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December 16th, 2023 20:01
Computer runs both monitors in clone mode but runs only one monitor in extended mode
BACKGROUND: On my Dell XPS 8910 running Windows Pro 10 with an NVIDIA GeForce TX 3060 graphics card installed (the graphics card has one HDMI port and three Display Port ports) I have a big 32" monitor plugged into the HDMI port and I have a little 24" monitor plugged into a Display Port.
PROBLEM: When I run the "Duplicate or extend to a connected display" dialog, and select "Extended display" I expected to be able to use my Firefox browser on the little 24" monitor and run a different app on my big 32" monitor.
Instead, I am not able to run anything on the big monitor... instead the big monitor screen is filled mostly by a great huge Windows logo, with a little bar at the bottom containing icons identifying applications, but if I click on an app it starts on the little monitor and the big monitor sits there displaying a great huge Windows logo like a great big useless lump.
By the way, my partner is having exactly the same issue on a Dell laptop connected to an external screen.
Any ideas on how to fix?
<Thread moved to XPS Desktop forum>
boblite44
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December 17th, 2023 21:04
@RoHe Thanks so much for your reply, but I found the solution was not hardware or software, it was lack of understanding how to use the extended screen. Purely by accident I found that to use the extended screen, you start an app on the main screen, and drag it with the mouse to the extended screen. If only the chumps at Microsoft had given this hint, I'd have avoided wasting a lot of time.
RoHe
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December 17th, 2023 04:11
Are you powering both monitors on a few sec before powering PC on?
And just to clarify...you're using both HDMI and DP on the add-in video card, and not either of the two onboard Intel Graphics ports (HDMI and DP), correct?
Do either of these monitors have their own driver and did you install it/them?
Does Device Manager recognize both of them correctly?
Which version NVidia driver are you using and have you tried updating it?
Which monitor is set as "#1" in Windows? Have you tried setting the small one #1 and the big one #2, or vice versa, depending on current settings?
boblite44
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December 17th, 2023 21:01
SOLUTION: Purely by accident I discovered that you start an app on the active monitor and then drag it to the screen that is not active.
Microsoft could have saved me a whole lot of time with just a hint like "Once the extended screen is visible, start an app on the main screen, and drag the app to the extended screen."
(edited)
Vic384
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December 18th, 2023 01:45
@boblite44 In Windows, Microsoft refers to an extended screen as an extended desktop. With a lot of apps, once the app is placed on the extended desktop and if you close the app, the next time you open the app it will appear on the extended display.