How To Make Use Of Dual Monitors In Terminal Server

First off, it should be noted that terminal server does not really support dual monitors. What Microsoft has done however is make it so that we can 'stretch' the image from the server and apply it across both local monitors. This is what is referred to as 'spanning', and is the method that we will be discussing below.

Requirements for Spanning:

1. You must have Remote Desktop Connection version 6.0 or above installed
2. Both local monitors must have the same screen resolution set
3. The screen resolution for each monitor (individually) cannot exceed 2048 x 1024

Requirement 1: Remote Desktop Connection version 6.0 comes installed by default with Windows Vista and Server 2008. For users with Windows XP and below you will need to upgrade the installed version by visiting the Microsoft Windows Update website. We also provide this installation file in our Downloads section of this support website.

Requirement 2: You can adjust your screen resolution by right-clicking any empty area on your Windows desktop and selecting Properties, then switch over to the Settings tab. There will be a graphical representation of all present monitors on your computer along with a number designating which is which. A blue border will highlight the edges of the monitor that you are adjusting settings for.

The slider bar on the lower-left will allow you to adjust the screen resolution. Once you have this set you must click on the next monitor image and adjust the same slider bar to match the first monitors setting. Once completed you may click Apply and/or OK.

Requirement 3: When following the instructions for adjusting requirement 2 above, please note that you cannot set the screen resolution above 2048 x 1024 else the spanning will not work. This is because the server is combining both monitors together and is treating them as a single monitor. The resolution for this spanned monitor cannot exceed 4096 x 2048 which means the individual monitors cannot exceed 2048 x 1024 each.

Create a Spanned Connection Icon

Follow these step-by-step instructions to create your new login icon:

1. Right-click on the desktop and select NEW > Shortcut
2. The Create Shortcut wizard will appear. The first screen will say, "Type the location of the item:". Type the following: mstsc /span (see Figure 1 below)
3. Click Next.
4. On the next screen type the name of the icon as you would like it to appear (see Figure 2 below). If you already have a login icon then I would suggest calling this one Dual Monitor Kotter Desktop.
5. Click Finish to complete the setup.

(Figure 1)

(Figure 2)

You will now have a new desktop icon entitled Dual Monitor Kotter Desktop. This icon is different from normal login icons in that it does not have an Edit option in its right-click menu, and thus you cannot pre-save login information to it.

Instead, when you double-click the icon you will be given the chance to edit these options. (usually a member of the support team will assist you with configuring these settings) Once you have the proper information set you can click the Save button (as opposed to the Save As button...) to save the info so that it appears automatically the next time you double-click the login icon.

Final Notes

As explained in the introduction paragraph above terminal server does not support dual monitors, it instead stretches the image of a single monitor across two physical monitors. This gives the user the benefit of the extra desktop space but does NOT include the conveniences of conventional dual monitor setups that many users are accustomed to.

For instance, you cannot 'maximize' an application window and have it fill only the monitor that it originally appears on. Remember, to the server there is only one monitor. As a result, any application that you 'maximize' will be stretched out across both monitors. See the images below for an example of what Outlook would look like when maximized on a spanned connection.

Another thing that may confuse some users is that automatic windows that pop up are usually placed in the center of the screen, which in the case of a spanned terminal server session means those items will appear half on one monitor, and the other half on the other monitor. See the images below for an example of this.

While there isn't anything that can be done about items opening up in the center of the screen - users will have to drag them manually onto one screen or the other - there is a simple trick to organizing applications onto one screen or the other so that you can work more efficiently.

If you move the mouse cursor to the extreme edges or the corners of application windows it will change into resize arrows. If you click and hold the left mouse button you can drag the mouse to manually change the size of the window. Users can use this method of resizing their application windows and dragging them onto the appropriate monitors to achieve the positioning they desire.

Additional links to reference documentation

Remote Desktop Connection (Terminal Services Client 6.0) - Microsoft

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925876

Last updated on December 18, 2009 by Adam Kotter