How do I Set Up Dual Monitors?

Using dual monitors refers to using two physical display devices to increase the viewing space running on a single computer. Dual and multiple monitor configurations are now supported by Microsoft Windows Operating Systems and Mac OS X.

Setting up dual monitors is easy. However, it requires that you add a second video card or to install a video card that can support a dual head or two separate physical outputs. The following instructions are for those with only one video card installed in their computers.

Make sure that your computer is working fine and that it can support more than one video card. You also have to boot into safe mode to make sure that you only have one video adapter and monitor shown in Device Manager.

Next, turn off the system and install the second video card. Once installed, you can finally connect the second monitor.

If you have done the installation correctly, your computer should boot the same way as always and the second monitor should still appear dark. Depending on the presence of the correct drivers bundled with your OS, you may need to install the drivers for your second video card.

Configuring Dual Monitors under Microsoft Windows

Check Device Manager. To do this, right-click My Computer then choose Properties > Hardware > Device Manager. There should be 2 monitors under the Display Adapters.

To configure your second monitor, right-click on the desktop and choose Properties. Go to the Settings tab where you will see two boxes, one bigger than the other. These represent the two monitors plugged in to your computer. Click the second window marked as "2" and change the resolution and color depth of your second monitor. Make sure that the display parameters you choose are within your monitors' limits.

Do not forget to click the "Extend my Windows desktop into this monitor" option. If you do this properly, the 2 monitors should have the same size. Click OK and your 2nd monitor should work properly.

Troubleshooting Dual Monitor Setups

If you have followed the instructions above but your second monitor is still not working, you might want to check if your operating system supports both monitors.

You might also want to check the kind of video card you installed. If your computer has only one AGP slot and you have to use a PCI or ISA slot for the second video card, you may have to change the BIOS setting to have the PCI boot first before the AGP display adapter.