Dual Monitor Set-Up: How to Game On One w/Desktop On Other? Possible?

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ELB

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Hello and thanks for reading.

I have a new Win 7 set-up, and while I'm currently using my older (yet still great) CRT monitor, I just bought a nice LCD monitor, so I'll have two.

I game often, but it'd be great if I could have the game up on one full screen (not sure if it's possible to do this or it must be played in a window) and an application on the other.

I understand that I would have to alt-tab to transfer between the two, which is fine, but what I think would be most useful would be to, say, have the keyboard commands for the game (from a text file, .pdf, picture, etc.) on the second monitor, while I play the game on the first. Other good examples would be to have a map of the game (again, a picture found online, not a map from the game itself, to be clear) or spreadsheet of stats up on the second screen that I could reference during play.

Doable?

I ask because my understanding is that there are three modes for using dual monitors in Windows 7. One allows you to run both as one big desktop. The other mirrors the screen, so you have the exact same desktop duplicated. The final has one off and the other on.

This makes it sound as if the only option is to have the game run in a window on one screen and then open the application, picture, whatever sized to the other. What I was hoping for was to have the game fill the entirety of one monitor and have the desktop confined to just the other, and alt-tab between the two.

Thanks,

ELB
 
Solution
If you want the game to cover the full screen it will be in the video options for the game, eg: WoW

If you want your game to auto open on the larger/better screen (as a full screen) set that better/bigger screen as the main monitor. Games and most applications, unless changed will auto open to the main monitor.

I would only combine two screens if:

1: your using Sli/Crossfire
2: the screen's are the same model
3: and the brim of the screen in small

Hope this helps,

Thanks,

Edit: If you want one screen to have the taskbar but want the other sceen to open the full sized game on another screen, you can set one screen as the main monitor and then unlock and drag the windows toolbar to the other screen... that way you have your...

Combat Wombat

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Aug 4, 2011
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If you want the game to cover the full screen it will be in the video options for the game, eg: WoW

If you want your game to auto open on the larger/better screen (as a full screen) set that better/bigger screen as the main monitor. Games and most applications, unless changed will auto open to the main monitor.

I would only combine two screens if:

1: your using Sli/Crossfire
2: the screen's are the same model
3: and the brim of the screen in small

Hope this helps,

Thanks,

Edit: If you want one screen to have the taskbar but want the other sceen to open the full sized game on another screen, you can set one screen as the main monitor and then unlock and drag the windows toolbar to the other screen... that way you have your toolbar visual... and the full sized game on one screen.
 
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