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Computing Tip-of-the-Month:
"How
to Setup Two Monitors On Your Computer"
It often
times becomes necessary to have more computer monitor space.
One way to increase your amount of screen space is to buy an
inexpensive second monitor or make use of an old monitor and connect it
to your computer (if you're using Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows
XP)—allowing for more free screen space in which you can work.
Dual Monitor Setup Checklist
Two or more monitors (one, if you’re
setting up a laptop), which may be of any combination including the
following: flat-panel LCD monitors, CRT monitors, one of each, or even
a TV screen as a monitor. If you are going to buy a monitor
consider the following:
Picture quality
Screen size
Screen resolution
Compatibility with your computer port
Higher contrast ratio
Color richness
Two monitor cables that match the
connection types of your computer to connect the monitors to the
computer (one for a laptop).
A monitor connection on your computer for
each monitor you want to connect such as the following:
Make sure the monitor is plugged in and
turned on. Your computer should automatically detect the second
monitor. If you’re using Windows XP, you’ll need to enable
Dualview.
When your computer detects the monitor, it should also automatically
detect and apply the display settings appropriate for the monitor.
Configure your displays
If necessary, you can drag the monitor icons
so that they are arranged in the same way as the monitors on your desk.
Click Identify to verify which monitor is 1 and which monitor is 2.
You’ll see the numbers appear on your monitors.
Under Multiple displays, you can also adjust
what you see on the second monitor. You have the following choices:
Extend your displays. This spreads your
desktop over both monitors and lets you drag items between the two
screens. After your monitor is set up, you can use your mouse
to grab the title bar (the top portion) of a window and drag it to your
new display.
Duplicate your displays. This displays
the same desktop on both monitors. For a laptop, this is the default
setting. This is useful if you're giving a presentation with your
laptop connected to a projector or large monitor.
Show your desktop on only one monitor.
This is most commonly used with a laptop if you want to keep your
laptop screen blank after you connect to a large desktop monitor.
When you disconnect the additional monitor
the following occurs:
Original display settings are restored to
your primary display
All open files and program windows are
moved to the primary display
The next time that you connect the same
monitor, the Windows operating system automatically applies the display
settings that you used the last time that you connected this monitor.
"5
Organizational Tips for Managing Computer Files and Folders"
Learning
better file management can improve time management skills and increase
productivity at work. The following tips are just a few ideas
to improve file management skills.
Ideas for Managing Your Files
and Folders
Use a Consistent File and
Folder Naming System. It is imperative that
you develop a naming system for the kinds of files you create most
often and then continue to use that system - allowing for more
organized, easier to navigate folders.
Keep File and Folder Names
Short. Do not use long names for folders or
files, as this can cause a cluttered look, which may make it more
difficult to find a particular file.
Separate Ongoing and
Completed Work. To keep the Documents folder from
becoming too cluttered, use it for only active files, which will allow
easier access to the active items. Completed files should be
moved to a different folder or location, such as the following:
Desktop folder
Special archive folder
Flash drive
External hard drive
CD
Similar Items Should be
Stored Together. Restricting folders to a
single document type makes it easier for you to find files. For
example, putting all of your graphics in a single folder allows for
easy access to the slide show feature in Windows Explorer.
Storing Documents Online.
Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Windows Live SkyDrive, and DropBox allow you
to save documents safely online. As a result, it is easy to
access them from outside the office, share them, and edit them online
by using Office Web Apps.
It often
times becomes necessary to have more computer monitor space.
One way to increase your amount of screen space is to buy an
inexpensive second monitor or make use of an old monitor and connect it
to your computer (if you're using Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows
XP)—allowing for more free screen space in which you can work.
Learning
better file management can improve time management skills and increase
productivity at work. The following tips are just a few ideas
to improve file management skills.