Configuring multiple monitors in Windows Vista

When a user connects an additional monitor to a mobile PC, or more commonly a laptop, Windows automatically detects it and displays the screen of the laptop on the additional monitor. By default, the screen of the laptop is automatically displayed on each additional monitor that the user connects. The user can customize the display settings of each additional monitor connected.

If Windows does not automatically detects the additional monitor, manually connect the monitor by the following method:

• Open Windows Mobility Center from Start menu > Control Panel > Mobile PC > Windows Mobility Center, and then click the Connect display button.

When the new monitor is detected by Windows Vista, the New Display Detected dialog box appears. The following options are available in the dialog box:

1. Mirrored: When this option is chosen, the screen of the laptop is duplicated on all the monitors that are connected. This is the default display option. It is useful when the mobile PC is used to give presentation on a projector.
2. Extended: When this option is chosen, the screen is extended across all the connected displays. It is useful when a user wants to increase the desktop area.
3. External Display only: When this option is chosen, the screen of the mobile PC is displayed on all the external monitors connected, but not on the mobile PC.

If a user wants to extend the screen of his mobile PC, he might require adjusting the display settings of each additional display. Windows automatically detects one additional display. If two or more monitors are connected, the user must manually designate the primary display, adjust the display settings, such as screen resolution and color depth.

Take the following steps to customize the display settings:

1. Right-click the blank area of the desktop, and then select Personalize.



2. In the Personalization window, click Display Settings.



3. The Display Settings dialog box will appear. To select the primary monitor, click on the monitor icon that represents the primary icon, and then select the This is my main monitor checkbox. Do other settings, and then click the OK button.

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