# Why wont my dual monitors work



## NeedSomeHelp08 (Jul 27, 2008)

Hey i have 2 lcd monitors and a nvidia geforce 6200 vid card. I cant seem to get my seccond monitor to display anything, when i am in display settings and i try to check the box "Extend my windows desktop onto this display" it will just uncheck itself when i click apply, and doesnt do anything. Any idea whats goin on?


----------



## badboy28895 (Aug 8, 2008)

have you ever had them working b4? is there multiple display wizard you have to run in order to get both displays configured?


----------



## zuluclayman (Dec 16, 2005)

Have you checked your connections at the back of your computer - all OK?
Open your Nvidia control panel (as suggested by previous poster) by double clicking on nvidia icon in your system tray (little green icon usually) and use the multiple display wizard to setup your dual view options there. you can also configure multiple monitors there then check to see if they are showing up in display settings.


----------



## NeedSomeHelp08 (Jul 27, 2008)

Ive had both monitors working, seperately though. And the connections are all good. For some reason in the nvidia control panel it doesnt give the option for multiple montitors, it only has the option for "Only use one display(Single)" And my seccond monitor that is hooked up to the plug and play port doesnt appear on my display list. 

Also, dont see any way to run multiple display wizard i only see the way to configure them.


----------



## NeedSomeHelp08 (Jul 27, 2008)

Oh also forgot to mention, although my seccond monitor doesnt show up in the nvidia controls, it does appear in the display properties panel.


----------



## badboy28895 (Aug 8, 2008)

try configuring the displays. it seems like the gpx card is not reading the second display. maybe thats y it only shows in the display properties settings and not in your nvidia control pannel.


----------



## Jtsou (Jul 13, 2007)

Go to Nvidia Control Panel -> Setting up multiple displays


----------



## NeedSomeHelp08 (Jul 27, 2008)

Configure them how? not sure how i get the gfx card to pick up the seccond monitor. 

Also in the Nvidia Control Panel -> Setting up multiple displays

there is only the option for single monitor, it doesnt seem to notice there is a seccond monitor plugged into my regular monitor port.

Any other ideas guys?


----------



## badboy28895 (Aug 8, 2008)

my nvidia control pannel has the option to run multiple display wizard and set up multiple display. i had to run the wizard first so that it picks up other monitors or tvs plugged in. the in set up i can choose the way i want to diplsy the monitors. e.g. single, clone, ...etc... 
check all your cables connections, try switching them to them around, u can try unistalling the video card and instaling it again.


----------



## NeedSomeHelp08 (Jul 27, 2008)

i cant seem to find the wizard in the nvidia control panel


----------



## Jtsou (Jul 13, 2007)

Beside "2. Select the display you would like to use." It should say "? My display is not shown on the list..."

Click on that, but first make sure all cables are connected properly.


----------



## NeedSomeHelp08 (Jul 27, 2008)

Tried that, still doesnt detect it. Ive tried switching the monitors, and then it still only picks up whatever monitor is plugged into the gfx card. The two monitors still show up in display properties, but the #2 monitor appears to be darker in the gray area. But when i select it and check the box to "extend my windows desktop onto this display" it goes to the same color as the #1 monitor. Then when i click apply the box unchecks itself and it goes back to the darker color. I dont know why it wont let me do this?


----------



## Jtsou (Jul 13, 2007)

You should be able to handle all of this in Nvidia control panel. 

Can you see both monitors under "Select the display that you would like to use:"


----------



## NeedSomeHelp08 (Jul 27, 2008)

No i cant, only the monitor that is plugged into the gfx card will show up. And when i click "My display is not shown on the list..." it still doesnt detect it


----------



## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

NeedSomeHelp08 said:


> No i cant, only the monitor that is plugged into the gfx card will show up. And when i click "My display is not shown on the list..." it still doesnt detect it


are you saying you're trying to run one off the motherboard and one off the 6200? that wont work.


----------



## McNinja (Jun 22, 2008)

do you have 2 VGA or DVI connections on the back of your gfx card. If you don't you should consider getting a new graphics card


----------



## zuluclayman (Dec 16, 2005)

If you have a DVI and a VGA connection on the back where your video card is located you will need an adapter (should have come with the video card) to allow you to plug your 2 monitors into your video card. If you are wanting both to be DVI then you need a VGA-DVI adapter, if the other way round a DVI-VGA adapter. Hopefully this way they will show up properly in nVidia control panel. The adapters are cheap if u have misplaced yours (AU$15 or so)


----------



## NeedSomeHelp08 (Jul 27, 2008)

Ahh ok well theres my problem, yes i was trying to plug one into the motherboard lol didnt know this wasnt possible. Ok yes my gfx card has 2 ports but one is different than my monitor plug. Im assuming this is a DVI (pretty sure my monitor is VGA, not 100% tho) connection and i will get a adapter on friday and get back to you guys, thanks a ton all of you for the help appreciate it


----------



## McNinja (Jun 22, 2008)

ok cool I'm glad you figured this out


----------



## Jtsou (Jul 13, 2007)

DVI ports are white, VGA ports are blue.

