I have my main desktop with one 24" VGA monitor and one 24" HDMI monitor permanently attached. I have another desktop used for other jobs with a 15" VGA monitor permanently attached. What I want to be able to do is use the two VGA monitors on either desktop (I do not have room just to replace the 15" VGA with a 24" VGA). I do not want to physically swap cables as they are difficult to reach without moving a lot of stuff. This would mean that my main desktop is sometimes using the 24" HDMI and the 24" VGA, and sometimes it is using the 24" HDMI and the 15" VGA, when the second desktop is using the 24" VGA. The 24" HDMI would never be used on the second desktop as it does not support HDMI. Normally the second desktop would be using the 15" VGA, but as the 24" VGA is in front of me it would be easier to use for complicated jobs on the second PC. When the main desktop is not doing much the 15" monitor in the corner would be good enough as a second monitor. I have Googled this and cannot find an answer. All solutions seem to be sharing one monitor between two PCS. Is there a reasonably priced physical solution to this question?. Just pressing a switch would be so much easier. Thanks for any advice. I am using Windows 8.1 on both desktops so I have posted in this forum category.
As I see that, it could be possible with manual switches only. To do that, you will need at least 2 or even 3 of such switches. Autoswitches will not work. Also, it's a question of the type of connection used: VGA and DMI May you'll need to convert the connectors of those monitors used for switching to VGA only or vice versa. Whole thing is a bit tricky!!
Most monitors have more than 1 input. Can't you connect both pc's to your monitor & just select the source from the monitor? You could buy a cheap video card with hdmi/dvi for your 2nd desktop. Vga is analog which sucks...
Mate, seems you are confused or very confusing in how you worded your statement. Your Title of the thread: Switching 2 VGA monitors between 2 PCS Your HW Suggests you have 3 monitors: 24" HDMI, 24" VGA (only?) 15" VGA. I recommended that switch to use VGA output from PC1, and VGA output from PC2 to feed into the 24" monitor. Ditch the 15" completely and use the switch to change one of your monitors from PC1 to PC2 as needed. If you can be explicit in what you wish your input/output to be then maybe this would help determine the choice. I think I know what you wish to have in action, but maybe you need a switch with 2 VGA inputs and 2 VGA outputs? So you have PC1 in, PC2 out and can output to 24" or 15" depending on choices made?
Sorry if I have confused you There are 2 desktops each with only one VGA port each. I like VGA and want to stick with it. The 15" monitor is 4:3 ratio and I find the resolution perfectly good enough. For some things 4:3 is miles better than 16:9. I am also lucky in owning a 16:10 HDMI monitor which is not part of this setup. 16:10 is miles better to use than 16:9 for spreadsheets, word processing and photo editing. I did not realise this until I bought the 16:9 monitor and compared it to the 16:10 monitor, both DELL. There are two monitors both VGA - I think pisthai is correct - it is not easy and probably there is no way of doing it without connecting up multiple switches, and doing everything manually. I was just hoping that one of the geniuses on this forum would know of a 4 way switch which could do the job. I am not against a manual choice of setup, but wanted to avoid multiple switches and loads of cables. I do not have unlimited space. I think I am going to have to give up on this idea.
f33nix - YOU ARE A GENIUS - I could not find this by Googling, but I think this is what I need. Will give it a bit of thought and probably go ahead. Now I know what it is called I can do a bit more research. Thanks very much
I do recall selling KVM switches many moons ago, but I only knew them as 2PC to one monitor/keyboard & mouse back in the VGA - PS/2 days... I also did not realise that they still sold items, and that they had maybe just what you are looking for. At least you know a name you can google up some information about this. Best of luck and if you do get it and it does work, then come back to update your thread so others can benefit.
I think I will chicken out on this switch and use a simpler solution. I do have another desktop (no 3) connected to a 19" monitor. I very rarely use this machine, so can do a simple share of it's 19" monitor between the rarely used (no 3) desktop and my other regularly used desktop. This can be with a simple VGA switch of one monitor to two different computers. The reason for all these desktops is that I always want one as a spare just in case, and in the UK desktops from Ebuyer are so cheap, that I bought one with an Intel 3. I dare not buy another to use Intel 5 or 7 as my house is not big enough for a fourth desktop. The main computer used all the time can carry on unchanged with it's two Dell 24" monitors. In the unlikely event of wanting to use the two older computers simultaneously I would have to manually disconnect a cable from the switch and reconnect the 15" monitor. I had no idea that this was such an unusual request and thought that there would be hundreds of 2 by 2 VGA switches available. Thanks to everyone who put me right. That is the great benefit of belonging to this forum as I do not have the fantastic knowledge of many of the posters.
Update - A bit of lateral thinking to enable the old VGA monitor to be used. I had never heard of a USB to VGA adapter. This enables a second VGA screen (only 800 by 600 for USB 2) to be used. The display can be extended across both screens on Windows 7 and 8. One more tip - computer bits are far cheaper from China using Ebay China. Amazingly postage to the UK is free, even on small orders. You can end up buying a cable for less than one pound sterling including postage from China - seems crazy to me. Paying with PAYPAL I have never had a problem, but the delivery address must be the same as your PAYPAL address. This adapter is costing less than six pounds sterling postage free. The cheapest buying from the UK is around ten pounds. Delivery time can be amazingly quick on some orders,up to about 3 weeks. The quality of all the bits bought from China has been very good, and goods come well packed. There is no Customs Duty payable in the UK as goods are of low value. I probably would not buy anything expensive in this way as any savings could be offset by warranty problems etc. and would attract import duty and VAT.