[NERО]

So I'm trying to set up my dad's work computer at home, and I bought a VGA splitter that connects to his vga port on his laptop, and splits into two and then I connected both of those ends to two monitors. He basically wants to be able to not have the two other monitors not display the same thing, side by side, which is what it's doing now. Basically when he drags a window over to the first monitor, it has the exact same image on the second one, but he wants to be able to slide it over even more to in effect have 3 monitors. Or if he could set the first monitor as the 'main' display, showing the windows button and everything, and then just have the second monitor be an extension as normal.

He is running windows 7 also. I went to screen resolution settings and changed the monitor to 'extend' rather than duplicate or to only have one of the two on, but that didn't solve the problem.


Thanks if anyone can help 👍

[Polymath 1.0]

It sounds as though you want unique content displayed on each monitor and that will require 3rd party software as the Windows desktop manager is limited to merely extending the same content to an additional monitor. In the absence of a graphics adapter capable of multiple outputs only 3rd party software can create multiple virtual desktops to do as you appear to want. Examples are Display Fusion https://www.displayfusion.com/ or SplitView http://www.splitview.com/

Take care

[Exemplification]

It sounds as though you want unique content displayed on each monitor and that will require 3rd party software as the Windows desktop manager is limited to merely extending the same content to an additional monitor. In the absence of a graphics adapter capable of multiple outputs only 3rd party software can create multiple virtual desktops to do as you appear to want. Examples are Display Fusion https://www.displayfusion.com/ or SplitView http://www.splitview.com/

Take care

Extending the desktop will allow the movement of windows between monitors, each being unique, duplication will have the same content on selected monitors. . Windows can handle this on its own (to a degree)

@OP, you can't split a VGA display output and expect differences, a splitter is simply sending the same signal to two different places.

[PVCK]

Just buy 2 regular cables and then go from there

[NERО]

Just buy 2 regular cables and then go from there

The problem is that my dad's laptop has only one VGA output. NO DVI, HDMI, or anything else. I tried a USB to VGA adapter, but it requires drivers to install for it to work, and my Dad's computer's permissions doesn't allow him to install third party software to allow that to work unfortunately due to it being a company computer.

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Extending the desktop will allow the movement of windows between monitors, each being unique, duplication will have the same content on selected monitors. . Windows can handle this on its own (to a degree)

@OP, you can't split a VGA display output and expect differences, a splitter is simply sending the same signal to two different places.

Would a USB to VGA converter work then? I have a problem getting the drivers to install for that to work because it is a company computer (it can't create th necessary files in the

Code

C:\Program Files (x86)

location, but if I were to get the permission from whoever has the security level to install the software or if I can somehow bypass Windows 7's permission rules (🤝), somehow, would that work?

Or if I could somehow make the first of the dual monitors on the left the 'primary' monitor (which shows the windows orb and taskbar and toolbars at the bottom, etc), and then just go to the resolution/graphics properties and change the settings to 'extend' as normal so that the two external monitors will just look like the left monitor is just connected to a normal desktop, tower as the primary monitor and then the monitor to the right is just detected as the 'secondary monitor'?

[Ajs Nigrutin]

I have vga spliter (cause my laptop just takes HDMI) and only thing you have to do is extend your screen and it should work. If he has a laptop there should be a Fn+something so you can adjust the screen as you want.

[Exemplification]

Would a USB to VGA converter work then? I have a problem getting the drivers to install for that to work because it is a company computer (it can't create th necessary files in the

Code

C:\Program Files (x86)

location, but if I were to get the permission from whoever has the security level to install the software or if I can somehow bypass Windows 7's permission rules (🤝), somehow, would that work?

You can use USB VGA adapters to extend your display, your resolution may be limited depending on which adapter you have and if it is USB 3 compatible however; an adapter is going to act like an additional video card which is why you need the drivers. Unfortunately I do not believe you can install drivers without permissions.

Or if I could somehow make the first of the dual monitors on the left the 'primary' monitor (which shows the windows orb and taskbar and toolbars at the bottom, etc), and then just go to the resolution/graphics properties and change the settings to 'extend' as normal so that the two external monitors will just look like the left monitor is just connected to a normal desktop, tower as the primary monitor and then the monitor to the right is just detected as the 'secondary monitor'?

I'm not quite sure what you're asking here. You can fiddle with the settings and choose to duplicate or extend your desktop on the combination of displays you have set up and set which display is your main (the one that has the orb)

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I have vga spliter (cause my laptop just takes HDMI) and only thing you have to do is extend your screen and it should work. If he has a laptop there should be a Fn+something so you can adjust the screen as you want.

Thats a converter.

Splitter (Click to View)

Converter (Click to View)

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[Ajs Nigrutin]

Now when i see how spliter looks i can tell you its going to be hard or even maybe impossible to make it extended. If you look at it from hardware your pc sees 2 monitor as 1 since is a normal vga cabel.

[phuqer]

Could always get some sort of docking station and do it that way.

[Polymath 1.0]

Have you taken a look at the software to which I linked? There are also freeware alternatives with less features if you search. However whether paid or free they work by creating multiple virtual display adapters whose content can be directed (mapped) to what ever physical display(s) you want. In short it creates in software what multiple physical graphics adapters and their separate outputs and processing can accomplish albeit at a cost of performance and resources as it is system CPU and RAM dependent.

Take care

[Exemplification]

Have you taken a look at the software to which I linked? There are also freeware alternatives with less features if you search. However whether paid or free they work by creating multiple virtual display adapters whose content can be directed (mapped) to what ever physical display(s) you want. In short it creates in software what multiple physical graphics adapters and their separate outputs and processing can accomplish albeit at a cost of performance and resources as it is system CPU and RAM dependent.

Take care

Still going to need more than one physical output if you want to output to more than one monitor (splitters aside).

[SILVERHAWK]

Windows 7 can do this by itself. If you have access to a HDMI port or another USB port, connect that to the second monitor. Then go to the Desktop, right click, select extend the displays. You should see two monitors under "Change the appearance of your displays". If you only see one monitor, then the connection is not good. If you see two displays continue.

If you do see two monitor displays, left click and drag monitor 2 to the same position it is on your fathers desk, i.e. if it is left of the main monitor drag number 2 to the left, if it is on top of number 2 drag it to the top, etc.

Now if all is working and the second monitor is on, open an application, on the main monitor, and click Windows Key + Shift + Left or Right depending on where the second monitor is located in relation to the main monitor on you fathers desk. That should move that application to the second monitor. To move it back reverse the process.

If this works then you are able to selectively use and select specific settings for each monitor by selecting "indentify" and then choosing the action you need to be performed.

Hope this helps!

SILVERHAWK