Setting up a second monitor for games only and could use some help...

[Galactic Druid]

So this last week my fiancé and I pooled our resources and finished furnishing the home we're moving into together, including getting a new TV. We've got it set up in the living room, about 20 feet or so from where my computer desk is.

I got a nice long HDMI cable to connect my GPU to the new TV, at which point my computer recognized it as a second monitor, which I thought was great until it moved half my desktop icons over to it. Since the two are so far apart, and all my perriphrials are wired, it's really inconvenient to use it that way. At the moment, I ended up unplugging it until I can find a solution.

What I really want to do is to be able to use my normal DVI monitor for the majority of my stuff, work, writing here on E, etc, and then when I want to play something that uses a controller, boot up the game or steam big picture and have it output to the TV, where I can go flop on the couch with my controller and play away, then get back on my main monitor at my desk once I quit.

Is there any settings I can play with the set that up, or a program I can use or something? Any help from someone who knows what they're doing would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much!

-RPGuy

[Eikichi]

I'm not sure if you've already solved the issue, however.

You should go to your display options and make sure that the screens register as separate screens instead of extensions.

The typical path is Start>Control Panel> Appearance and Personalization> Adjust Screen Resolution. From here you should see a menu at the bottom. Regardless of what it's currently set to you should make sure it isn't extending the desktop. Afterwords identify your monitors and make sure the DVI monitor is set as your main.

This shouldn't move your desktop icons, if it does I recommend just moving them to your main display again and they shouldn't move again. After setting it up in this fashion your monitors should function separately. Where you can drag programs back and forth between the two monitors. If you need more help feel free to PM me and I can help you through it further. If someone else doesn't help you first.

Hope that helps!

[Cassandra LeMay]

Eikichi beat me to the punch, but yes, I would recommend something along those lines. Set up your TV as a clone of your computer monitor, then just switch monitors on and off as you need them. (As nifty as a dual-monitor setup can be, you probably won't need it all that much, really, unless you are working with programs that use a render window and lots of tools. Personally I only ever used it for Poser and the Oblivion construction set.)

Depending on your OS and graphics card you might also be able to access the monitor setting with a right click of your mouse somewhere on your desktop, instead of going through the Start menu. That's how I usually access the settings for my NVIDIA graphics card under Win 7.

[Galactic Druid]

I'm using Windows 10, and still kind of learning it, but this should help a ton, so thank you both so much!

According to amazon, the 25 foot micro usb cables I need to connect my Xbox controllers to the PC from a comfortable distance should arrive today, so I'm excited to get this all going. I'll post results soon after I try everything.

I feel silly. All this time and money spent on these new fancy HD things and powerful GPUS and I'm going to use it all so I can lounge on my couch and play games that look like we're made in the SNES era! XD

[Eikichi]

Sometimes it's the simple 8 bit things that make life worthwhile.

Sidenote: I still hate windows 10. I re downgraded to 7. I couldn't do it. I love Gears of War, but I'm not selling my computers soul to play it.