windows 7 dual screen setup

[TigerUK]

I'm looking to get myself a dual screen setup to help with my work, I do a lot of writing, and need to have my notes and others things open on one screen and to write on the main one.

However, my setup is quite restrictive, I intended to only use one monitor for my dat to day activities, this is located directly in front of me on my desk.

The secondary monitor will have to be placed on the left side of the existing monitor.

I need the screens to join up so that my mouse curser moves appropriately from one screen to the next.

All the important windows taskbar and primary display with be on the RIGHT of the two screens. Is it possible to set up windows 7 this way?

The previous attempts at this with windows xp led me to belive that the primary display and the taskbar appears on the left-most screen
Cheers

 

[MagicBoy]

It'll work that way fine - it's been working as you want since Windows 98...

 

[Simian]

Yep, Just connect up both Monitors, Extend the Desktop over both, then assign which monitor is monitor 1 and which is monitor 2 (using the Graphics card software)...

Monitor 1 will have the Taskbar and Start button, Monitor 2 won't... unless you buy Ultramon/Multimon etc...

 

[Homer-Simpson]

then assign which monitor is monitor 1 and which is monitor 2 (using the Graphics card software)...

You can do that using the "screen resolution" option when right clicking on your desktop. When you click on a monitor it will give you the option to "make this my main display" if it isn't already your main display.

 

[J.B]

Monitor 1 will have the Taskbar and Start button, Monitor 2 won't... unless you buy Ultramon/Multimon etc...

Actually you can have the taskbar on mon2 if you make it the 'Main Display'.

Also you dont need to use the graphics card software, just hook up monitor 2 and right click on the desktop and select personalise. The windows interface is simple and achieves what it needs to.

Edit: lol completely missed the post above. ^what he said!

 

[TwoSaints]

The screen resolution dialogue also lets you drag the screens around to change the layout, if your 2nd screen appears on the right just drag it to the left of the other screen and jobs done.

 

[Simian]

Actually you can have the taskbar on mon2 if you make it the 'Main Display'.

But then it disapears off of Monitor 1...

 

[madindehead]

If you want, you can get a taskbar over both displays.

I use UltraMon (paid app) but there are other apps which do it. Setting up dual monitors is so damn easy on Windows 7

 

[nick1988]

It is worth having a look at ultramon of display fusion if you want to take full advantage of dual screens

 

[oli356]

You can do that using the "screen resolution" option when right clicking on your desktop. When you click on a monitor it will give you the option to "make this my main display" if it isn't already your main display.

Mine has gone dodgey on my user on my desktop, though guest account seems to be fine.
I want the taskbar on the left monitor (as it has been forever)

Primary is still set as #1, but the taskbar is on the right monitor :S

EDIT: After playing with the settings in graphics card settings and the screen resolution I got it back to normal..