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Photo Screensaver with multiple displays

Anonymous
2010-02-06T01:26:01+00:00

I have long used dual monitors (as  an extended desktop) and the My Pictures Slideshow in Windows XP as the screensaver and a great way to enjoy a ten year collection of family photos.I have been unable to get the The Windows 7 offerings to use both monitors; only the the primary shows pics, the other is dark. Has anyone found a way or a software product that uses the complete desktop; i.e. both displays. Both computers have NVIDIA graphics card.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-01-07T00:56:24+00:00

    Hello all,

    Thanks for bringing this to our attention. There was an oversight with the post being marked as an answer in this thread, and our processes now include additional measures to help prevent this from occurring again.

    The issue discussed in this thread regarding Windows 7 and photo screen saver only showing on the primary monitor is working as intended. There may be third party software that allows a photo screen saver to display on multiple monitors.

    If you wish to leave feedback for Windows 7 and request this feature in future versions, you may do so here.

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-08-31T16:26:43+00:00

    Typical. Neither the MS person who wrote the "answer" nor the other MS person who marked it as the "answer" bothered to even try to understand the question.

    You will have to look to another software company besides Microsoft to achieve a picture-based screen saver that shows on more than the main monitor.

    My recommendation is Google Picasa. It's free, it's easy to use, and they update it.

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2010-04-04T05:57:29+00:00

    This is not the solution to the problem. 

    The "Photos" screensaver just flat out does not display correctly on two screens. This is not drivers, settings, etc. Microsoft needs to patch the "Photos" screensaver to correct the problem...

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-02-17T00:36:01+00:00

    Hello Divya,

    I am experiencing the same problem Harvey is.  Problem is not with the drivers, settings, etc.

    The Photos screensaver that comes with Windows 7, does not support multiple screens/monitors.  In my case, I have a laptop with an additional 20inch monitor.  The 20inch monitor is my main display, while the laptop monitor is my secondary one.  When you choose Photos as your screensaver, the photos are displayed only on the secondary screen, but with the resolution of the primary monitor.  With the difference in size and resolutions on the two screens, only the bottom left part of the photos shows on the small laptop screen.  Does this make sense?

    Now, I have not tried setting up both screens to the same resolution, but that would take away the advantage of having a 20inch screen at a higher resolution.  I.E. more screen space to play with; more windows, etc.

    I have read in some forums that this will likely not be fixed.  That we have to go and look for a third-party photo displaying screensaver...  Not cool, since it used to work on all previous versions of Windows...

    Thanks!

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-02-06T23:57:54+00:00

    Hi Harvey of D_Bay,

    When your computer does not display anything on the monitor you may have a No Display or Blank Display problem. This can be caused by any of the following reasons:

    • Monitor or System has no Power

    • Monitor is defective

    • Loose VGA/DVI Cable Connection

    • Video Card Problem

    • AGP/PCI-e Connector Problem / Motherboard

    • System RAM Problem 

    Method 1: First, update the drivers for Graphics card and check.

    Method 2: Duplicate the display settings and check if you can view the Screensaver in the extended monitor as well.

    To change your display settings to extended

    1.    Open Screen Resolution by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, and then, under Appearance and Personalization, clicking Adjust screen resolution.

    2.    Click the drop-down list next to Multiple displays, click Duplicate these displays, and then click OK.

    The Multiple displays option appears only when Windows detects more than one monitor connected to your PC.

    Note:

    o    If you don't see an option named Multiple displays in your display settings, then Windows isn't detecting a second monitor plugged into your desktop computer. Or, it is not detecting an external monitor plugged into your laptop. When Windows detects this monitor, it will appear in the drop-down list next to Display. If you don't see it listed there, try clicking Detect.

    o    Make sure the monitor you want to extend your desktop to is turned on and plugged into the correct video port on your computer. You might also need to select the correct source labeled on your monitor's controls to ensure the monitor is using the correct video port. For more information, check the manual for your monitor or go to the manufacturer's website.

    Refer the following link for more information:

    Move windows between multiple monitors**http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Move-windows-between-multiple-monitors**

    Method 3: Also make sure the screen resolution is the same on each display.

    For more information, see:

    Getting the best display on your monitor**http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Getting-the-best-display-on-your-monitor**

    Note:

    Some screen resolutions might not be available on all monitors because of differences in display hardware, electronics, video cards, and drivers.

    Regards, 

    Divya R – Microsoft Support.

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