USING TWO MONITORS

You would think with the average size desktop monitor being 22 inches, there would be plenty of real estate there for you to perform any number of tasks simultaneously.  Yet you may find yourself minimizing multiple programs and having to constantly expand and minimize as you work.  Reducing the size of the window and moving it to the side sometimes does not keep enough of the application visible to be effective.  If this is true for you, you may want to consider using dual monitors.

With dual monitors, you can extend the usable desktop space from the main screen to a second screen.  Most new desktops, and even laptops using a docking station, can handle dual monitors.  With the prices of decent screens becoming very affordable, this might be an effective way to become more productive.

The following instructions are for Windows 7/8/10.  Connect both monitors to your computer and boot up.  In many cases both monitors will begin to work but have the same image on each one.  Right click anywhere on the desktop and a menu will come up.  Click on Personalize.  On the left side of the window toward the bottom, click on Display.  Now click on Change Display Settings.  You will see an image of two monitors.  You can configure one to extend to the other, pick which one you want to be the main one, and even designate which one is on the left or right.  Once you configure this, any window you have open on one screen can be dragged to the other.  You then can have a separate program open in the main screen.  This will allow you to ALMOST do two things at once!