1.2 Install, configure, optimize and upgrade personal computer components Part 3

Connecting A Monitor

Typical CRT
Connections

Typical LCD
Connections (with built in speakers)

Install additional monitors

Multiple monitors overview

Windows makes it possible for you to increase your work productivity by expanding the size of your desktop. Connecting up to ten individual monitors, you can create a desktop large enough to hold numerous programs or windows.

You can easily work on more than one task at a time by moving items from one monitor to another or stretching them across numerous monitors. Edit images or text on one monitor while viewing Web activity on another. Or you can open multiple pages of a single, long document and drag them across several monitors to easily view the layout of text and graphics. You could also stretch a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet across two monitors so you can view numerous columns without scrolling.

One monitor serves as the primary display and will hold the logon dialog box when you start your computer. In addition, most programs will display windows on the primary monitor when you initially open them. Different screen resolutions and different color quality settings can be selected for each monitor. Multiple monitors can be connected to individual graphics adapters or to a single adapter that supports multiple outputs.

Using Dualview

On many portable computers and some desktop computers (those with two video ports on one video card), you can expand your display to a second monitor by using Dualview. Dualview is very similar to the multiple monitor feature, with the exception that you cannot select the primary display. On a portable computer, the primary monitor is always the LCD display screen. On a desktop computer, it is the monitor attached to the first video out port.

Once you attach the second monitor and turn on your computer, use Display in Control Panel to configure your settings, just as you do with multiple monitors. Dualview can be used with docked or undocked portable computers.

To use the multiple monitor support feature, you need a video adapter for each monitor. If you have an onboard video adapter (one that is not a plug-in card but is part of the motherboard) that you want to use as part of a multiple-monitor configuration, it must be set as VGA.

To install additional monitors:

1. Turn off your computer.
2. Insert your additional video card adapter into an available slot.
3. Plug your additional monitor into the card.
4. Turn on your computer. Windows will detect the new video adapter and install the appropriate drivers.
5. Open Display in Control Panel.
6. On the Settings tab, click the monitor icon that represents the monitor you want to use in addition to your primary monitor.
7. Select the Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor check box, and then click Apply or OK.
8. If the check box is not displayed on your computer, it may be because your video adapter does not support multiple monitors.

If you are using Dualview, skip steps 2 and 3 above. Just plug your second monitor into the video out port on your portable computer, or into the second video out port on your desktop computer. When you turn on your computer, it should recognize the second monitor. Follow steps 5 through 7 to extend your display to the second monitor. If the second monitor is not shown on the Settings tab, you might need to update your display driver.

> Add, remove and configure basic input and multimedia devices

Access Device Manager Under Windows 2000 / XP

There are two different methods that can be used to access the device Manager under Windows XP:

• Click the START button on the Windows taskbar.
• Select CONTROL PANEL from the menu.
• Select PERFORMANCE AND MAINTENANCE.
• Select SHOW BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR COMPUTER.
• Select the HARDWARE tab.
• Click on the DEVICE MANAGER button.