Multiple Monintor
 

Just connected my lcd television to my laptop.

It shows my desktop picture but thats it. no icons. no start bar?

but, i can drag mouse off my default screen and then it goes onto the other screen. which is okay i suppose.

but does anyone know how to mirror it all? so what ever is on my laptop screen shows on my tv?

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

What monitor software do you have on your PC. How are monitors set up in Control Panel.
You have a set up with dual head monitor capabilities, you need to switch this off in the options and select mirror or something similar.

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

U could use this

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

Running the standed windows software (xp). cant find no settings about mirrored etc...

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

On my lap top in display properties settings there is a check box saying "extend destop to second monitor" or similar(working from memory), just remove the tick and both screens should be identical.

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

XP doesn't actually have any software included to mirror or 'clone' desktops on multiple monitors

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

Control Panel
Display
Display Properties > Settings,
Click on the monitor two
bottom of box untick extend my windows desktop onto this monitor.

What happens?

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

it disables the 2nd monitor

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

so how did you connect - what plugs & cables did you use?

what video (graphics) card do you have installed in the laptop?

I guess the default installation is to display the 'overlay' on the tv, and the merge with the gui on the monitor ?

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

U will have to use a 3rd party application in order to mirror your display. As i posted above, the best app for this would be Ultramon

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

However, in my experience, most laptops can regardless of OS installed.. On my Viao, you hit (I think) "Fn" + "F6".

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

All decent NVidia & ATI drivers let you mirror the desktop but you must go into the driver control panel and look for the "displays" part.

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

On my laptop and laptops I have used its usually FN and either F6 o F8 if I rememeber correctly and it shows it.

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

Not sure about the FN+F8 or F6, as i havn't used a laptop in a while.. but i would highly recomend that ultramon sofwtare.. thats wot i use to configue my monitors when i use dual monitors.. last time i checked the software has support for summink stupid like 6 monitors??

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

When we do that with the laptop at work it switches display output to the second device and stops output to the laptop screen. Mirroring the output is different but somehow I think that switching outputs is actually what the original poster wants unless they actually want the laptop screen to still be active while they view everything on the television in which case jellybaby is right.
So the question now is, does the original poster want to use the television as the output device on it's own and have a blank laptop screen while doing it or do they want to use the laptop as normal but be able to see everything on the television at the same time?

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

My laptop Dell 8600 cycles
laptop display > external display > both displays >

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

Can't experiment at the moment, as I don't have an external monitor at home. but on my Dell with dual-head capability, there is an option under Display Settings to select 'multiple monitor' or 'plug and play monitor'. I suspect that if you switch this to 'plug and play' monitor, it will then act as a 'normal' laptop, where you use a function key (FN/F8 on mine) to cycle between laptop, external and both. Does presumably depend what laptop and graphics adapter you have, though. I'll try it at work next week.

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

On my DELL 5160 you use Fn+F8 to enable the secon monitor when you are not extending your desktop.

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

Right, just looked on my laptop and quite right i do have a "FN" button and F3 is the button that should switch between the screens or do both but when i press them nothing happens. The 2nd monitor only shows the desktop wallpaper :(

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

Wierd. I just posted an answer and nothing came out..

Anyway, you may need to disable the "Extend my desktop to this monitor" option for the 2nd Graphics adaptor in Windows XP.

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

...or possibly switch off 'multiple monitor' as per post 17

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

Which is exactly what I said in the post above. However, by default, Windows doesn't offer a disable multiple monitors option.

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

When i disable this it turns off the 2nd monitor

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

Then you should be able to use the Fn + F3 key (or whatever it was) to re-enable the display and switch to it..

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

To be exact, it is the video driver which gives the option, but it is in the control panel 'display' properties, so most users would see it as a 'Windows' facility.

Re: Multiple Monintor
 

I do realise that. The extend desktop option IS offered by Windows on all Multiple Monitors systems though. Regardless of any options offered by the drivers.