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Thread: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

  1. #1
    Anthropomorphic Personification shaithis's Avatar
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    2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    Having spent most of the weekend messing around with dual monitors, I gave up getting it to do what I wanted but I am hoping that someone might have a solution

    Just added a second screen and connected it to the second gfx card (8600GTS), it's mainly for using the desktop without windowing out of current game.


    Now, what I would love, is for the 2 displays to be 100% independant. I.e. Start Menu and task bar on BOTH screens but apps are running on one OR the other (not both).

    Failing that I wouldn't mind display 1 being primary until a game starts full-screen on it and then the desktop switches to display 2.

    Basically, spanning the desktop and windowing the game to be able to use the second screen incurs both performance and usability penalties and I am looking for ways to avoid that.
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  2. #2
    Overclocking Since 1988 nightkhaos's Avatar
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    This is not actually that easy. You could use something like a software (or hardware) KVM, but that requires the second moniter to be on independent hardware.
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    Anthropomorphic Personification shaithis's Avatar
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    The second monitor is on idependant hardware (although it doesn't have to be, I plugged it into the 8600GTS because I thought that would remove the performance penalties.....the 8600GTS is normally only used for CUDA/Physx)

    Primary display is plugged into a 4870x2.

    What software will acomplish this?
    Main PC: Asus Rampage IV Extreme / 3960X@4.5GHz / Antec H1200 Pro / 32GB DDR3-1866 Quad Channel / Sapphire Fury X / Areca 1680 / 850W EVGA SuperNOVA Gold 2 / Corsair 600T / 2x Dell 3007 / 4 x 250GB SSD + 2 x 80GB SSD / 4 x 1TB HDD (RAID 10) / Windows 10 Pro, Yosemite & Ubuntu
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    YUKIKAZE arthurleung's Avatar
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    I tried to do this before, but it simply doesn't work due to the way that games take over the mouse and keyboard.

    At best you can use extended desktop mode (not spanning), then drag the taskbar across to the 2nd monitor, as well as everything you're using (very messy). And play your game on the primary monitor. It is a LOT of preparation.

    The best solution is really just to get two systems, and just switch the gaming PC off when you don't need it. Depends on what monitor it have you can easily switch between different inputs.
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  5. #5
    Overclocking Since 1988 nightkhaos's Avatar
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    Quote Originally Posted by shaithis View Post
    The second monitor is on idependant hardware (although it doesn't have to be, I plugged it into the 8600GTS because I thought that would remove the performance penalties.....the 8600GTS is normally only used for CUDA/Physx)

    Primary display is plugged into a 4870x2.

    What software will acomplish this?
    You misunderstand. I don't mean independent graphics cards. I mean independent hardware. Different machine. Different motherboard. Different storage media. Technically with linux it can be done with one set of hardware, but it is well, messy.
    Desktop (Cy): Intel Core i7 920 D0 @ 3.6GHz, Prolimatech Megahalems, Gigabyte X58-UD5, Patriot Viper DDR3 6GiB @ 1440MHz 7-7-7-20 2T, EVGA NVIDIA GTX 295 Co-Op, Asus Xonar D2X, Hauppauge WinTV Nova TD-500, 2x WD Caviar Black 1TB in RAID 0, 4x Samsung EcoDrive 1.5TB F2s in RAID 5, Corsair HX 750W PSU, Coolermaster RC-1100 Cosmos Sport (Custom), 4x Noctua P12s, 6x Noctua S12Bs, Sony Optiarc DVD+/-RW, Windows 7 Professional Edition, Dell 2408WFP, Mirai 22" HDTV

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  6. #6
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    Not messy at all, just set up a separate screen for each head.
    Quote Originally Posted by Agent View Post
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    Overclocking Since 1988 nightkhaos's Avatar
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    Quote Originally Posted by aidanjt View Post
    Not messy at all, just set up a separate screen for each head.
    Yeah I know, but what we consider easy and computer friendly non-bash speaking people consider confusing and overcomplicated.
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  8. #8
    YUKIKAZE arthurleung's Avatar
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    Can't you just RDP to the other system you have, on the 2nd screen. You can copy/paste files and clipboard items. This is probably the most transparent system you can do.

    When you need to game, log back in on the 2nd system using another set of keyboard / mouse and retain all the stuff you're already running in the RDP session.
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    Quote Originally Posted by arthurleung View Post
    Can't you just RDP to the other system you have, on the 2nd screen. You can copy/paste files and clipboard items. This is probably the most transparent system you can do.

