I wondered how easy this was and where you started. I have a laptop that it would be cool to run my GPS etc on while flying.Thx, Mark

Right click on each panel, select 'Undock', then drag it to the other monitor and re-size it.

You first plug the monitor into the laptop, external monitor port. Then on your laptop you need to use the monitor select key to cycle throuh the options, something like, laptop, external, both Then youneed to make sure that desktop is diplayed on both monitors, not joined but seperate ( cant think of the option right now), using the vieo driver control pane. then when you run fsx, make sure in the monitor options the correct resolutions are set, Then run FSX in windowed mode, open the gps, right click on it, undock it and drag it to he other monitor. It may cause a FPS hit.

Go to maxivista.com.I used to use it with FS9. Main screen on a desktop and GPS, Radios, ETC. on a laptop. All you need is maxivista and a router or other networking hookup to connect the computers to. I used a router that I was already using to connect the computers to the internet. Worked fine with FS9. Also at the time I was using windows XP on both. I have a new vista64 computer now and I don't have the laptop any more so I don't use Maxivista any more. Even though I liked it I can't see buying another laptop right now just for that.maxsdad

Go to maxivista.com.I used to use it with FS9. Main screen on a desktop and GPS, Radios, ETC. on a laptop. All you need is maxivista and a router or other networking hookup to connect the computers to. I used a router that I was already using to connect the computers to the internet. Worked fine with FS9. Also at the time I was using windows XP on both. I have a new vista64 computer now and I don't have the laptop any more so I don't use Maxivista any more. Even though I liked it I can't see buying another laptop right now just for that.maxsdad

The above, I understand, is the only solution to the original question. Pls note the poster asked how to use his notebook for instruments, meaning he has the main station running FSX already and wants some of the insturment panels move to the notebook.RichardS, how big was the FPS hit using Maxivista and moving the panels around? Did you ever check it? Did you run your maxivista client in the same resolution, AA, AF etc.? Really interesting.Thanks, Dirk.

Hi Guys, thx for the replies, i have installed the demo of maxivista, ( which seemed the perfect solution at first) but (typically, these things are never straightforward,) it does not work with my kind of video driver. I need an XPDM driver apparently. Not sure if the normal NVidia drivers accomodate this. I have seen various set ups described with people outputting all their instruments to secondary monitors, do you need to use simconnect ? thx, Mark

Dirk:To be honest I didn't really worry about those things. I just ran the software and it worked. I was in the windowed mode and was able to move the GPS, a Clock, Radio Panel and anything else I wanted over to the Laptop. I would fill the 14 inch screen on the Laptop with stuff. I didn't have too much of a FPS hit and that was with an old P4 2.2 with only 2G ram and an nVidia 7600 GT w/256M of RAM. I was running FS9 at 18FPS locked and my home base was Republic, LI, NY so I was happy with that. I could fly around NYC with no trouble. I found that FSX didn't run very well on that computer and especially in windowed mode, so I couldn't run Maxivista with it. That's why I got a new computer. But now I don't have the Laptop anymore so I haven't installed Maxivista on the new computer.I really liked Maxivista and used it all the time back then so I would recommend it to anyone to at least try it for themselves. RichardS

The above, I understand, is the only solution to the original question. Pls note the poster asked how to use his notebook for instruments, meaning he has the main station running FSX already and wants some of the insturment panels move to the notebook.RichardS, how big was the FPS hit using Maxivista and moving the panels around? Did you ever check it? Did you run your maxivista client in the same resolution, AA, AF etc.? Really interesting.Thanks, Dirk.

I really liked Maxivista and used it all the time back then so I would recommend it to anyone to at least try it for themselves. RichardS

Thanks for the report, RichardS.Dirk.

Hi Guys, so, If MaxiVista is out for the time being because of the driver issue, is there another easy way? Is it really just as simple as rightclicking, selecting un dock and dragging it towards the other monitor. Surely not!!!

Is it really just as simple as rightclicking, selecting un dock and dragging it towards the other monitor. Surely not!!!

That's what I've done in the past. Some gauge can't be undocked (usually if they are part of the panel ie 3D gauges) but most that popup as 2D can be placed on a 2nd or 3rd monitor

That's what I've done in the past. Some gauge can't be undocked (usually if they are part of the panel ie 3D gauges) but most that popup as 2D can be placed on a 2nd or 3rd monitor

Does the second monitor have to be hooked up to the second outlet on the video card? Any easy to follow instructions for this? cheers, Mark

It's really easy, I've been doing it for years.- Main monitor plugged into video card output on your grpahics card (obviously).- Plug in 2nd monitor to second video output on your graphics card (any decent card has 2 x outputs these days).- Boot up your PC, go to CONTROL PANEL, then DISPLAY and set up the resolution and positioning of the 2nd monitor.- In FSX, go into DISPLAY settings and set up resolution, etc for both monitors.- Launch a flight.- Go into Window mode temporarily by hitting ALT+ENTER... (you can't do the next part in full screen mode).- Right click on your 2D panel or pop up gauges.- Select "Undock window".- Drag panel/gauge to 2nd monitor.- Hit ALT+ENTER to go back into Full Screen mode.- You are now back in Full Screen mode and have your panel/gauge(s) on a seperate monitor to your main FSX view.....just try it.

Thanks David, that sounds pretty easy. One final quick question, i was planning on using my spare laptop for this, can I just plug it into the video card? Both my laptops appear to have an oulet that looks like a female small monitor connect point. Do you need to set anything up on the laptop so it outputs whatever is coming from the cable, instead of from the graphics card in the laptop? cheers, Mark

Hey David, just been out and got myself a new second monitor, as it does not work using a laptop, (except for maxivista, if you get over the driver issue)But anyway, I got it figured out, and its working really good!! thx for the help, rgds, Mark

Now that you have it working you might want to search for a small free program called 'Panel Store', it used to be in the library I think.Once you have it installed, and have your panels where you want them and sized, you just hit the Panel STORE icon and the next time you fly that plane, just undock the panels, hit Panel RESTORE and presto ! they are all automatically resized and moved to where you last used them, a great time saver!