How to set up dual monitors

Knowing how to use a dual monitor setup is incredibly important when it comes to modern computing. If you’re anything like us, you’re using twitter, a web browser, Office and iTunes pretty much all the time, making a dual monitor setup essential. There’s no better way to see lots of data at the same time than with two or more monitors.

And, a dual monitor setup isn’t just about using multiple programs, creative programs especially benefit from having multiple displays. For instance, with Adobe Premiere, you can have all of your tools on your secondary display, so you can focus on what you’re actually editing. 

The best PCs will usually easily support a dual monitor setup, as they’ll have multiple video outputs built into the motherboard, and if you have dedicated graphics card, you can usually have up to 4-5 of the best monitors.

So, all you have to do is shut your PC down, connect as many monitors as will fit, and then boot your PC up. Windows 10 will automatically spot the dual monitor setup, and you can arrange your displays under Settings > System > Displays. Or, you can just right click the desktop and get to the display settings from there.

Windows doesn’t offer many options out of the box, but the UltraMon software provides extra versatility for dual monitor setups. Let’s get started.

Windows should automatically detect each monitor. If not, right-click the desktop, click ‘Display Settings’ and then the ‘Detect’ button. 

Under the 'Multiple displays' drop-down list you can choose to 'Extend your displays', 'Duplicate your displays' or show the display on only one of the monitors. This is useful if you’re connecting a laptop, and you want the notebook’s display to be blank after you've connected to a desktop monitor.

After downloading UltraMon, run the free installer. You don't need to enter the registration information during the 30-day free trial, so just leave it all blank and click 'Next'.

On the Customize Installation screen you can choose to install some of the key features in a different location (or not to install them at all). Click 'Next'.

• Image Credit: UltraMon

All of UltraMon's action takes place in the system tray's 'Show hidden icons' area. Click the arrow on the Taskbar, then right-click on the UltraMon icon to see all your options.

From here, you can manage your monitors without ever having to go into the Windows 10 display settings.

• Image Credit: UltraMon

To move windows in UltraMon, you’ll find two buttons (pictured) in the top right corner of any window. Just click one of these, and the window will move to your other monitor either windowed or full screen for the right and left buttons, respectively. Of course, you could just click the title bar of the window and drag it to the monitor you want to move it to. 

• Image Credit: UltraMon

UltraMon's Smart Taskbar includes additional Taskbars for other monitors. Right-click the UltraMon Taskbar icon and choose 'Smart Taskbar > Enable'. Go to 'Options' to choose between two modes.

In 'Standard', each Taskbar only shows apps from the monitor it is on. In 'Mirror', each Taskbar shows all tasks.

• Image Credit: UltraMon

Right-click the Windows Taskbar to adjust Taskbar settings. You can add toolbars, such as True Launch Bar.

On your second monitor, right-click the Windows Taskbar and go to 'Toolbars > True Launch Bar' to add it. Keep the standard Taskbar on the first monitor.

• Image Credit: UltraMon

You can create shortcuts that open programs on a particular monitor or at a specific position. You can access shortcuts from UltraMon's menu, or save them as Windows shortcuts and access them from the desktop or Start menu.

On the context menu, click 'Shortcuts > New Shortcut'. On the new window, find the application and hit 'Next'. Pick a monitor and click 'Next' to finish.

• Image Credit: UltraMon

Display profiles make it easy to switch between desktop configurations. A profile stores the display mode and state of each monitor, as well as which monitor is the primary one.

You can use display profiles as you do with Windows User Accounts. From the right-click menu, choose 'Display Profiles > New Display Profile'. Click 'Next' and you will be able to name your profile and select options.

• Image Credit: UltraMon

With UltraMon, you can use a single image for the whole desktop, or different images for each monitor. You can also create gradient colour backgrounds that extend across two monitors.

To extend a wallpaper, choose 'Wallpaper' from the right-click menu. Select 'One background/image for whole desktop'. Get an image by clicking 'Browse', and when you've found one, choose 'Stretch'.

• Image Credit: UltraMon

To add a multi-monitor screensaver, go to 'Screen Saver > Configure'. Choose a screensaver from the drop-down list and click 'OK'. UltraMon can also disable secondary monitors when the screensaver gets started – this is useful if a screensaver doesn't work correctly with multiple monitors enabled.

Go into the 'Options' tab and check 'Disable secondary monitors'.

• Image Credit: UltraMon

You can use a second monitor to mirror what you see on the first screen for presentations etc. Here, UltraMon gives you more options than Windows. From the right-click menu, choose 'Mirroring > Settings' and pick from one of the options.

For presenting, being able to mirror a single application or part of a desktop is handy. Go into the context menu again and choose 'Mirroring > Enable'.

You can also do this without UltraMon in Windows 10 by going into the display settings and selecting ‘Duplicate these displays’ in the Multiple displays drop down menu. 

• Image Credit: UltraMon

From the right-click menu you can quickly set the main monitor by going to 'Set Primary > Monitor 1 / 2'. You can also quickly disable or enable secondary monitors from the UltraMon menu or with a hotkey.

When re-enabling secondary monitors (there's an 'Enable Secondary' option in the right-click menu), windows are moved back to their original positions.

• Image Credit: UltraMon

UltraMon supports the exact physical positioning of monitors by entering coordinates directly in the Custom Display Properties applet. Unlike Windows Display Properties, more than 10 monitors can be configured.

Under 'Display Settings', click on 'Actions' to open up the Arrange Monitors screen. From here you can choose from various different screen setups.

• Image Credit: UltraMon

Further tweaks are found in the right-click menu under 'Options'. There are eight tabs that offer small tweaks to your setup. One clever option in UltraMon restores icons to their original position.

Go to the 'General' tab and choose 'Save Now' to take a snapshot of your current icon positions. Use the 'Restore Now' button if you ever change your setup and want to revert.

• Enjoyed this article? Discover how to get the most from your PC and new things to do in Windows Help & Advice. Take advantage of an exclusive offer in our sampler today.
• Image Credit: UltraMon