EDIT: 500th post! YAY


----------



## NeedSomeHelp08 (Jul 27, 2008)

Ok so i got the adapter now and the seccond monitor is working, but all my windows automatically open to both monitors, is it possible to have everything open on my primary monitor and simply have the seccond as extra space that i can drag winows too? its kind of a pain in the *** the way it is right now. for example this text box im typing in is split between the two monitors so im constantly looking from one to the other as i type my text


----------



## stressfreesoul (Mar 17, 2008)

Not on the 6200, I have one, it doesn't support dual view (two monitors, with seperate resolutions and attributes).
The 6600GT supports this (only just). I suggest an upgrade if you want a decent multiple monitor setup.


----------



## NeedSomeHelp08 (Jul 27, 2008)

Ahh that sucks the 6200 is the best card i can get for my computer, i bought this comp from dell approx. 1 year ago. And it only has PCI slots, the 6200 is the best card made that uses PCI slots.. I was very, very dissipointed when i discovered this and i dont believe i will be buying another computer from dell.

Looks like i may just be using a single monitor after all, after figuring this all out lol. My fullscreen videos are centered in both monitors making it look like crap, any windows that open are also centered between the two splitting them right down the middle.


----------



## stressfreesoul (Mar 17, 2008)

Agreed (regarding Dell).
They dont tend to take as much pride in their work as most real techies do...
Read up on how to build your own, its not difficult. Then if you ever go to reach for the phone to call them you will be struck down by the God Of Hardware who will graciously remind you of your new knowledge. lol. kidding.
...but seriously, even getting someone you know who is qualified to build you one is better than trusting the big-wigs. Cheaper too.

You do know you could get another 6200 and run two monitors that way? Or surely there must be an older Matrox or Quadro card that will work?


----------



## NeedSomeHelp08 (Jul 27, 2008)

Ah yea but with two cards it would still be the same right? I mean it is working as its like i have 1 huge widescreen desktop. And maybe this is the way everyones works but seems kinda crappy to me how everything i open is centered between the two of them so for example videos in media player are cut in half, each half on either monitor. Any alerts/windows that popup are split between the two monitors ect. I want everything to open and work as it did with a single monitor, just opening on my primary monitor. And then id just use my seccond monitor as extra space for more windows if needbe.

And yes im definately going to look into building my own computer once i finish paying off dell (ARGHHH!!!) i got the stupid no down payment computer and was making payments of 26$ a month and never recieved a statement, 2 months ago i finally recieved my first statement and i had paid off a grandtotal of 56$ off of my financing. 

Apparently 22$ of my payment simply went to the interest i was incurring lol. Had i known this i would have paid for it flat out, didnt realize i was gettin hosed with that high of an interest rate. Damn you dell!!!


----------



## McNinja (Jun 22, 2008)

whoa, whoa, maybe this'll cheer you up. I hope you have better luck with your computer buying skillzzz(Z for +5 skills in buying stuff)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOYjtSumBRo


----------



## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

stressfreesoul said:


> Not on the 6200, I have one, it doesn't support dual view (two monitors, with seperate resolutions and attributes).
> The 6600GT supports this (only just). I suggest an upgrade if you want a decent multiple monitor setup.


I'm finding posts on google that it does? 

Not sure if it requires multimon, but it should support dual view?


----------



## stressfreesoul (Mar 17, 2008)

Really? Im gonna prod mine then. All I read is it doesn't. I'll get back to you NSH08.


----------



## NeedSomeHelp08 (Jul 27, 2008)

Alright, well if you find out it does lemme know. This is frustrating as hell , trying to watch movies suckkkksss.


----------



## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

i dont know what card we have in our church's computer, it's an nvidia PCIe card that doesn't need any auxilary power. Not sure if it's a 6200 or not. 

anywho, it gets very finicky for dualview. projector has to be turned on before computer, and if the projector's cable isn't oriented right (i think it has a short), it will show all options except dualview. S full shut down and restart with the cable moved alittle nets the dualview option back.


----------

