Need to expand your view in Windows 2000 Pro? Use two or more monitors

by Jim Boyce | Nov 06, 2006 8:00:00 AM

Tags: Jim Boyce, Microsoft Windows 2000, adapter, Microsoft Windows, desktop, monitor, Windows 2000 Professional Tips Newsletter

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Takeaway: Having an extra monitor is a popular way to get extra screen space, and it's easier to set up secondary displays on your Windows 2000 Professional system than you may think. Here's how to expand your horizons by adding one or more monitors to your setup.

Whether you're doing software or Web development in Windows 2000 Professional, desktop publishing, or other applications, having extra screen real estate can be a productivity booster. You can add additional PCI display adapters to a Windows 2000 system to act as secondary displays (the primary can be an AGP display adapter). Windows 2000 expands the desktop to accommodate the new display, making the desktop fit seamlessly across the displays.

To use multiple displays in Windows 2000:

Shut down the system and add the PCI display adapters.
Restart the system and allow Windows 2000 to detect and install drivers for the adapters.
You can then configure the multiple adapters and how they accommodate the desktop through the display properties. Simply select the adapter you want to configure from the numbered boxes and set resolution and other properties as you would for a single adapter configuration.
Click and drag the numbered monitor icons to arrange the desktop according to your physical monitor layout. The option, "Use This Device As The Primary Monitor," specifies which adapter is used to display the logon dialog, desktop icons, taskbar, etc. Use the option "Extend My Windows Desktop Onto This Monitor" to enable or disable an adapter.