Video Card Question...

Hi.. I have an HP a1310n. I want to add an a video card to it, ATI Radeon
7000 (64 meg).

This PC came with XP Media center...

In setting this up, I want to use the digital output to an LCD monitor.

I was thinking of keeping my CRT as a second monitor (extended desktop).
Would it be better to use the monitor output from this card or the monitor
output from the motherboard?

Also, XP seems to favor the extended desktop to the right, can I switch
that, extend to the left (when needed)?

Thank you!

--
B'rgds,

Vinnie

> Hi.. I have an HP a1310n. I want to add an a video card to it, ATI Radeon
> 7000 (64 meg).
>
> This PC came with XP Media center...
>
> In setting this up, I want to use the digital output to an LCD monitor.
>
> I was thinking of keeping my CRT as a second monitor (extended desktop).
> Would it be better to use the monitor output from this card or the monitor
> output from the motherboard?
>
> Also, XP seems to favor the extended desktop to the right, can I switch
> that, extend to the left (when needed)?

When you add a separate video card, you usually disable the video on-board
(motherboard graphics). So you should connect both screens to the 2 ports on
the new graphics card.

Once you have the card in and the latest drivers installed, you can right
click on the desktop and choose properties (or go to Display in the control
panel) and on one of the tabs ('Settings' if I remember correctly), you will
see your 2 screens. You can simply drag the screens around within this
dialog to position them.

In addition to the above, if you right click on the taskbar (the grey/blue
bar where the start button resides), you will see a "Lock Taskbar" option.
When this is not ticked, you can drag the taskbar to any of the 4 sides of
any screen in your setup.

It worked exactly as you said, thank you, thank you!

GT wrote:

>> Hi.. I have an HP a1310n. I want to add an a video card to it, ATI
>> Radeon 7000 (64 meg).
>>
>> This PC came with XP Media center...
>>
>> In setting this up, I want to use the digital output to an LCD
>> monitor. I was thinking of keeping my CRT as a second monitor (extended
>> desktop). Would it be better to use the monitor output from this
>> card or the monitor output from the motherboard?
>>
>> Also, XP seems to favor the extended desktop to the right, can I
>> switch that, extend to the left (when needed)?
>
> When you add a separate video card, you usually disable the video
> on-board (motherboard graphics). So you should connect both screens
> to the 2 ports on the new graphics card.
>
> Once you have the card in and the latest drivers installed, you can
> right click on the desktop and choose properties (or go to Display in
> the control panel) and on one of the tabs ('Settings' if I remember
> correctly), you will see your 2 screens. You can simply drag the
> screens around within this dialog to position them.
>
> In addition to the above, if you right click on the taskbar (the
> grey/blue bar where the start button resides), you will see a "Lock
> Taskbar" option. When this is not ticked, you can drag the taskbar to
> any of the 4 sides of any screen in your setup.

--
B'rgds,

Vinnie