-=POST Solutions for Dual Monitor calibration, profiles etc. Here=-

I am running Windows XP and am having problems setting profiles for two different (brands/models) monitors on a dual monitor setup.

I have tried everything: setting each default, setting with no defaults, setting with "apply", setting each separately, etc. But no matter what I do, the last profile selected and set for either monitor ends up being applied to both monitors. Anybody else ever run across this problem?

No I just checked mine and it works like it should. Check the with your video card manufacturer to see if they have an updated driver. Oh, you are running them independently, meaning one is not a mirror of the other.

I checked mine and separate settings for each monitor appears to be working fine.

Just to make sure we are doing the same thing I will go over very briefly what I checked.

From Display Properties I have both monitors set up and when I select monitor 1, click the Advanced button, then click the Color Management Tab, I can then set the profile for that monitor. I applied it without bothering to set as default.

I closed out that dialog and repeated the procedure for montor 2 using a different profile. They both stay at different color profile settings as expected.

I have the same monitor twice but I don't think that should make any difference.

Thanks to drparker and yourself for the replies.

Yes, that is the procedure I have been using. But just to make sure, I tried it again and here is the results:

1. Went into settings, set monitor 1 to the monitor 1 profile, clicked ok all the way back to the desktop.

2. Went into settings, set monitor 2 to the monitor 2 profile, clicked ok all the way back to the desktop.

3. Went into settings, back to monitor 1, and it is set to the monitor 2 profile as is monitor 2.

It doesn't matter which procedure I use, whether clicking ok, set as default, apply, whatever... both monitors adopt whatever the last profile was that was set.

I am not using two different graphic cards. I am using a single agp card with two outputs, one analog, one digital. Perhaps that is the problem, but I would be highly disappointed to find out that nVidia designed a card without testing to ensure such a basic, needed function was operating correctly. thanks.

What Vidoe card? What driver version?
Could there be a setting in the card's driver (not the standard WinXP settings) that is causing this. I know with Nvidia there is a mode where you can use one image as a super large wall paper spanning both screens, vs. needing two wallpapers, one for each monitor. With subtle differences like that, could there be one of these options hindering your ability to set different profiles?

Just speculating at this point i'm afraid. FYI I have never tried to set two seperate profiles, but I know that the calibration I did with the Spyder Pro when applied is applied to both screens, and frankly it shouldn't be.

Your later point also applies here. It's not that big of an issue at this point because the majority of PP work is on the new samsung screen and I use the second screen for tool windows,etc. However, I would like to eventually get the 2nd calibrated so I can drag pics over there for before/after comparisons, or for use in comparing two different pictures, etc.

You hit the nail on the head. The card is a nVidia GeForce 6200 OC. I called technical support and the guy said no, it cannot be done because the dual output card is using the same driver. However, knowing that technical support people for most companies are poorly trained nowadays, I kept drilling away at him until he finally gave up and asked 2nd tier support for help. He came back and said he was wrong, it can be done. He advised the present driver is too new (a twist from the norm, huh?), that I needed to go back to an older driver. Unfortunately, the guy was not too sharp and I don't trust that solution either. But I will try it so that I can escalate the issue with them further. Thanks.

if you're using an nVidia based card, simply right click on the desktop and choose NVIDIA Display and the appropriate screen. From there you can choose your colour profile for each individual screen. if you are using the cheap spyder which only lets you profile a single monitor, profile each individually, save the .icm and load it through the video driver instead of spyder.

in ATI catalyst, i forget exactly off the top of my head, but if i remember correctly it's within the ATI control under advanced. i'll have to check on one of my systems when i'm back home.

I appreciate your reply. Any additional ideas or help is appreciated.

I tried that, it did not work. On the nvidia control panel, the place I found to enter the profile was the Color Correction menu option / press the import button. When I set the profile here, the monitors went berzerk. The display was very, very bad. I know the profiles I created (Monaco Optix) are good because when entered via windows work superbly. However, when entered here do not work.

The only other place I could find to enter a profile was under Desktop Management menu item, sub option Profiles. However, the only profiles accepted here are nVidia type of nview profiles.

Unless there is another place on the nVidia control panel to configure profiles, it didn't work for me.

i'm still away from home - but the point where you can manually make colour corrections (the thing that looks like the photoshop curves), there is a selection box where you can choose the colour profile (*.icm files). this is how i've done it on my system with a 7800gt for both panels. i'll do some googling to see if i can find anything.

This is exactly why I have not bothered to try and remedy the situation, especially after the time invested to get my main screen profile, and all the other aspects of color management, to fianlly work! I was not at all willing to poke a stick at it, as I did not want to get stung!

Black Violet, that info is fabulous! Whne I move to my new PC it will come in handy as I set up color management on it. I have added a link to this thread in the "sticky".
Any other Dual Monitor info please post here.

(Cyber, thanks for combining the thread info. This not only makes the threads easier, but helps people doing future searches.)

BlackViolet,

Thank you, my friend. I appreciate you taking the time. However, I may be able to save the time for you. Is this the option panal you are refering to:

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

Thought I might bring this back from the dead... lol.

For ATI Graphics products, Radeon-series video cards support only 1 monitor profile. You need a FirePro series workstation card that supports Multiple LUTs (LookUp Tables) do individually calibrate and profile each display in your setup. I would imagine nVidia is the same between their consumer and workstation products.