How to save settings on 3 Monitors? (laptop + 2 external)

[saturdaysessions]

I have two external monitors plugged into my X61/docking station to make 3 monitors total (including laptop screen). One monitor #1 connected by VGA; monitor #2 is connected via a USB-to-DVI converter.

All three monitors work fine. One problem is: whenever I boot up, or remove and reconnect the laptop to the docking station, Monitor #2 goes to 1024x768 instead of my initially selected 1440x900 setting. I'd like to use Presentation Director to save the setting as the windows settings feature obviously doenst work.

My Presentation Director is an older version. Does any version of Presentation Director allow you to connect two external monitors? My version only enables one.

Thanks. Ive searched all over google and various forums but none tell me the answer.

[pkiff]

One problem is: whenever I boot up, or remove and reconnect the laptop to the docking station, Monitor #2 goes to 1024x768 instead of my initially selected 1440x900 setting.

I have this problem even using just one additional monitor through the standard VGA output on my X60 Tablet. Running Vista Business SP1 updated using standard Windows updates. I haven't worked with Presentation Director, and I haven't yet tried manually updating the video driver to make sure I'm running the latest.

Can you clarify for me how you are using the three monitors? Is one of them just mirroring one of the others or are you using all three monitors as three distinct displays? (This won't help me answer your question, but I'm just curious since I've been mulling over the best approach for me to get multiple displays on my X60).

Phil.

[saturdaysessions]

I am using all three monitors as three distinct displays. I have two 19" widescreen LCD screens, and my laptop screen as the third screen to the left. I use the middle 19" screen as my primary, and use the laptop screen to the left and 2nd 19" screen to the right as extended desktops. The main 19" is hooked up via the blue VGA cable to the docking station. The second 19" is hooked up via: a "StarTech USB to DVI-I Adapter" plugged into a USB on the docking station, then that is hooked up to the monitor via the white DVI cable.

I just use the Windows Display Properties - Settings to save this, but like I mentioned originally, each time I reboot, or remove and replace the laptop from the docking station, the second 19" monitor goes to 1024x768 and I have to manually put the setting back to 1440x900 every time. The main 19" screen and the laptop screen are unaffected.

I just updated my Presentation Director to version 4.04 (06-2009 edition) and it still does not support a third monitor

Any ideas on how I can get the Windows Display Settings to save the 1440x900 on my second external monitor? Or is there some other software available that can achieve this?

[dr_st]

The presentation director can only support 2 monitors, because it is the maximum you can have from a single video controller. The presentation director knows nothing about USB devices that act as independent video controllers.

Since it is the USB-connected monitor that gives you the problems, I'd think that maybe the culprit is in the settings of the USB converter. But I have no idea where to dig for that.

[saturdaysessions]

Good call dr_st. The problem is with the USB-DVI adapter. I went on the StarTech website and was able to get a tech through the online chat feature immediately, and he provided the solution right away. Hows that for customer service!?

Solution: instead of using the windows display settings, the adapter has a software icon in the system tray to use to save settings. Although the settings I wanted were already selected, the key was to select something different for a second, then go back and select what I wanted: 1440x900x32 and Extended Desktop.

Problem Solved