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Displays dual monitor setup

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by blinkieleblind, 13 Mar 2011.

  1. blinkieleblind

    blinkieleblind Tings and such

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    Hi,

    i just bought myself a nice new 23" lcd monitor and have my secondary 19" lcd as a secondary monitor. The question is whether anyone knows a way of using the second monitor as an extended desktop whilst playing a game on the first. I know i can play in windowed mode and that will allow me to scroll my mouse over to the next screen, but then when i do something on that screen the game goes to the background and i have to click on it to regain control. however playing in fullscreen mode prevents me from scrolling out of the screen. Is there a way around this??:wallbash:

    taa
     
  2. lp rob1

    lp rob1 Modder

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    A fullscreen game gets full control of the mouse - it is just the way fullscreen apps are programmed.
     
  3. Ph4ZeD

    Ph4ZeD What's a Dremel?

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    A windowed game shouldn't behave in the way your describing. WoW when windowed allows you to fully utilise the second screen while playing WoW on the other.
     
  4. lp rob1

    lp rob1 Modder

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    It is because Windows can only have one app in the 'foreground' and one time, even if they are on different screens. Fullscreen apps get around this problem because they force themselves to be the foreground window. But a windowed game can be sent to the background as easily as putting Firefox into the background.
     
  5. Ph4ZeD

    Ph4ZeD What's a Dremel?

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    That isn't what I meant. The OP said that just clicking on the other screen minimised the game, which shouldn't be happening.
     
  6. tehBoris

    tehBoris What's a Dremel?

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    Depends on the game. Some games do this, others don't. Some games refuse to minimize, others don't.

    The developers can implement the behavior of the game in the window manager however they want.
     
  7. blinkieleblind

    blinkieleblind Tings and such

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    Never said it minimised, just that it gets sent to background. I'll live with it.. thanks anyway guys.
     
  8. Wicked_Sludge

    Wicked_Sludge My eyes! The goggles do nothing!

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    full screen games that lock the mouse usually have a key for unlocking it. unlock it then click on your other screen to do work there. this will still minimize or send the game to the background (depending on the game).
     
  9. lp rob1

    lp rob1 Modder

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    Be careful about using Alt-Tab to get out of a fullscreen app. If special (yet very simple) code is not in the program, the app will crash when returned to. Most older games do not have this code, for example.

    In newer games, Alt-Enter works to switch between fullscreen and windowed. It allows you to play a game, pause it, go and do something else on the second monitor, then resume playing.
     

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