Windows 8 Metro/Modern UI with Dual / Multiple Monitors?

I'm using always 2 Monitors and just installed Windows 8 and always need to scroll to my Application in the new Metro interface, because the Metro is only on my main screen (the other one shows the Desktop).

Can I make the metro (or Modern UI) interface span over both monitors?

FiveO

Posted 2012-10-04T20:21:21.550

Reputation: 7 940

Answers

No. Metro is exclusively single-monitor (one of the worst things about it, IMO). This is most obvious if you launch an app on one monitor and then go to bring up the Start Screen on your other - it closes the app that was up on the first monitor!

The only way to do this would be with something like EyeFinity, where you trick the system into thinking your displays are one very large display - but that changes the behavior of other things in ways you might not like.

(Just be glad you only have two monitors - trying to hit the corners to bring up the charms bar is almost impossible when you have a two-by-two or larger array of monitors.)

Shinrai

Posted 2012-10-04T20:21:21.550

Reputation: 18 051

"trying to hit the corners to bring up the charms bar is almost impossible when you have a two-by-two or larger array of monitors" - Yeah, irritating to say the least. So much so that even Paul Allen complained about it!

– Karan – 2012-10-04T20:35:46.913

3Yes, Windows 8 is definitely intended for a phone or at most a touch interface tablet. The desktop users were really left out in the cold with this version...sad panda... – EBGreen – 2012-10-04T20:39:54.850

I'm even using Windows 8 Enterprise! Here should be the difference between these versions. I guess no Tablet will ever have Windows 8 Enterprise installed! – FiveO – 2012-10-22T12:58:03.913

@FiveO - Actually, I think it makes the most sense on a corporate fleet of tablets - volume licensing and active directory support. – Shinrai – 2012-10-22T15:27:33.337

Windows 8.1 seems to bring something new for power users:

You can launch the Start screen in specific monitor by clicking the start button on specific screen
It is possible to drag Modern UI application windows from one screen to another. If you go to the top of the window, mouse pointer turns into hand. Then you can drag the window to other screen
Single screen can be split between n Modern UI applications (horizontally) and the width of each app can be changed.

If you have multiple screens side-by-side the best way to get the charm bar seems to be to aim little bit left from the lower right corner of the screen. This way the mouse pointer does not go to the next screen.

Juha Palomäki

Posted 2012-10-04T20:21:21.550

Reputation: 323