Dual Monitor Help needed...

[Nufy]

Setup:

Dell Desktop with on-board VGA for Video and an external video card that supports DVI, HDMI and S-Video.

Win XP Home O.S.

Currently using the DVI connection of the external video card.

How do I configure the pc to use the on-board VGA connection for a second monitor.

Currently when it is not recognized when plugged in.

Thanks.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Nufy

Setup:

Dell Desktop with on-board VGA for Video and an external video card that supports DVI, HDMI and S-Video.

Win XP Home O.S.

Currently using the DVI connection of the external video card.

How do I configure the pc to use the on-board VGA connection for a second monitor.

Currently when it is not recognized when plugged in.

Thanks.

I don't think it's possible.

As far as I know, you can't run both video cards independently. The motherboard will output through either video card, but not both at the same time and definitely not both in conjunction.

[photon]

Some newer systems with on-board video will do it, but I don't remember older systems having that as a feature being very common.

Worst case is get a cheap 2nd video card.

[Nufy]

I wonder if my Invidia card will support dual monitors on one of the other ports...

[Rathji]

If your current card has multiple outputs, then almost certainly you can connect each of those outputs to a separate monitor. Sometimes you need an adapter or 2 to get to what you need for your monitor input though.

[Nufy]

Yep...
I'm off to get a DVI to HDMI adapter or cable this afternoon.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by photon

Some newer systems with on-board video will do it, but I don't remember older systems having that as a feature being very common.

Worst case is get a cheap 2nd video card.

Yeah, on the older boards with on-board video I'd maybe need to change the bios to get a video card to work. My current board, Gigabyte Z68-UD3P (1155) plays fine with the on-board video on one monitor and the other monitors (TV) connected to the video card.

Sometimes not all outputs are active at the same time on video cards.

[McG]

will XP do multi monitors natively like that? i can't remember any more. i do know that vista had an issue with doing more than 2 monitors without help, but win 7 can do it no problems particularly with appropriate hardware.

i don't know if i have added anything to the convo, but wouldn't the computer also work faster (and safer) running win7 instead of xp?

[Nufy]

Up and working through the external video card.

DVI for one and HDMI/DVI cable for the other.

Computer is too old to run XP.

PC is for my son until he needs a new laptop for school in a year or so.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by Nufy

Computer is too old to run XP.

Too old to run XP??? How old is this thing?

Man...I'll be the specs on it are laughable.

[19Yzerman19]

Huh... my card has dual DVI's that I'm running two monitors on, but one of the monitors doesn't have a DVI input so I'm just using a VGA cord with an adapter. I'd use the monitor's HDMI port, but my card doesn't seem to want to do the dual monitor thing through different types of inputs - it's two DVI monitors, or one HDMI.

[Nufy]

oops...too old for Win 7

[Nufy]

Originally Posted by 19Yzerman19

Huh... my card has dual DVI's that I'm running two monitors on, but one of the monitors doesn't have a DVI input so I'm just using a VGA cord with an adapter. I'd use the monitor's HDMI port, but my card doesn't seem to want to do the dual monitor thing through different types of inputs - it's two DVI monitors, or one HDMI.

My Invidia card has the following o/p's

1 - HDMI
1 - DVI
1 - S-Video

I was able to get it to work on XP by connecting 1 monitor to the DVI port and the second to the HDMI port using a HDMI - DVI cable.

On each monitor I am connected using the DVI port.