[RESOLVED] Multi Monitors in Windows 2000 Prof.

I'm a landscape architect and in my work I need two monitors. I use AutoCad 2000 with tree pug-ins, 3D Studio Max and others havy renderes. I found only one video adapter ( S3 Trio 3D not found for sale here in Brazil ) that are compatible with W2000 as a second monitor. Nowadays is very dificult find PCI video adapters, all manufacturers are producing only AGP. Than , in teory Windows 2000 supports multi monitors, but in pratice no.
Do you know where can I find a list of video adapter compatible with W2000 as a second monitor ? In Microsoft Knowledge Base I found ... Q238886 "How to Set Up and troubleshoot Multiple Monitors". It says that the HCL list currently available from www.microsoft.com/hcl do not specify if an adapter is compatible with multiple monitors. It says also ... Make sure your secondary adapters support the option to disable VGA in the display driver or through a jumper or dip switch on the adapter.
Then I look for help from Microsoft Support. Their anwer was .... there are no list of video adapters as second monitor made from Microsoft. They advise me to ask that question to all manufacturers of video adapters. I'm very disapointed with Microsoft.
I tried 3 video adapters that was listed in Microsoft HCL compatible with W 2000. In all tree cases I downoad a driver compatible with W2000 in Manufacturer web page and no one worked.
1) Jaton Trident Blade 3D 9880 PCI
2) Joytech Apollo SiS 6326 PCI
3) Diamond Stealth III S540
I sand e-mail to Microsoft Support, Jaton/Trident, Joytech and Diamondmm, but untill now I have no answer.
Can you help me ?
Thanks.
Ernesto Camba Neto

ATI PCI cardswere all compatiable with Windows 98 as a secondary display adaptor, so they should also be compatiable with Win2k for the same. Failing that, why not obtain a Matrox G400 Dual Head as this is dual monitor support from one card as standard.

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I just came here to post almost exactly the same question. I've been looking into the same thing and am waiting for replies from several video card manufacturers, myself.

What I do know is that the Win 98 and Win 2000 multimonitor function do NOT operate the same way. Win 2000 needs the secondary card's VGA disabled switch activated, as stated by Ernesto. I just haven't found any video card manufacturer to confirm how to accomplish this with their card.

I looked into going with the Matrox G450 or G400 AGP with its two monitor outputs, but as it turns out, won't allow true dual monitor functionality with Win 2000. Because it only uses one chip for both monitors, Win 2000 has to use a virtual desktop to span over the two monitors. So the two monitors CANNOT be set to two different resolutions.

I was told by PCConnection.com support that I could use the ATI Xpert 98 as a secondary card, but I think they may be saying that under the premise that Win 2000 works the same way as Win 98.

PLEASE post here if you figure out a solution.

Just make sure that both cards have the same chipset--they don't have to be but it usually makes the setup easier if you can install one video driver that installs both cards. I use ATI and haven't had any problems connecting dual displays. You should be able to find an ATI Expert 98 or Expert 2000 in PCI format without a problem. These are what I use with Win98 or W2K.

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Ya never know, ya know?

https://forums.windrivers.com/ I solved my problem instaling Diamond Sthealt III S540 32MB PCI as a second card controller. But you have to download a windows 2000 driver from Diamondmm site. It's a spencive card but it worked.
Good luck.
Ernesto Camba Neto

I read on a message board that you can set your BIOS to use the PCI slot as boot-up adapter instead of AGP. I haven't tried it myself, since my BIOS doesn't support it...IBM...

I've been looking around for a driver to a S3 Trio64V+ to work as secondary card in Win 2K Pro without success. If anyone know where to find a driver, please contact me.

Thanks in advance,
Fredrik Rodin

AGP cards -
Matrox G400Max, G450, G550, ATI RadeonVE, Elsa Synergy III. The last one also have special drivers for Autocad and 3D Max.
Also the 3D Labs Oxygen line and wildcat lines support Dual monitor under W2K and have speciality drivers for Autocad and 3D max as well as to some more stuff.

PCI - Matrox G200 MMS PCI is a dual monitor PCI card that work under W2K.
more cards in the G200 are the G200SD (single monitor PCI) that can be made to work in W2K in Dial monitor mode. Matrox also make a G450 PCI model that have Dual monitor support as far as I know.

Here is my story. My PCI video card is not on the HCL but I am running two monitors. The trick with 2k and XP is you have to set the bios to boot to the init the pci display first. Then when you get into windows and configure your desktop you can configure which one you want as your primary display.
I wont say that this will solve all of your problems but it solves alot.

Good luck!

Umm I just saw the date of the original post...LOL. I hope he figured it out.