Fire GL 8800 with dual monitors

  • Thread starter Thread starter gatorgrabber
  • Start date Start date
G

gatorgrabber

I'm new to the whole dual monitor thing, so please have mercy on my
newbie soul! I finally decided to add a 2nd monitor to my desktop, the
idea being that I would keep Firefox and Eudora on the 19" and my CAD
program on the larger 21". I have both monitors hooked to the Fire GL
8800, but the best I can do is get a clone of the main monitor. While
I'm proud that both screens work, I don't need 2 of the same thing.
I've gone over the ATI help files, but still can't create an extended
desktop. Am I doing something wrong, or do I need to add an additional
card to make this work? Thanks.
 
I'm new to the whole dual monitor thing, so please have mercy on my
newbie soul! I finally decided to add a 2nd monitor to my desktop, the
idea being that I would keep Firefox and Eudora on the 19" and my CAD
program on the larger 21". I have both monitors hooked to the Fire GL
8800, but the best I can do is get a clone of the main monitor. While
I'm proud that both screens work, I don't need 2 of the same thing.
I've gone over the ATI help files, but still can't create an extended
desktop. Am I doing something wrong, or do I need to add an additional
card to make this work? Thanks.
Click to expand...

When you go to dual screen, remember to extend your desktop and set up
the theater mode options in the overlay panel.

Ben
 
No matter where I search, I can't find that as an option. Under
<Display Properties: Settings> I get <Display: (Multiple Monitors) on
ATI FireGL 8800>, along with the options to set Screen Resolution and
Color Quality. According to the help menu, the Extended option should
be here, but isn't.

The Advanced button takes me to the next set of tabs (General, Adapter,
Monitor, Troubleshoot, Color Management, ATI Displays, ATI Color, ATI
Options, ATI Configuration, ATI Advanced Settings); all of which look
useful, but none seem to give me the desktop option. Under the "ATI
Monitor and ATI Displays" tabs, both monitors are recognized, but all I
can do is clone the display.

Is the OS (XP Pro) just not seeing the second monitor as an Extended
option, thus not giving me the option?
 
No matter where I search, I can't find that as an option. Under
<Display Properties: Settings> I get <Display: (Multiple Monitors) on
ATI FireGL 8800>, along with the options to set Screen Resolution and
Color Quality. According to the help menu, the Extended option should
be here, but isn't.

The Advanced button takes me to the next set of tabs (General, Adapter,
Monitor, Troubleshoot, Color Management, ATI Displays, ATI Color, ATI
Options, ATI Configuration, ATI Advanced Settings); all of which look
useful, but none seem to give me the desktop option. Under the "ATI
Monitor and ATI Displays" tabs, both monitors are recognized, but all I
can do is clone the display.

Is the OS (XP Pro) just not seeing the second monitor as an Extended
option, thus not giving me the option?
Click to expand...

I dunno. On that screen, I take it there are boxes labelled '1' and
'2', right?

Below the resolution slider should be:
"Use this device as the primary monitor"
"Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor"

They might be greyed.

If you click on box 2 on the region at the top of that tab, you should
see the extend one be ungreyed, and the ability to tick it.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/multimonitor.mspx

Ben
 
Nope, none of that is even available. There's only one 'virtual
monitor' in the middle of the screen, not 2 or 3 like I've seen in the
Help files. On the UltraMon website, I see that someone else is
reporting exactly the same thing for this card, so I may be dead in the
water...
 
Nope, none of that is even available. There's only one 'virtual
monitor' in the middle of the screen, not 2 or 3 like I've seen in the
Help files. On the UltraMon website, I see that someone else is
reporting exactly the same thing for this card, so I may be dead in the
water...
Click to expand...

Virtual monitor? Thats odd.

Perhaps there is a setting somewhere that has "merged" the two heads?

Are two display devices showing up in Device manager?

Both with monitors attached? (view devices by connection)

Ben
 
By 'virtual monitor', I was referring to the monitor picture in the
middle of the Settings screen. Under Device Manager, both monitors are
visible.
 
I'm new to the whole dual monitor thing, so please have mercy on my
newbie soul! I finally decided to add a 2nd monitor to my desktop, the
idea being that I would keep Firefox and Eudora on the 19" and my CAD
program on the larger 21". I have both monitors hooked to the Fire GL
8800, but the best I can do is get a clone of the main monitor. While
I'm proud that both screens work, I don't need 2 of the same thing.
I've gone over the ATI help files, but still can't create an extended
desktop. Am I doing something wrong, or do I need to add an additional
card to make this work? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Are you running or have you installed ATI Hydravision?
 
Yes and no. I had it installed, but removed it while trying to isolate
this situation. I was under the impression that it wasn't needed to run
the two monitors in expanded mode; but like I said, I'm a dual monitor
newbie and can't be trusted! ;)
 
By 'virtual monitor', I was referring to the monitor picture in the
middle of the Settings screen. Under Device Manager, both monitors are
visible.
Click to expand...

But there's only one "virtual" monitor?

I dunno. I would go with a clean install of the latest drivers.

I've never configured a FireGL, so it might just be different to the
Radeon driver, but this is all windows stuff, not driver stuff.

Very strange.

Ben
 
I've been thinking the same way you are, but none of the results have
changed. Various dual-monitor websites have reported the same problem,
so it might be the 8800. For $45 I'll solve the problem with a Matrox
G450 PCI card. Done!
 
I've been thinking the same way you are, but none of the results have
changed. Various dual-monitor websites have reported the same problem,
so it might be the 8800. For $45 I'll solve the problem with a Matrox
G450 PCI card. Done!
Click to expand...

Fair enough, that should sort it right out.

Ben
 
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