windows dual monitor short cut ?

February 21, 2006 12:39 PM

I'm using a laptop that i frequently hook up to 2nd monitor. I use window's display properties, "settings" tab and check the "extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor" box. Everything works great.. . the problem is that I have to get up frequently and "uncheck" the box to disassociate my laptop with the 2nd monitor.

I end up doing this several times a day .. Is there anyway to create a shortcut button that I can put on my desktop that would have the same effect? Are there any other solutions out there to connect and disconnect a second monitor that are not so cumbersome? thanks !

posted by jason9009 to Technology (13 answers total)

Best answer: This might be incorrect and I'm sure someone will confirm or correct me, but does the keyboard shortcut function f5 work?
posted by meta87 at 1:07 PM on February 21, 2006

You didn't mention the model of laptop, but many include software specifically for accommodating these sorts of changes -- basically different sets of profiles for different regular uses, and even auto-switching for docked/undocked scenarios. You may know this already, but I ignored such software for years until getting my first dock recently and realizing how useful such profiles can be...
posted by VulcanMike at 1:11 PM on February 21, 2006

Don't you have a function key on your laptop for this purpose? Thinkpads have a "Presentation Director" program that's bound to Fn-F7.
posted by soundslikeobiwan at 1:16 PM on February 21, 2006

What worked for me (Dell latitude D-series) was a docking station/port replicator. When I initiate the undock (using the port replicator button or the start menu), the second monitor is disabled. When I re-dock, everything goes back to normal.
posted by idlemind at 2:16 PM on February 21, 2006

SLO-

Fn-F7 usually just duplicates the primary screen onto the secondary. The question relates to toggling a dual desktop setup.
posted by grateful at 2:17 PM on February 21, 2006

It probably depends on your video card, but my Dell uses an ATI Mobility, and the driver settings allow you to save "profiles" that reflect different monitor settings. Each profile can be assigned a hot key, like alt-control-1 or something. Maybe you have something similar?

I wish that laptops were a little more self-aware in this respect. I'd like a "always extend desktop onto available monitors" check box (and I'd want to to contract if the monitors were disconnected).
posted by RustyBrooks at 2:49 PM on February 21, 2006

UltraMon is pretty stellar, though not freeware. It will let you handle this and much much more.
posted by SpookyFish at 3:00 PM on February 21, 2006

I'd use UltraMon. Just double-click the icon in the taskbar.
posted by blag at 3:19 PM on February 21, 2006

some laptops use the shortcut Fn+F4
posted by roboto at 5:04 PM on February 21, 2006

What hardware are you using?
posted by roboto at 5:07 PM on February 21, 2006

grateful: Fn-F7 usually just duplicates the primary screen onto the secondary. The question relates to toggling a dual desktop setup.

This may be true of some IBM laptops, but the newer ones, at least, can set Fn-F7 to:

a) Bring up a list of profiles for selection (default)
b) Toggle between LCD/LCD+External/External modes
c) Switch to a default profile of your choice

It takes a little digging, as most laptop packaged software does, but there is a lot of functionality packed in there. I think these IBM laptops can also switch network modes based on the profiles as well (though I've disabled it on mine because it required setting up all the wireless information again).
posted by VulcanMike at 5:17 PM on February 21, 2006

Response by poster: I forgot to mention . .its a Dell Latitude D810 ..thanks!
posted by jason9009 at 8:12 AM on February 22, 2006

Response by poster: function + F8 worked for me ..thanks
posted by jason9009 at 5:18 AM on February 23, 2006