Dual-Monitor, one for gaming, one for internet/others

[jackctaylor]

So I recently just got my new graphics card (not that great) to hold me off until I build my new computer in the summer. I want to be able to use my main monitor, a 1920x1080 Dell 24" for gaming, and my old old old monitor, a DCL-LCD (?) 1280x1024 for browsing the internet, hopefully if need be while I'm gaming, so I can multi-task. I'm connecting my Dell one to the (of course new gfx card) HDMI port, and my DCL-LCD one to the VGA one (again, same video card). Windows does notice that I have two monitors but the DCL one's res is screwed up for some reason and it's like zoomed in one part of my desktop in a way that I can't see the taskbar.. just zoomed in showing a third of my wallpaper.

What setting in screen resolution do I use? Duplicate display? Extend? Etc?

Again, Dell for gaming and DCL for browsing and other stuff, but I want to multi-task and do it at the same time if possibly need be.

System Specs (without the DCL plugged in):
Dxdiag - http://pastebin.com/z0tS1LNG

 

[Sandstorm3000]

I also use 2 monitors, one 1920x1080 and one 1600x900. It is normal that you can't see the taskbar on the second monitor (even when you would have 2x 1920x1080 monitors). Only windows 8 supports this. And your wallpaper is set on your first screen (1920x1080). The wallpaper on the second monitor is the same size so thats why it looks zoomed in

 

[jackctaylor]

I also use 2 monitors, one 1920x1080 and one 1600x900. It is normal that you can't see the taskbar on the second monitor (even when you would have 2x 1920x1080 monitors). Only windows 8 supports this. And your wallpaper is set on your first screen (1920x1080). The wallpaper on the second monitor is the same size so thats why it looks zoomed in

Any ways to get it to support that without Windows 8? To be perfectly honest, I'm not a big fan of that OS whatsoever. Waiting for Windows 9 or 10... whichever has the start menu back.

 

[k1114]

There's a bunch of 3rd party apps that will do it. http://sourceforge.net/projects/dualmonitortb/

 

[Sandstorm3000]

I also use 2 monitors, one 1920x1080 and one 1600x900. It is normal that you can't see the taskbar on the second monitor (even when you would have 2x 1920x1080 monitors). Only windows 8 supports this. And your wallpaper is set on your first screen (1920x1080). The wallpaper on the second monitor is the same size so thats why it looks zoomed in

Any ways to get it to support that without Windows 8? To be perfectly honest, I'm not a big fan of that OS whatsoever. Waiting for Windows 9 or 10... whichever has the start menu back.

I am also no fan of windows 8 , After some googling i found this program: http://sourceforge.net/projects/dualmonitortb/
I don't use it myself so i can't tell if it will work or not. The program should extend your taskbar
I have also found this: http://dualmonitortool.sourceforge.net/ with this program you can set a different wallpaper on each screen, so you can set a 1920x1080 one and a 1280x1024 one.

 

[jackctaylor]

Thanks sandstorm and k1114