# How to have 2 screens display one system -split ?



## Kalim (Nov 24, 2006)

Hello people :wave: 

One of my friends younger sons has just opened a restaurant as a starter business venture. Now he asked some techs around but they haven't satisfied his query...

He has many grand plans and for that he needs a computer and 2 screens as the menu front. He would like the main restaurant menu to be displayed across two (8 later) 42" screens that are side-by-side and controlled by a single computer at the same time, while having differing displays on them at any one time, and yet they could be changed at the users discretion to anything other, separably. :sigh: 

And so if he moved the mouse pointer on the main computer, it would run across one screen and slide onto the other next!!
Basically like dividing one screen display between 2 pictures outputs - one for one screen and the other to the second. 

I run 2 monitor and 4 monitor setups to each PC in many places myself, but haven't yet tried doing this one so I was wondering if someone would know a way to do this.. ? 

Its possible I do know as many multimedia based firms employ similar setups and so do crime departments here that I have witnessed, but I don't know if its something available to all.

Thanks for the help and comments/suggestions are welcome :grin:


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## Kalim (Nov 24, 2006)

BTW I'm aware of using Matrox G550 Dual head graphics card etc to split the display output between two screens and use Ultramon for the management (I use similar setups). But that is not what this fella seems to be after. As with any normal dual or multi-monitor setup, you can slide into the second monitor by default and split one extended window across two or more screens.. that I know of.

He seems to be looking for more control and a united look yet changeable without affecting the other window. I suppose the same setup with the Win Virtual Desktop app that comes with PowerToys may work...


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## Fr4665 (Nov 18, 2004)

u just need two video cards.

i run my onboard and an x800xl and set the x800xl as primary and the onboard as secondary. this will get you exactly what u want. it will basically stretch the desktop to the other screen so u can slide the mouse across.

either 
2 pci video cards
1 agp/pcie video card + 1 pci
or
1 agp/pcie + onboard (some onboards dont support it !)


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## Kalim (Nov 24, 2006)

Hi

I'm aware of the above setup option and have proposed this to him before today, but it wasn't quite what he was after.  I'll phone him up later and see what he's saying, as its confusing what he's wanting. There's one or two features IIRC that won't be possible with dual head or dual GPU's that he's after. We already have a PCIe GPU and onboard so that wouldn't be a problem in anyway if it was sufficient for his needs.

Thanks :grin:


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## Kalim (Nov 24, 2006)

*Update*:

OK. If you've played around on Linux lately, you'd know that distro's offer "Virtual Desktops" which are completely separate from one another; as in on each one a process underway will not appear to show in the other..

*Is there such an option for XP available?*

This would solve the problem equipped with 2 GPU's.

Thanks.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Use Linux! (Just kidding) I know what you mean. MS made a powertoy for XP for that exact purpose. Download the Virtual Desktop Manager on this page.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx


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## Kalim (Nov 24, 2006)

Thanks Matt!

Like I said, I have that and a few other Virtual Desktop applications, but if say out of four desktops, Firefox is opened in one and Thunderbird in another, they will also show in the other two desktops with these (they won't in Linux though), so it doesn't fit the bill here.

After something that will keep it totally separate like with Linux.... (he doesn't ant to try Linux and knows next to nothing about computers too)


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