Discussion
JonRB said:
Depends on the capabilities of the graphics card in your laptop. If it is a twin-head (unlikely) then yes, otherwise no.
And the only way it's going to be twin-head is if it has either 2 x 15-pin VGA connectors or a DVI connector that supports both channels.
And the only way it's going to be twin-head is if it has either 2 x 15-pin VGA connectors or a DVI connector that supports both channels.
And it has neither, so that's that idea out the window - Cheers Jon
Actually, now I think of it, it might be possible if the graphics card were twin-head internally and had been set up so that one head drove the integral screen and the other was the external monitor connector. Possible, but unlikely.
If the laptop had that capability then it would have majored in the marketing bumf I would have thought.
What make and model is it?
If the laptop had that capability then it would have majored in the marketing bumf I would have thought.
What make and model is it?
Don't give up just yet! My Vaio only has one VGA output, and I can run two screens from it - well the internal screen and one external.
It's entirely dependent on the video chipset and drivers, so find out what yours are. Mine is an ATI Mobility Radeon. If your chipset has the capability, and your external screen config is set correcty (FN+F7 on the VAIO, FN+F8 on my old Dell) then you should get the option in Control Panel - Display Properties - Settings.
It's entirely dependent on the video chipset and drivers, so find out what yours are. Mine is an ATI Mobility Radeon. If your chipset has the capability, and your external screen config is set correcty (FN+F7 on the VAIO, FN+F8 on my old Dell) then you should get the option in Control Panel - Display Properties - Settings.
jamieboy said:
Don't give up just yet! My Vaio only has one VGA output, and I can run two screens from it - well the internal screen and one external.
It's entirely dependent on the video chipset and drivers, so find out what yours are. Mine is an ATI Mobility Radeon. If your chipset has the capability, and your external screen config is set correcty (FN+F7 on the VAIO, FN+F8 on my old Dell) then you should get the option in Control Panel - Display Properties - Settings.
It's entirely dependent on the video chipset and drivers, so find out what yours are. Mine is an ATI Mobility Radeon. If your chipset has the capability, and your external screen config is set correcty (FN+F7 on the VAIO, FN+F8 on my old Dell) then you should get the option in Control Panel - Display Properties - Settings.
Exactly it Jamieboy, exactly it.
I figured that in fact it must have dual output of sorts as it has the laptop screen and the port for external monitor. Fn+F7 gave me the option to create a new scheme that I am now running!!
Cheers all.
.Mark said:
Sorry Jon - missed your question, it's a Thinkpad T42.
Does that allow it to properly dual screen (ie create an extra "dumping ground" on one screen but keep the windows task bar in the main screen, allow different resolutions on each screen etc) or does it just stretch the desktop?
Had a T41p that just stretched the desktop (useless) but now using an X60X which has proper dual-screening
It's got the 'dumping ground' you get a proper full screen at any resolution you choose, no task bar so true full screen. So useful, do't know why I didn't do it before.
Only thing I can suss out is how to have 2 excel spreadsheets open, one on one screen one on the other. I'm guessing if I untick the box where you group same programmes on task bar it may do it but I've not tried yet.
Only thing I can suss out is how to have 2 excel spreadsheets open, one on one screen one on the other. I'm guessing if I untick the box where you group same programmes on task bar it may do it but I've not tried yet.
.Mark said:
Sorry Jon - missed your question, it's a Thinkpad T42.
Yes. The T42 will enable you to run two displays.
Bolt a monitor on to the VGA port, pull up the display properties, click the second display, click the "Extend desktop to second display" check box, click apply.
Bingo.
.Mark said:
Only thing I can suss out is how to have 2 excel spreadsheets open, one on one screen one on the other. I'm guessing if I untick the box where you group same programmes on task bar it may do it but I've not tried yet.
If you open excel itself twice first then open each file you want from file open menu it works. If you just double click an excel file it opens in the same copy of excel as the first file so you can't split across the monitors
malman said:
If you open excel itself twice first then open each file you want from file open menu it works.
You only get stuffed by programs that insist on only running one copy at a time with an MDI interface. Current Office stuff is happy to run multiple copies, so you can drag one instance onto the other screen. Regarding the ATI Mobility Radeon, there's a weird issue with drivers in that you can't load the standard desktop drivers and require the not-so-up-to-date Mobility-specific ones. There's a site I found with a work-around for this, so I've got the latest desktop driver on this laptop - which comes with a much funkier tool for managing multiple screens. Far better, clear and easier to use than the Windows one.
pdV6 said:
Regarding the ATI Mobility Radeon, there's a weird issue with drivers in that you can't load the standard desktop drivers and require the not-so-up-to-date Mobility-specific ones. There's a site I found with a work-around for this, so I've got the latest desktop driver on this laptop - which comes with a much funkier tool for managing multiple screens. Far better, clear and easier to use than the Windows one.
Have you got the details of that?
I'm using the ATI driver 6.14.10.6387 from 12/09/2003, which I guess is the not-so-up-to-date one you mentioned. Seems to work fine, though, so I maybe shouldn't rock the boat.
jamieboy said:
pdV6 said:
Regarding the ATI Mobility Radeon, there's a weird issue with drivers in that you can't load the standard desktop drivers and require the not-so-up-to-date Mobility-specific ones. There's a site I found with a work-around for this, so I've got the latest desktop driver on this laptop - which comes with a much funkier tool for managing multiple screens. Far better, clear and easier to use than the Windows one.
Have you got the details of that?
I'm using the ATI driver 6.14.10.6387 from 12/09/2003, which I guess is the not-so-up-to-date one you mentioned. Seems to work fine, though, so I maybe shouldn't rock the boat.
According to device manager, I'm using 8.291.0.0 from 22/08/2006
The patch program is here: www.driverheaven.net/modtool/ with full instructions.
To sum it up, you download the latest desktop drivers and use the program to patch the install to prevent it refusing to install on Mobility chipsets.
pdV6 said:
According to device manager, I'm using 8.291.0.0 from 22/08/2006
The patch program is here: www.driverheaven.net/modtool/ with full instructions.
To sum it up, you download the latest desktop drivers and use the program to patch the install to prevent it refusing to install on Mobility chipsets.
The patch program is here: www.driverheaven.net/modtool/ with full instructions.
To sum it up, you download the latest desktop drivers and use the program to patch the install to prevent it refusing to install on Mobility chipsets.
You learn something new everyday.... Funny though my laptop had no problems running the latest ATi drivers.
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