I got a second monitor at long last (yay) but it isn't allowing me to do the one thing I wanted a second monitor for.

I want to game on my main screen while I have chat programs etc on the second, BUT I don't want to be alt tabbing to respond in the chat.

Now, googling has told me this is possible, unlikely, impossible, and is done all the time.

Ultramon doesn't seem to be able to do it, but http://www.cinemassivedisplays.com/multi-monitor-software.php can. Though I'm not willing to spend the money to do that.

And in response to the typical responses:

Yes, I have a second pc (crappy laptop) but I hoped to ditch that in lieu of the second monitor, especially since the crappy laptop is crapping out.

No, playing the game in a window isn't an option, as quite a few of my preferred games don't give me such an option.

Windows XP

NVidia 8600GT

Green

Some games have a full screen windowed mode where the game is being played in a window, you might check if your games can do it (Check google, some games have the capability but don't show an option for it in video settings). It fills the whole screen so it looks like it's not windowed when it actually is; you really can't tell the difference between that or true fullscreen. If not, alt-tab is the only way that I know of.

[EDIT]I think nvidia has some software that handles dual monitors much like ultramon, you should look into that also and see if it can do what you're looking for, I was looking for someting similar and came across that, but it doesn't work in Vista so I never read up much on it[/EDIT]

[EDIT2]http://www.nvidia.com/object/feature_nview.html[/EDIT2]

You don't just need two monitors next to each other, you need two computers right next to each other!

Seriously though, once you've gone through all the trouble........

What you want is impossible, pretty much. Maybe with specialized software but it would be a pretty hackish hack.

Basically only ONE APP may have focus at once. A focused app receives all keyboard and mouse input. Most games capture the mouse so the mouse cannot interact with other apps (normally the mouse can move out of the window to other apps). If the mouse can interact with other apps, the mouse has to focus them first (same with the keyboard input going to other apps) and then only that app will get input.

There are some exceptions when dealing with UI stuff that can traverse windows of different apps such as dragging and dropping IIRC but for what you want the rule is one app gets the input.

The hackish hack would be focusing a third app whose only purpose is to fake sending inputs to the other apps based on what keys and mouse stuff you do.

What MZZT said. I've been a long-time dual monitor user, there is no solution for this.

The best you can do is run the game in windowed mode so you don't get minimized every time you lose focus.

Bah, guess I'm back to using the craptop for messaging then. Oh well, guess I can have the second monitor playing videos whilst I game on the main and chat on the lap.

Thanks guys, at least with massassian knowledge I know not to waste ages searching in vain for dual monitor goodness.

Hmm.... Maybe if you had a second with some kind of really special KVM software...

Ok I have one more question if the people will permit.

When I go fullscreen in the game (Heroes 5 if that matters), the winamp video in the second monitor will go blank instead of showing me what's going on. How can I stop this?

Not sure why that happens, but I know Ultramon fixes that.

No it doesn't, Ultramon has absolutely no effect on that.

Deadman: you'll need to play back the video in a player capable of completely disabling all forms of hardware acceleration and overlay. Media Player Classic is a common choice. If any sort of video acceleration is used, it'll go blank when the video card is taken over by the fullscreen window.

Really? I could swear it fixed my issues in the past >_>

Cool Matty, is there an option in media player to do that? I can't seem to get it working.
Thanks for all your help so far.

WMP? There might be, I don't remember. It'd be under performance tab I believe, probably some advanced area.

I have my xbox plugged into my second monitor, half the time when I'm chatting I'm playing rock band solos with one hand and typing with the other. IT'S NOT EASY

OK, I have ALMOST got a work-around by giving my laptop my spare monitor and using software that allows me to control the laptop and the pc.
The only problem I have now is that I can't use the monitor as the main monitor for the laptop, the option is greyed out. This is more of a minor annoyance then a big deal though.
It would still be better if I can get my main pc running both monitors, but this solution is working out pretty well as it is. Again, thanks all ^_^



Oh, and my laptop appears to have no speaker plug at all, so I'm stuck with crappy laptop speakers =s

Update the video drivers? You should be able to do that..

Actually I meant in player classic, I couldn't get it working with my games.

Well, we are talking about an ancient, ancient laptop.
I had to buy a wireless dongle to get it on the internet. Well, unless I wanted to use it's inbuilt 28.8k modem >_>

ah..

I suppose what would be ideal now is if I found some way of sending the audio of winamp (or whatever) to my main pc as the video plays on the desktop >_>

But the way it is now is decent, just not perfect.

Line-in?

no speaker connection (he means headphone jack i think) on his laptop apparently, which i find very odd to begin with.