2xDVI 'splitter' output what else do I need to get the extended desktop I'm searching for?

Digerati · Jul 3, 2013

Re: I cannot activate Extended desktop with Windows Vista Home Premium & Nvidia gefor

I think some confusion here does not come close my video card based on the graphics posted is a DVI-I dual output, so I presume that this will actually output as two separate outputs from my graphics device? If that is the case does my DVI-I splitter then take both outputs split them at the splitter cable stage and feed one to each monitor?

Please read the links I provided. You do not have a "dual output" DVI providing two "separate" outputs. It is just twice (dual) the bandwidth.

but if the card has one output but supports two monitors isn't the splitter the thing I need?

One output provides one signal, not two. So again, a splitter just sends the one signal to two monitors. Think "Y" connector.

You need to forget all about splitters. They only duplicate one output to two. If you want to "extend" your desktop across multiple monitors, you need two separate outputs from your card, or two cards.

Laxer · Jul 3, 2013

Re: I cannot activate Extended desktop with Windows Vista Home Premium & Nvidia gefor

Digerati is right, I was thinking of a DMS-59 port not a DVI dual link... Been quite a while since I had two monitors hooked up to a single port, sorry :thud:

I remember being able to split a dual link signal but, can't remember it for the life of me :sad:

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I cannot activate Extended desktop with Windows Vista Home Premium & Nvidia geforce

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I cannot activate Extended desktop with Windows Vista Home Premium & Nvidia geforce

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Co-Founder
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