How the hell do you extend the desktop across two monitors in win2k

[The PIT]

I've got it working under 98 with my Radeon 8500 but no go under win2k.
I've got Samsung LCD on as the primery and IIyama as the secondary. But I can't see the option to extend the desktop anywhere. The documentation which came with the radeon is crap.
According to win2k I should have the option under the display settings but there isn't such an option.

[Fogel]

What Radeon 8500 do you have?
Not all of them got two RAMDACs, so you can only get it work with analog monitor on primary (VGA) and digital monitor on secondary (DVI).

The Hercules cards only got one RAMDAC and only supports these modes: VGA + TV or VGA + DVI or DVI + TV

[The PIT]

Just a standard 64mb radeon 8500 275/275. Doesn't make any differance which way round I have them. Theres no option to extend the desktop.

[K6-III]

Hook the monitor up after you boot into Windows...

[The PIT]

Done that as well. Looks like a problem with the drivers. Shock horror. The buttons to extend the desktop are not present. Same resoltion both monitors set as active but no buttons. I see some others are in the same trap.
The resoltion is the same the only differance being the refresh rate and again making them the same makes no differance.

[Novdid]

I can't get it to work with my 7500 either. Works in XP though.

Radeon limitation I guess.

[The PIT]

Crappy driver support eh?
The worse thing is that the radeon seems to remember which one is the primary and then uses the wrong settings. So when you next boot you get a nice out of video range on your lcd monitor.
Also under the desktop it also tends too use the drivers so I keep finding that my 22 inch monitor has max refresh rate of 70hz or 75hz.

[Marshmallowman]

Try the latest powered by ATI drivers.

If you have no luck with that, download the built by ATI drivers and goto the forums at rage3d.com, they have a "sticky" thread on how to install the "built by ati" driver's on a powered by ATI card, you might need to clean out your old drivers first.

Usually just running the drivers and then canceling out when it can't find the right the right vidoe card ID, then manually saying update driver in win 2k desktop properties then install from the unpacked "built by ATI" driver, then you should be cooking.

It worked for my "auriga"/HIS retail radeon 8500.
But it was a little glictchy changeing modes sometime, so I have flashed to a retail "built by ATI" bios and now all ATI drivers install without a problem for me (includeing linux firegl8800)

another alternative is the plutonium or omgea drivers(see rage3d.com)

[The PIT]

I am using the lastest drivers. I'm going to try the lastest betas just for kicks and see what happens.

[Marshmallowman]

an ATI 8500, or some other brand 8500?

only the official "built by ATI " driver have all the featue's, and sometime they will not install properly useing other 8500's

note : you have to use the same res on both moniters for extended desktop with win2k and 8500's

[The PIT]

Yep an Ati by Ati no one else.
Same Res as well.

[Marshmallowman]

did you install the control panel download?

the catalyst drivers and the control panel are two separate downloads, all the tweaks and goodies don't appear until you install the control panel program

[The PIT]

Yes. I tried the betas and guess what the options to extend your desktop suddenly appear.