Like a lot of traders, I have a multiple monitor set-up. I currently have a single 24" wide screen LCD and three 19" standard LCD screens. I have a question about how Y'all manage your screens. Does anyone know if there is a way that I can switch between having all my monitors running to just having the main monitor on? Like at night when I browse ET or other websites, I don't need all my monitors on. I would like to be able to switch between all on and just monitor #1 on. Yeah I know I could just manually turn them off, but they're still running as far as my system is concerned. I have nVidia NVS 285 cards and use nView desktop manager but cant figure out how to configure it to allow me to switch to all monitors off except #1. Any help greatly appreciated. Thank you.
As far as your system is concerned, there is no way to turn the other monitors off except to disable the extended desktop function for each one. You could have a separate power bar for the 3 secondary monitors. Leave the monitors in the Power On position and turn them all on/of with the power bar switch.
I'm aware that I could disable the extended desktop to each of the secondary monitors. That isn't a very proficient way of switching between all on to just monitor #1. In nView Desktop Manager, there is a "Profiles" tab and a "Desktops" tab. I thought there may be a way to configure something in there. Because in the "Hot Keys" tab there is an option under "Misc" for "nView task switcher: toggle desktops." There's also quite a few other Hot Keys that have "Toggle" atributes. I'm not real familiar with all the different setting and uses in the nView Desktop Manager. But the name sure implies that there would seem to be an easier way to do what I'm talking about rather than manually disable the extended desktop function for each secondary monitor.
As Windows Extended Desktop is a "hardware function" (that is, you don't need nView nor other software utilities to run multimonitor), I believe that is the ONLY way... Why do you want to turn them off anyway? They're not using any resources nor electricity nor anything else?
Perhaps try "Ultramon" . Even if it doesn't support this particular feature, it does wonders for multiple monitor setups.
I saw a setup with 4 monitors, 2 PCs run by switch controlled by one keyboard. He bought that switch on Newtiger for about $150. Easiest is the gnome's way .
Not sure what your monitors run on, but mine require electricity. That is, they must be plugged into an electrical power outlet. So they do use electricity. Plus I think they would last longer & perform their best if I don't have them running all the time when they're not really needed. The reason I want to turn them off was explained in my original post. That is, when I'm just browsing the web at night I don't need all four monitors running (since I'm running just one application). All I need during non-trading hours is the main monitor, monitor #1. I see no reason to be running four monitors to read email or browse the posts on ET. Would be nice if I could just switch between all on to just monitor #1. But according to what you and everyone else is saying, it doesn't seem possible.