Dual Monitors: Declare Apps which Should Open on the Secondary Monitor

[Kruskal]

I run Windows XP with dual monitors (sometimes).  The secondary one is a TV.  I'd like to set it up so that applications which play video start on the TV when I have dual monitors (and quietly do nothing when there is only one monitor).

Any ideas -- Vincent

[PPLandry]

XP starts up the application in the same monitor as the last time (if available). If you write the app, you can control this, otherwise, I don't think you can do much.

[Kruskal]

XP starts up the application in the same monitor as the last time (if available). If you write the app, you can control this, otherwise, I don't think you can do much.

-PPLandry (November 26, 2007, 11:36 PM)

Interesting.  How do I make an app start on the secondary monitor the first time?

Thanks -- Vincent

[Kruskal]

XP starts up the application in the same monitor as the last time (if available). If you write the app, you can control this, otherwise, I don't think you can do much.

-PPLandry (November 26, 2007, 11:36 PM)

Interesting.  How do I make an app start on the secondary monitor the first time?

Thanks -- Vincent

-Kruskal (November 26, 2007, 11:43 PM)

I made a shortcut to VLC on the secondary desktop and when I double-clicked it, it came up on the secondary monitor.  But when I shut it down and double-clicked on a video file, VLC came up on the primary monitor.  So it isn't true that Windows remembers the last monitor an application came up on.

Do I misunderstand your point?

Vincent

[nosh]

Try Ultramon.

[lanux128]

you can also use WinWarden for that. check out this thread..


• Force PPTView.exe to always show on secondary monitor

[Kruskal]

Try Ultramon.

-nosh (November 27, 2007, 12:42 AM)

Reading about UltraMon it seems that an app can only be directed to the secondary monitor when it is started via its icon.  If it is started via the file it is supposed to operate on, it can't be directed to a monitor.  That is, it seems that I can't associate an extension with a monitor.

I have written their tech support to ask if my reading is correct.  Hope not.

Thanks -- Vincent

[Kruskal]

you can also use WinWarden for that. check out this thread..

• Force PPTView.exe to always show on secondary monitor

-lanux128 (November 27, 2007, 12:45 AM)

According to that discussion, it doesn't work when the monitors are a different size.  In my case, one of them is a TV and that is 640x480.

[nosh]

It can be done.

Configure an app's shortcut with Ultramon then copy the command line from the shortcut's properties.
Associate your extension to fire up the command line you copied instead of the actual player, you'll probably have to do this straight in the registry unless you have a 3rd party utility (look directly under HKCR)

[Kruskal]

you can also use WinWarden for that. check out this thread..

• Force PPTView.exe to always show on secondary monitor

-lanux128 (November 27, 2007, 12:45 AM)

According to that discussion, it doesn't work when the monitors are a different size.  In my case, one of them is a TV and that is 640x480.

-Kruskal (November 27, 2007, 01:33 AM)

After some experimentation, I have concluded that the warning about monitors being the same size doesn't apply when the window is small and fits on both.  But I still had trouble.

I have posted by experiences in the original thread above.

Thanks -- Vincent

[PPLandry]

XP starts up the application in the same monitor as the last time (if available). If you write the app, you can control this, otherwise, I don't think you can do much.

-PPLandry (November 26, 2007, 11:36 PM)

Interesting.  How do I make an app start on the secondary monitor the first time?

Thanks -- Vincent

-Kruskal (November 26, 2007, 11:43 PM)

You don't need to. You open the program, then drag the window to the second monitor. Close it. It will now open in the second monitor. Different monitor resolutions is no problem. Works for me all the time (I have 1400x1040 on the notebook and 1600x1200 external. Check: Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor in screen>properties>settings

[Kruskal]

XP starts up the application in the same monitor as the last time (if available). If you write the app, you can control this, otherwise, I don't think you can do much.

-PPLandry (November 26, 2007, 11:36 PM)

Interesting.  How do I make an app start on the secondary monitor the first time?

Thanks -- Vincent

-Kruskal (November 26, 2007, 11:43 PM)

You don't need to. You open the program, then drag the window to the second monitor. Close it. It will now open in the second monitor. Different monitor resolutions is no problem. Works for me all the time (I have 1400x1040 on the notebook and 1600x1200 external. Check: Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor in screen>properties>settings

-PPLandry (November 27, 2007, 08:56 PM)

I wish.  Doesn't work for me with XP and VLC. I wonder what you are doing right.

Vincent

[lanux128]

a similar thread on this topic at UltraMon's forums.. it looks like some apps may have to be manually repositioned..

• Start a Program on a Specific Monitor

[Kruskal]

a similar thread on this topic at UltraMon's forums.. it looks like some apps may have to be manually repositioned..

• Start a Program on a Specific Monitor

-lanux128 (November 27, 2007, 10:41 PM)

Yeh, I discovered that the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer remembers which monitor it was last used on even after returning to one monitor and going back to two.

Thanks -- Vincent

[Kruskal]

a similar thread on this topic at UltraMon's forums.. it looks like some apps may have to be manually repositioned..

• Start a Program on a Specific Monitor

-lanux128 (November 27, 2007, 10:41 PM)

Yeh, I discovered that the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer remembers which monitor it was last used on even after returning to one monitor and going back to two.

Thanks -- Vincent

-Kruskal (November 27, 2007, 11:03 PM)

I've surrendered and switched my secondary monitor to the right.  Now WinWarden works fine for me.  (Also Opera now pops-up its you've got mail message on the primary monitor -- a problem with left secondary monitor that I had not told you all about.)

Thanks to all for all the help -- Vincent

[lanux128]

I've surrendered and switched my secondary monitor to the right.  Now WinWarden works fine for me.

-Kruskal (November 27, 2007, 11:47 PM)

Kruskal: glad to see that sorted out.. sometimes simple solutions are the best..

[Kruskal]

I've surrendered and switched my secondary monitor to the right.  Now WinWarden works fine for me.

-Kruskal (November 27, 2007, 11:47 PM)

Kruskal: glad to see that sorted out.. sometimes simple solutions are the best..

-lanux128 (November 28, 2007, 12:09 AM)

Well it didn't turn out so great because WinWarden doesn't recognize that I have told it to display on non-existent territory when I am in single monitor mode.  Maybe my situation isn't typical, but I switch a lot -- I only use dual monitors when I am watching media and have a TV available.

I think I'll just give up on the whole thing.

WinWarden would have worked despite this using a left secondary if it worked in that case at all since I would be telling it to place the window at a low X position and that would exist in either case.

Thanks for your good wishes -- Vincent

[lanux128]

too bad, things aren't working out for you.. i was an occasional dual-monitor user too some time back and after posing the question here at DC, i've decided to use two monitors permanently.. but in your case, since it involves tv, i'm not sure how that would help..

• Opening apps in a multi-monitor setup