dual monitor setup in XP...I'm confused

[cmM]

Microsoft in all its glory, forgot to add the ability to assign different monitor profiles to separate monitors in windows XP (it was there in previous versions however). I had a CRT monitor, and I recently bought a Samsung LCD and a dual VGA card to be able to run both. I had the CRT profiled before, but the profile was wiped out after uninstalling my old video card and installing the new one. The images still looked ok since my whitepoint/contrast/brightness were still the same from before, so I just left it alone, profiled my new LCD using a monitor calibrator, and called it a day. But image editing software, C1, PS, etc, seem to be all looking crappy, especially on the CRT.

My question is.... is there any way to make my monitors work correctly, both of them, in Microsux Windblows XP ?.... or do I have to buy a Mac :lol: ?

[dicky109]

I have an ATI Radeon 9200 with 2 CRT's, but can only profile one of the monitors. It doesn't present much of a problem as I use the secondary only for palettes and non-photo applications and use the profiled monitor for the photos themselves.

I've been told by "experts" that the profiling is a function of the card and its software, and that there are some cards than can profile both.

Good luck

[gaza]

Hi cmM
It probably depends on your video card. I have an Nvidia GeForce4 Ti with two Philips 21 inch monitors ( a 201p, fairly recent and a 21A, ancient). The nvidia software ( Nview) allows both monitors to be controlled independently. OS is win XP pro. Hope this helps.

[PacAce]

Have you tried Right clicking on an empty part of the desktop and selecting Properties? From there you can click on the Settings tab to bring up the monitor properties panel. Click on the appropriate monitor (if you have two) and then click on the Advanced button. Another window will open up. Click on the "Color Management" tab and then select the appropriate profile for the monitor. Do the same for the other monitor if that one doesn't have the right profile loaded either.

[cmM]

Leo, doing that will apply the profile to both monitors.

Gary, I'm using the NView software as well. How do you apply profiles there to both monitors separately? I guess I should have investigated more before asking.... I've heard someone mention the Windows bug however.

Thanks for the help, I hope it'll work.

[PacAce]

Leo, doing that will apply the profile to both monitors.

It shouldn't do that. You should be able to set the profiles independently. But I have XP Pro so if you have XP Home, maybe there's a difference there but I'm not sure. Do you have the monitors set up for extended desktop instead of mirrors?

[cmM]

It shouldn't do that. You should be able to set the profiles independently. But I have XP Pro so if you have XP Home, maybe there's a difference there but I'm not sure. Do you have the monitors set up for extended desktop instead of mirrors?
Yep, I'm running WinXP Pro, and I have the monitors set up as extended desktop.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Cmm when you first hit the display porperties "settings" tab,. there should be two monitors in the window labeld 1 and 2,.. but only one of them will be highlighted,..

If you click the other monitor than you can set the properties for the other monitor,.. including all the stuff in the "advanced" menus like color management.


**Eidt** strike that.. when I assign the different profile to monitor two,. it does it to one as well.. :o

So its the same here ....

It's probably because the "desktop" gets the color profile?

[cmM]

Yup, that's exactly what's happening to mine. I'm gonna see if it's doable through the NView software that came with the video card.

[iwatkins]

It works fine for me (XP Pro SP2).

I bring up display properties, select Settings tab, select which monitor I want and then if I click Advanced I get individual color managment settings for each monitor. I.e. can select my profile for my Lacie and a profile for my NEC.

I've done it anyway, but I only view images on my Lacie and keep all my PS palettes etc. on monitor #2.

Cheers

Ian

[PacAce]

Since I don't use my PC for photo editing anymore, my Viewsonic LCD monitor is attached to my Mac with just a Hitachi CRT hooked up to my PC. Well, I temporarily hooked up the Viewsonic monitor to the PC again so that I can screen capture the monitor properties window to show you what I get on my PC when I have dual monitors set up. And here it is. And, as you can see, each monitor has it's own profile loaded.

I'm running XP Pro SP2 but it's been like this for me even with SP1.

[cmM]

Leo, thanks for taking the time for the screenshots.
When I do that, It'll apply the profile I select to both monitors, no matter which profile I apply to which monitor.

Now I'm wondering if there's the opportunity to do that through the software that came with the video card. Gaza, how exactly do you do that?

[gaza]

Hi all,
Ok, if you right click on the screen, the menu will have an option "NVIDIA Display", choose one of your monitors. The colour correctionscreen should appear. The colour profile will probably say 'standard mode' you can either choose this to set the modes you want, or choose advanced mode and shape the graph.
The other alternative is to choose 'import'. This will load icc/icm profiles. In windows they are located in "C:\windows\system32\spool\drivers\color". If your monitor is not amonst those listed it should be on the drivers disk that will have come with your monitor, they will need to be copied to your hard disk ( although the installation programme should have already done this).
Then you go back to the start and repeat for the other monitor.
Clear as mud?
Regards Gary

[cmM]

Gaza, you're a life saver!

...damn I feel stupid :-P:-P:-P

[gaza]

Hi,you might like to know there is an upgrade for the nVidia drivers and software at their website, the latest version is #71.84
Cheers

[Avalonthas]

I have an ATI X800 and XP Pro, and i can do seperate profiles through the graphic card driver setup thingy majigger. It all goes through the graphic card since it controls the monitors, i think, no clue, it jus works lol!