[OT] really annoying multi-monitor issue

["Paul Gordon" <paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Peeps, can I tap the collective expertise on the off chance that
someone
knows the answer...



I recently decided I wanted to move to a dual-monitor setup on my main
PC, since I had both a need, and a spare monitor looking for a use...



The two monitors are entirely different sizes/resolutions etc.



My main PC has both embedded Intel GMA graphics, and an nVidia Geforce
8600GT PCIe



No problem I thought, as I used a similar configuration on my old laptop
& got it to operate exactly as I wanted...



Initially I plugged both screens into the 8600 (the onboard adapter was
disabled in BIOS) I've made sure I've got the very latest forceware
drivers. The nVidia control panel sees them both & allows me to select
from  a number of multi-screen modes. - the only one close to what I
want is the "one large horizontal desktop (horizontal span)"
option. -
the others being to only use a single display, clone the main onto the
secondary, or vertical span..



The span option "works" - but, not as I want. Firstly, it b*ggers
up the
resolution settings, - my main screen is a 22" with 1680x1050 native
res, the secondary is a 17" with 1280x1024 res. The nVidia span mode
gives me a single desktop of 2560x1024 and at least one of the displays
(my main 22" actually) is not operating at the native resolution - and
boy can I tell. Also, the handling isn't at all pleasant, since the
taskbar stretches across both monitors, with the start button on one, &
the systray on the other, and all new windows I open appear initially in
the middle straddling both screens (thus with a ruddy great gap down the
middle) - utterly pants in other words...



Having experimented with the options in the nVidia control panel, there
seems to be no way to get it to use them as 2 independent displays, with
full control over the resolution of each.



Fine I thought, - I'll run the 2nd display off the embedded adapter, &
use Windows display settings to configure them the way I want, - which
is exactly how I used to do it on my old laptop. I reset the nVidia
display settings to "single monitor", enabled the embedded
adapter in
the BIOS (set to "Always Enable" option), and installed the
latest Intel
GMA drivers from their site. Windows display properties now shows 3
possible monitors - the original one on the 8600, - working fine, plus 2
possibilities for the GMA:

2. Default Monitor on Intel(r) G33/G31 Express Chipset Family

3. (Default Monitor) on Intel(r) G33/G31 Express Chipset Family



I guessed it shows 2 since the mobo does have both DVI & D-sub sockets,
so I thought it's probably showing one device for each. However, nothing
I do will produce any display at all on the 2nd screen. - I have tried
every conceivable option & combination I can think of, and nada....
Windows resolutely refuses to put anything anywhere other than on the
default monitor..



Anyone come across this issue before? - got any tips? - I'm running XP
64-bit if it makes any difference (and yes, I did install the 64bit GMA
Drivers!). Both adapters appear as fully functional in device manager (3
actually, since the GMA appears twice) - I also have 3 entries for
"Default Monitor" in the monitors list in device manager, - all
showing
as OK, all showing as connected to the Intel GMA... - In fact I have
*nothing* in the device manager tree that's indicating any problems (and
yes, I have tried uninstalling & scanning for hardware changes -
Windows
puts them back exactly as they were).



This is *really* frustrating, both because it was a piece of p*ss to set
2 screens up on my old laptop just how I wanted them, but also because
I've already drilled the wall & mounted the monitor... any help would
be
much appreciated..



Cheers



Paul G



Oh, and to inject just a modicum of HA relevance, I want the 2nd monitor
so I can have a "permanent" view of a number of HA systems
without
interfering with my main monitor... - mainly the CCTV, but also for
touchscreen design work.



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