Dual Monitors w/ Independent Desktops

I am having a problem with setting up a dual-monitor system. I have my laptop and a 19-inch Samsung monitor; I’d like to have the laptop and Samsung display an identical, but independent, desktop. I’ve tried extending my desktop to the Samsung and copying my shortcuts over, but obviously that ran in to problems. Does anyone know how I can do this? I hope that I've clearly stated my problem.

 

so you want expand view but you want the shortcut and taskbar be on the samsung?

 

No, not an extension. I want two monitors displaying two identical desktops that can be independently controlled; almost as if they are two different computers.

 

thats not going to happen with only one computer.

 

Maybe I'm missing something, but to set up what you have described, you would be doing two, totally different tasks on one machine, off one operating system, which is not really possible. In other words, you cant have two "identical" desktops running off one machine. You can only duplicate the desktop, or extend the desktop, but then you still wouldn't be "independently" controlling the two desktops.

What do you mean by an "identical desktop"?

 

You partially can on linux. I think he's talking about that.

 

I don't mean controlling them at the same time, I mean having the same desktop on both monitors while controlling one at a time; like a virtual desktop.

 

No one can propose any solution?

 

I still don't understand exactly what you want. Typical uses of a dual monitor setup are cloning and extending. If you want to do some trickery with monitors, you might want to look at UltraMon or any similar application that specializes in multiple monitor setups.

 

Ok, I want cloning, but with a twist. When I move my mouse and do my stuff on the primary monitor, I want the secondary to just keep the same desktop until I move my mouse over to work on the desktop there. In other words, I want two separate desktops. Exactly the same, yes, but I want to use them separately. Does that clarify my problem?

 

I think its safe to say its not possible.

 

I know what you're saying, but I don't think it's possible in Windows.

 

That is extending. You are merely extending your workspace to the second monitor. Again, you really need to check out UltraMon or Dexpot.

 

Well, the trouble is that, with extending, I can't put desktop shortcuts on the secondary monitor; otherwise, when I unplug the Samsung from my laptop, my desktop takes on all the shortcuts of the secondary. If I can't do what I've inquired for previously, is there a way to solve this dilemma.

 

Have you even checked out the applications I recommended?

 

Yes, but UltraMon only extends the desktop. I don't think that what I'm talking about is impossible; I basically want my external monitor to display a virtual desktop.

 

I tend to agree with the other posters; I haven't found any related discussions on the 'net, and haven't found any explanations on how to do what you want. That's probably because power users want an extended desktop so they can have two apps running, one on each monitor, or they want to run an application on one monitor, with related output on the other monitor (a la Power Point).

An extended desktop is exactly what you want, as far as I can tell. You can open applications, move them to the second display, and then close them. When you open those applications again, they will automatically open on the second monitor. The only thing that is missing from the extended desktop are the icons and the taskbar. I've never missed them, and once you work with multiple monitors for a while, you will probably become accustomed to moving the mouse just a bit more to get to the quick launch bar.

I think that's the closest you'll get to combining a virtual desktop application with two monitors.

 

Its disappointing that there are no such programs... I've installed UltraMon before, but it didn't serve the purpose I was looking for. In my opinion, switching between desktops/monitors would be so much easier with hotkeys or mouse buttons rather than pushing the pointer across two screens. Anyway, thanks for the help.

 

Turn up the mouse acceleration a notch or two . One fast ~1-inch flick and my mouse pointer has traversed 3360 horizontal pixels on my extended 2x 1680x1050 desktop - and the acceleration or speed still isn't anywhere near so high that precision mouse work becomes an annoyance.

As kegobeer pointed out, try out an extended desktop for a while - with or without Ultramon (the only active feature of it I use now is seperate wallpapers, I found I didn't really need the extra taskbar - and it had a tendency to screw up on occasion, not showing the correct tasks on the right monitor). I imagine it won't take you long to learn to love all the extra horizontal screen space .

As my laptop screen is a lot smaller than my extra monitor (15.4" vs. 22" - though both the same resolution as mentioned above), I'm using the laptop screen for the items I only look at and use occasionally - the taskbar, Vista sidebar gadgets, ObjectDock, usually an Explorer window or two and some minor applications/tools. And then I use the large monitor for most of my various applications (and full screen video) - browsers, HTML editor, graphics applications etc.

