Multiple Monitors/Harddrives/Desktops

[Puddings]

Hallo.
I recently hooked up a 2nd monitor to my comp, and I can split my screen across them fine and my computer recognizes it and it works fine for that. I've been looking into a few programs that allow you to have multiple desktops on your computer and switch between them as you like, but I haven't been able to find a way to put a separate one on each monitor. Was wondering if someone could point me in the direction of one that does. On another note, I also have a spare Hard drive that I was wondering if I'd be able to put into the same comp and run on the 2nd monitor. I know the HD works and would fit, I'm just wondering if it's possible to run them simultaneously on one computer.
Dell Dimension E521 is the model.
256MB ATI X1300 Pro
2 GB of Ram
If this computer wouldn't be able to handle 2 harddrives, or if it's not possible to run 2 desktops off 1 comp at the same time, I appreciate any and all help. Thanks =P

[soybean]

I can split my screen across them fine ...

I'm not sure what you mean.  Suppose you have a spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel) open.  Are you saying the spreadsheet window can span both monitors? 

I've been looking into a few programs that allow you to have multiple desktops on your computer and switch between them as you like ...

By "multiple desktops", do you mean simply having a different background on each display?  Or, do you mean have Word open on one monitor and Excel on the other?  Or, what?

On another note, I also have a spare Hard drive that I was wondering if I'd be able to put into the same comp and run on the 2nd monitor. I know the HD works and would fit, I'm just wondering if it's possible to run them simultaneously on one computer.

No, you can't just plop that second HD into your computer and run the OS on it right along with your current OS.  The only way multiple OS can be run simultaneously is by installing the second OS as a "virtual machine", and I doubt this is what you had in mind.  This would require installing a virtual machine software such as VMware Player or virtualbox, and then installing the second OS as a virtual machine.  In other words, the second OS is installed inside the virtual machine software.

[Puddings]

Um.. when you have 2 monitors hooked up to one comp, you can spread the display across both of them.. was what i was talking about splitting it..
And.. the multiple desktops thing, I was talking about a program the one on http://vdm.codeplex.com/Wikipage. It lets you switch between separate copies of your desktop each with their own set of programs running.
Basically what I'm trying to do, is have like a game running on one monitor while I watch a movie on the other one, or something to that effect.
Thanks for your response though, and any additional help.

[soybean]

And.. the multiple desktops thing, I was talking about a program the one on http://vdm.codeplex.com/Wikipage. It lets you switch between separate copies of your desktop each with their own set of programs running.
Basically what I'm trying to do, is have like a game running on one monitor while I watch a movie on the other one, or something to that effect.
Thanks for your response though, and any additional help.

Sure, that's what most people want to do with dual monitors. When you first connected the second monitor, did you open Display Properties and tell Windows to "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor"?  No need to acquire a special program to do this; Windows will do it.

[Puddings]

Sure, that's what most people want to do with dual monitors. When you first connected the second monitor, did you open Display Properties and tell Windows to "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor"?  No need to acquire a special program to do this; Windows will do it.

Yeah I did. I tried that stuff out, it just seemed kind of annoying moving programs back and forth, + on the 2nd monitor everything seems a little distorted, like I can barely read any of the text cause it seems all cramped up. The main monitor is about 4"~ bigger, so I guess that might have something to do with it, I was just trying to see if there was a way to make them more individual or seperate in some way.. If that makes sense.
Thanks again.

[soybean]

I have Vista on my laptop but I'm on Win XP now.  But, the procedure is similar.  Open Display Properties and select the tab that shows the graphical representation of your monitors.  You should be able to set a different resolution for each monitor there.  You may have a resolution setting that's causing some distortion in images, etc, and you just need to change it.

On the Win XP machine I'm using right now, I have one monitor set at 1024 x 768 and one set at 1280 x 1024.

[BC_Programmer]

you cannot have a full screen application on one desktop (game) on one screen while the other screen is still showing the desktop, nor can you have two full screen applications open on separate monitors. The multiple-monitor virtualization provided by the desktop itself dissapears once applications are accessing the hardware through directX or OpenGL full-screen.

[soybean]

you cannot have a full screen application on one desktop (game) on one screen while the other screen is still showing the desktop, nor can you have two full screen applications open on separate monitors. The multiple-monitor virtualization provided by the desktop itself dissapears once applications are accessing the hardware through directX or OpenGL full-screen.

BC, can you re-state that in terms of common user situations?  Your comments seem to contradict how dual monitors are commonly used.  For example, I have Outlook Express open in a maximized window on one monitor and Firefox open in maximized window on another monitor.  Perhaps I'm misinterpreting what you mean by "full screen applications". 

[BC_Programmer]

Perhaps I'm misinterpreting what you mean by "full screen applications". 

Yes. you are. Neither outlook express nor Firefox take explicit control of the display. Full screen-games (which pretty much means "most games" take complete control via DX or OpenGL. Sure, you could have some windowed game open like minsweeper or what have you, but you cannot run, say, quake 4, or crysis, or call of duty 17 or whatever one they are on now on one monitor and watch a movie on another.

you'd probably be able to watch a movie on one and, say, browse the net on another though.

[soybean]

Yes. you are. Neither outlook express nor Firefox take explicit control of the display. Full screen-games (which pretty much means "most games" take complete control via DX or OpenGL.

OK, I follow you on that.

you'd probably be able to watch a movie on one and, say, browse the net on another though.

Yes, I can do that.