Posts Tagged ‘functionality’

Using Multiple Monitors to Expand Your Busy Desktop

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Add a second monitor to your pcHey, everyone. It’s Josh from Computer Fitness yet again. We are a Tech Support Company for Small and Medium businesses located in Reisterstown, MD.

It’s 2010 and one monitor just won’t cut it anymore. That’s the reality for a lot of computer users these days. Graphic designers and a plethora of other people need more than just one monitor to prevent data overload and clutter. It’s the same thing as having too many files on your desk. You buy a return with some drawers to the side to add a little space and keep things more organized. Others use a second monitor for entertainment, such as hooking up your laptop to a TV. This is useful when streaming TV shows from, let’s say, Hulu. Configuring your system to work with this is pretty simple, and the rewards can be pretty cool. Here’s a walkthrough for getting a secondary display attached to your PC or Mac.

PC

  • Check to make sure your graphics card has two outputs
  • Laptops just use the VGA out port
  • Desktops will require a special card if no second output is present
  • Power down
  • Connect second monitor
  • Power on the machine
  • If it doesn’t auto detect, right click on desktop
  • Select Properties
  • Go to change your resolution
  • You should see a second monitor in a little window there, and it may be grayed out
  • Click on it
  • Then check the “Extend My Windows Desktop onto this Display” box directly beneath the monitor diagram
  • Click OK

Mac OS

  • Plug in the secondary monitor
  • Should auto-detect
  • Click “System Preferences”
  • Open “Displays”
  • It will display this window on both monitors
  • Will either automatically mirror your existing desktop or extend it
  • In this setting panel, choose how you want it to look
  • Optional: Enable “Show Displays in Menu Bar”
  • Great option if you are frequently hooking up your computer to a TV or any other external display

-Josh

Computer Fitness