 

yea, i had a program like that a while ago... i dont remember the name... ill see if i can dig it up
edit: dont hate me if i cant find it

 

I have done something similar. I hope it helps. It isn't EXACTLY what you're looking for, because there will still only be a taskbar on 1 monitor, but any shortcuts you create will remain where you placed them. Maybe if you play around a while you can figure out how to replicate the taskbar

Here is how to do it in XP. I assume there is a similar way to do it in Vista... But I've never used Vista, so I don't know for sure.


Step 1:

-Open up the "System Properties" box and select the "Harware" tab.
-Click "Hardware Profiles" and highlight "Profile 1"
-Click "Copy". At the prompt, type your desired Profile title and press "OK"
-In the section of the current menu you are in entitled "Harware profiles seleciton", whose either "Wait until I select a hardware profile" or "Select the first profile if I don't select a profile in X seconds"
-Press "OK" to leave the "Hardware Profile" menu, then again to leave the "System Properties" menu.
-Reboot the computer. Before Windows loads you will be prompted to select a hardware profile. Select the one you just created and continue to boot Windows.

Step 2:

-Open the "Display Properties" menu and select the "Settings" tab
-Right-Click the shaded graphic of monitor "2" and select "Attatched"
-This should auto-select "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor". Check to ensure this IS selected.
-Click "OK" to leave the menu

Step 3:

-Create a new Windows user & login to it. You are doing this so that Windows won't just throw all the 2nd monitors shortcuts onto the first when when only 1 is connected. So, any time you are using 1 monitor, login to your old username. When you are using 2 login to the new username.

Step 4:

-Configure the empty space to your liking. Creating any shortcuts you need (recycling bin, my documents, ect.).

Step 5:

When booting up, make sure that you select the appropriate Harware Profile. When you select the origional profile, the 1 monitor setup will load. When you select the profile you created, the 2 monitor setup will load, with the second monitor remembering all the short-cuts you created.

Then login to the appropriate user account.

 

http://userful.com/products/free-2-user

That was timely, I just found this yesterday, not tested it yet.

It will do what you want but its a little bit more powerful. Its actually like having 2 separate users on your single system. You'll need 2 keyboard/mice

Not tested it yet. Tell us how it goes and if it works for you. The company is licensing it free for 2 users, probably to get interest in it as most corporations would want a license, and want more users per 'server'

have fun

 

A good suggestion that would probably work; but Vista doesn't support hardware profiles. The feature was removed.

Too bad its for Linux only.

 

No hardware profiles in Vista? I wonder why...

Is Vista smart enough to remember which monitor a user has shortcuts on? If it is then you could try cutting out all the hardware profile steps and just using the 2 different user accounts. One for dual monitor, one for one monitor...

But again, I've never used Vista, so this is about the end of my usefullness

 

Thanks for trying anyways; your suggested solution probably would have worked in XP, but hardware profiling was removed in Vista anyway...

 

Thought your in the linux team (from your sig)

 

Remember that he posted in the Windows OS board.

 

Dual monitors in Linux is a little more complicated, requiring manual editing of the xorg.conf file. Its messy stuff.

 

I haven't had any problems with Gutsy Gibbon and multiple monitors. Never had to touch xorg.conf. What distro(s) has/have that problem?

 

All of them.

 

ultramon may only extend the desktop but you can have a taskbar and there is a save/restore feature for the desktop icons just like you want. I just started using it today but it seems pretty cool, it just doesnt support some windows things in the taskbar like to minimize wmp and have the controls.

http://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon/forum/messages.asp?Topic=8477&tmpl=UltraMon

according to this there is a solution for the quick launch toolbar....there is also a free launch toolbar (that is free). not sure if ultramon supports it though.

http://www.truelaunchbar.com/images/tlbscreen.jpg

there is a screen shot from the true bar that appears to have support for a start menu like feature. not sure if the free version does or not.

this may not be a perfect solution since they cost money but it seems it maybe semi-possible to accomplish what you want.

 

Dell E6400 and E6500 will run dual independant monitors while in the docking station at 1920x1200 with the Nvidia Quadro NVS 160M video card. I like it. I believe the T series Lenovo will also run dual independant monitors as well. The T series has an available docking station that will take a half height video card. A Matrox card should do the trick. Other than that I have not found any other solutions for true independant dual monitors. I would like to see something from HP in this regard.

 

i think you might need these softwares: Betwin or Parallels Workstation

http://www.thinsoftinc.com

http://www.parallels.com/products/workstation/

hope this help!

 

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