How can I use dual monitors with one monitor running a full screen game?

[West]

Is there a way to run a full screen application such as a game on one monitor and be able to utilize all my other applications such as my web browser on the other monitor simultaneously?

My goal is to be able to browse the internet on one monitor and run a full screen game on the other monitor without interrupting the game

The only way I'm aware this can be done is through alt tabbing away and that pauses the game or even pulls it out of full screen mode entirely which then has to be reactivated.

I realize that the active window (which in my case is a full screen game) will always be utilizing the keyboard and mouse while running, so there wouldn't be any cursor with which to use on my second monitor.

Now with my specific configuration, any game running on the other monitor (which is a television) will be using an Xbox 360 controller only. With that in mind, does anyone know of a way to assign the controller to the full screen game (monitor 1) while the keyboard and mouse are assigned to the the other display (monitor 2)? I've tried a number of things to make this work but switching to any other application instantly pauses, minimizes, or pulls out of full screen mode the game. My computer is running Windows 8.

Thanks for any advice.

[Roobeer]

I'm pretty sure it is possible but you would have to just stretch the window to fit that screen. Also Alt-Tab is my best reccomendation.

[_I_]

focus will be lost when you alt+tab away from your game and it will be minimized or not have control of the keyboard/mouse/joystick until you alt+tab back or pick it on the taskbar

it might be able using linux and vm for windows, with the keyboard/mosue assigned to 1 config, and the joystick assigned to the other

[Roobeer]

I say alt tab because unless you have two seperate OS's your not going to be able to click on different widows without changing proscesses, which would end up pausing the game anyway.

But the joystick will be acting as a mouse. They will just override eachother.

You will end up needing 2 OS's

[Τhe Rolling Cheese Wheel]

Google miniframe or softxpand (because apparently directly linking it is considered advertising) .. I use that in my flat so my roommates can play games while I surf the net.

What it does

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6IarpedJ60

Real world example here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK_QbyVigDY

Obviously you're not going to run two games at one time so don't worry about the performance complaint.

If you can already run say portal 2 while listening to songs on youtube in the background, you can expect good results from softxpand. If you can't run youtube while playing video games such as portal 2, your computer is probably too weak to handle this solution.

[West]

Some games run fine in windowed full screen mode but I'm looking for a solution that works with all games.

Originally posted by The Rolling Cheese:

Google miniframe or softxpand (because apparently directly linking it is considered advertising) .. I use that in my flat so my roommates can play games while I surf the net.

What it does

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6IarpedJ60

Real world example here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK_QbyVigDY

Obviously you're not going to run two games at one time so don't worry about the performance complaint.

If you can already run say portal 2 while listening to songs on youtube in the background, you can expect good results from softxpand. If you can't run youtube while playing video games such as portal 2, your computer is probably too weak to handle this solution.

Interesting idea… this might just work. I'll look further into this suggestion. Thanks