    When you need to game, log back in on the 2nd system using another set of keyboard / mouse and retain all the stuff you're already running in the RDP session.
    The problem still remains, the need to switch from a full-screen, mouse grabbing app, to another window app. The only way to do it really is to have a separate machine with an extra head, or a KVM box.
    Quote Originally Posted by Agent View Post
    ...every time Creative bring out a new card range their advertising makes it sound like they have discovered a way to insert a thousand Chuck Norris super dwarfs in your ears...

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    Anthropomorphic Personification shaithis's Avatar
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    Thanks for the info...even though its what I didn't want to hear.

    Looks like it's time to dust the old, infuriatinly-slow laptop out again then
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    Anthropomorphic Personification shaithis's Avatar
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    This is starting to really annoy me now

    I finally do have a task bar on the second screen thanks to UltraMon but I am still stuck with the issue of full-screen D3D apps. They either cage your mouse pointer onto screen 1, requiring you to alt-tab to the other windows....or they allow you to move the mouse to screen 2 but minimise the app/game if you click in screen 2.

    Running in windowed mode is pointless as I have an x2, windowed mode is limited to a single GPU and nthe performance penalty is extremely noticable.


    Does anyone know where the limitation exists? Is it a core windows feature? Gfx drivers? Application based?
    Main PC: Asus Rampage IV Extreme / 3960X@4.5GHz / Antec H1200 Pro / 32GB DDR3-1866 Quad Channel / Sapphire Fury X / Areca 1680 / 850W EVGA SuperNOVA Gold 2 / Corsair 600T / 2x Dell 3007 / 4 x 250GB SSD + 2 x 80GB SSD / 4 x 1TB HDD (RAID 10) / Windows 10 Pro, Yosemite & Ubuntu
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    You can do at least some of what you want with Multimon

    I've got four monitors running off two 7600GTs and it works fine. You can see the desktop and running apps on other monitors whilst playing games.

    The problem is that it's not possible to interact with the desktop when playing games due to the need to alt tab away. Even if it was possible you wouldn't want it to be - it's really annoying on most games when your mouse cursor shifts from the game to the application.

    What are you actually trying to do outside the game?

    PK

  13. #13
    Anthropomorphic Personification shaithis's Avatar
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    Ultramon is working fine for seeing the apps (like MultiMon I guess).....but I do want to interact with the other screen :S

    Email, MSN, web browsing, log parsers, etc. There are a number of apps I would love to use while still seeing whats happening in-game.
    Main PC: Asus Rampage IV Extreme / 3960X@4.5GHz / Antec H1200 Pro / 32GB DDR3-1866 Quad Channel / Sapphire Fury X / Areca 1680 / 850W EVGA SuperNOVA Gold 2 / Corsair 600T / 2x Dell 3007 / 4 x 250GB SSD + 2 x 80GB SSD / 4 x 1TB HDD (RAID 10) / Windows 10 Pro, Yosemite & Ubuntu
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  14. #14
    Senior Member
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    If you're lucky and the game doesn't muck up your other screens you can at least see if you're getting new e-mail or messages in MSN. It just means you have to alt tab away from your game to interact with them.

    I suspect actually having two keyboards and mice working away from the full screen app is unlikely to be compatible with games.

    PK

  15. #15
    Anthropomorphic Personification shaithis's Avatar
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    A second keyboard and mouse aren't (and shouldn't) be needed.

    At the moment I just want to know why the full screen apps either cage you mouse onto the primary display or cause the primary app to minimise when you interact with the second screen.

    Knowing the reason, at least gives me an idea of where to look for solutions both now and when things change.
    Main PC: Asus Rampage IV Extreme / 3960X@4.5GHz / Antec H1200 Pro / 32GB DDR3-1866 Quad Channel / Sapphire Fury X / Areca 1680 / 850W EVGA SuperNOVA Gold 2 / Corsair 600T / 2x Dell 3007 / 4 x 250GB SSD + 2 x 80GB SSD / 4 x 1TB HDD (RAID 10) / Windows 10 Pro, Yosemite & Ubuntu
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  16. #16
    Registered User
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    Re: 2 Desktops or main desktop auto-switching

    You can try with ultramon to lock the game into a set screen but I think this will cause it to use window mode which means you'll lose out on the performance aspects. Might be worth a try though.

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