You can never have enough screen space, especially when
organizing and working on your digital pictures. Instead of buying a
larger monitor, if you're using Windows 7, Vista, or XP, you can buy an
inexpensive second monitor and connect it to your computer—instantly doubling your desktop space.
Flat
panel LCD monitors look great and will save room on your desk; CRT
monitors also work well and can be less expensive.
There
are several different ways you can make use of this extra screen space
when working at home or in your office. If you take a lot of digital
pictures, some of the advantages to having dual monitors at your work
space include:
-
When browsing your picture library, you
can view the thumbnails on one monitor, and use the second monitor to
view pictures full screen to check for proper focus and image quality.
-
When
editing photos, you can use one monitor to browse the pictures with
Windows Explorer or a photo library program, and use the second monitor
to edit the pictures with your photo-editing software.
-
If
you need to stay on top of your e-mail while working, you can keep your
inbox open on one monitor and work on your photos on the other.
Set up two monitors on your desktop computer
Many
new desktop computers support dual monitors without requiring any
additional hardware. To see if you have more than one monitor
connection, look at the back of your computer for two Video Graphics
Array (VGA) connectors or two Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connectors
or one of each.
Most new desktop computers include two connectors to support dual monitors
If
you only have a single VGA or DVI connector, you will need to install a
video adapter. You can either install a second video adapter or replace
your current video adapter with one that has two VGA or DVI
connections. Installing video adapters can be difficult if you're not
familiar with the inside of your computer, so you may want to seek
assistance from a local computer retailer that offers computer upgrade
services.
Add a monitor to your laptop computer
If
you have a laptop computer made in the last several years, you can
almost certainly support an external monitor by connecting it to the
VGA or DVI connector on the back of your computer. The external monitor
can act as a second display to your laptop's built-in display. Connect
your second monitor. You may have to restart your computer so that it
detects the new monitor. After you connect your second monitor, you
have to adjust your display settings.
Configuring your displays:
Troubleshooting:
If you do not see two monitor icons, your computer might not support
multiple displays. First, make sure that you have Windows 7, Windows
Vista, or Windows XP installed. Then, visit Microsoft Update, click Custom,
and install any available hardware updates. You may also need to visit
your computer manufacturer's Web site to install an updated display
driver. If you still do not see two monitor icons, you may need to
install an additional display adapter.
If necessary, drag the
monitor icons so that they are arranged in the same way as the monitors
on your desk. Click the Identify Monitors button to verify which monitor is 1 and which monitor is 2.
A dual monitor setup enables you to view the same image side by side.
Once
your monitor is set up, you can use your mouse to grab the title bar of
a window and drag it to your new display. If a window does not move
when you drag it, double-click the title bar first, and then drag it.
Having two monitors will forever change the way you work with your
computer. Be creative and experiment with the sizing of application
windows and what information you can keep in constant view while doing
multiple tasks.
Refered article is http://www.microsoft.com/athome/organization/twomonitors.aspx