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Using MaxiVista
I am going to assume that you have multiple computers on the same network running Windows XP/2000/2003 that need to cooperate in a multiple monitor setup. On your primary PC, run the MaxiVista primary PC setup application. On your secondary PC (i.e., the PC of which you want to use the screen for an extended display), run the MaxiVista secondary PC setup application. MaxiVista’s setup is pretty trivial, so I won’t delve into it.
After installing MaxiVista, on your primary PC, start the MaxiVista Server application. Similarly, on your secondary PC, start the MaxiVista Viewer application. On your primary PC, you should see an icon like that shown in Figure 1 in your taskbar notification area.
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Figure 1 The MaxiVista icon in the taskbar notification area of the primary PC.
After starting MaxiVista’s Viewer component, your secondary PC should show an icon like the one that appears in Figure 2 in your taskbar notification area.
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Figure 2 The MaxiVista icon in the taskbar notification area of the secondary PC.
If you are running Windows Firewall, then you will be asked if you want to keep blocking MaxiVista. MaxiVista needs to talk across your network to facilitate communication between your primary and secondary PCs. Accordingly, go ahead and choose the Unblock option as shown in Figure 3.
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Figure 3 Choosing to unblock MaxiVista in Windows Firewall.
Your primary PC should automatically detect your secondary PC. When it does, you should see the dual-monitor icon in the task bar notification area of your primary PC turn green as shown in Figure 4.
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Figure 4 The MaxiVista icon in the taskbar notification area of the primary PC indicating a successful connection with the secondary PC.
On your primary PC, from your Start menu go to Start, Settings, Control Panel and double-click the Display icon. From the subsequent Display Properties window, where you used to see the control for one monitor, you should now see two. From this screen, you can enable/disable, resize, and reorient your displays and define how they will make up your desktop. Make sure the Extend My Windows Desktop onto this Monitor option is selected for the display associated with MaxiVista as shown in Figure 5, and click OK.
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Figure 5 Using Display Properties to define how your secondary display (made possible via MaxiVista) will allow you to extend your Windows desktop.
By doing this, your cursor will now be able to move beyond the confines of your primary display. You can navigate to your second display as if it were all one surface across your network. With the setup you have defined, you can now move programs, icons, and taskbars onto your secondary display and start taking advantage of the increased desktop real estate you just established by utilizing your other PC displays cross network. You can see the effect of doing this in Figure 6. Notice how one of my application windows spans two laptop PCs!
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Figure 6 Seeing MaxiVista in action. Notice how an application window is spanned across two wirelessly networked (i.e., not physically connected) PCs.