Is there software that lets me drag windows between two PCs? (there is!)

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I'm looking for a preferably free program that is similar to MaxiVista, which lets you extend you desktop to another desktops screen on the same network.

But with MaxiVista you have to extend the entire screen. I'd like to just drag one window onto the other computers screen without extending the desktop. So on top of the other computer's windows.

Kind of like a cross between MaxiVista and Windows 7' XP mode where you can run XP programs on the windows 7 desktop.

EDIT: I am pleased to announce this is possible, though the windows is poor quality (8-bit color) but I believe thats just because MetaVNC isn't very up to date.

Jonathan.

Posted 2010-02-15T18:21:14.493

Reputation: 2 454

no can do ... you either extend the desktop or you don't, if you don't, then you can't drag a windows to another display. – None – 2010-02-15T18:25:11.033

Maybe one day, but right now the resources that would take are unworkable. – Phoshi – 2010-02-15T18:32:10.583

so there is no way to like RD/VNC on one specific window? – Jonathan. – 2010-02-15T19:06:27.380

MetaVNC is almost there except the quality and speed is rubbish, but the idea is there(if you could make the maxiVista screen extension have a transparent background then it would be perfect. – Jonathan. – 2010-02-15T20:21:51.303

I just have.,:; – Jonathan. – 2010-02-15T20:57:34.803

Answers

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How I got it so I could move windows from one PC to another (one way)

You need: MaxiVista ( I'm using the demo) MetaVNC (must be MetaVNC, not RealVNC or anything) Firstly I installed the server of MaxiVista and the server of MetaVNC on the primary computer (the one I would be getting the windows from to show on the secondary PC) Then installed both clients on the secondary PC.

Set my display settings to be 16-bit color on my primary (and thus turning off Aero) On the client I found the best settings for MetaVNC were RRE encoding and using 8-bit color, with the metaVNC window manager off.

Then I extended the Primary PC's screen to the secondary with MaxiVista (like it was designed to be) And Then set the The area MetaVNC "captures" (in the display tab of properties on the Server PC)as a rectangle and moved/enlarged the rectangle to completely capture the extended screen that is visible on the secondary PC. Then clicked Apply etc.

On the client PC's keyboard I hit Windows+D to hide the MaxiVista window. Then connected the MetaVNC client(on the secondary PC) to the metaVNC server(on the primary PC).

Then when I dragged a window to the edge of my Primary PC's monitor it showed up on the Client PC among the Client PC's windows like I wanted.

This is becauase I had dragged the window into the extended MaxiVista screen which was minimized on the client PC, and then the MetaVNC was capturing what was on the extended screen. And a feature of metaVNC is that it can hide the background and only show the windows which it was then showing on the client PC amongst it's own windows. You can have a window half on one PC and half on the other.

I can post a video on youtube if anyone wants to actually see it?

btw, the client's keyboard and mouse could use both the clients and secondary-PCs-windows-that-were-on-the-extended-desktop. But the Primary PC's keyboard and mouse could not use/"touch" the client PC's windows (though with something like Synergy this might be possible)

Jonathan.

Posted 2010-02-15T18:21:14.493

Reputation: 2 454

2I'm impressed ;-) +1 – Ivo Flipse – 2010-02-16T06:58:37.893

Would it work with different OS'? – Eduardo Reis – 2016-07-29T21:01:46.917

Oh noes. MaxiVista website is 403 ×_× – DDS – 2017-10-13T18:35:15.390

So you're not actually "moving" a running application from one machine to another, you're virtually displaying a running app from PC1 on PC2's screen...right? – Josh M. – 2013-03-14T12:55:46.357

Yes, that's correct – Jonathan. – 2013-03-15T09:24:08.580

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Check out this webpage from Alternativeto.com...it lists the (mostly) free alternatives to Maxivista...as good of a list as you're gonna get...

http://alternativeto.net/desktop/maxivista/

studiohack

Posted 2010-02-15T18:21:14.493

Reputation: 13 125