Switching Monitors For Civ 5: A Guide

If you're looking to play 'Sid Meier's Civilization V' across two monitors, you may encounter some issues. Some users have reported that the game defaults to their laptop display, and they are unable to drag it over to their second monitor. Others have reported that their mouse cursor escapes the game window when playing in full-screen mode, making it impossible to move the camera without using hotkeys. A few options to resolve these issues include playing in windowed mode, setting the taskbar to auto-hide, and running the game in windowed mode at a slightly lower resolution.

Fullscreen mode to use the second monitor

To play Civilization V in fullscreen mode on your primary monitor while using the second monitor for other applications, you can follow these steps:

Firstly, ensure that your primary monitor is set up as the main display in your operating system's display settings. In Windows, you can do this by going to "System Preferences -> Displays" and then dragging the white bar in the layout diagram over to the box representing your primary monitor. This will ensure that your game defaults to the correct screen.

Next, launch Civilization V and put it into fullscreen mode. Now, you should be able to move your mouse cursor to the second monitor and use it as you would normally, without any issues.

Some users have reported problems with this method, such as their second monitor turning black when playing Civ V. If you encounter this or similar issues, you may need to try alternative methods, such as playing in windowed mode and dragging the game window to your preferred screen, or using third-party software to create a virtual large screen that spans both displays.

Remember to check your graphics card settings and ensure that they are configured correctly for dual-monitor setups.

Windowed mode to use the second monitor

If you want to play Civ 5 in windowed mode and use your second monitor for other tasks, you may encounter some issues. Some users have reported that their second monitor goes black when they launch the game, or that they are unable to drag the game window onto their second monitor.

If you are unable to drag the game window onto your second monitor, try the following workaround: close the lid of your laptop and wake the machine up using an external keyboard or mouse. Now start the game—it should launch on your external monitor. Open your laptop, and the game should still be on your secondary monitor.

If your second monitor goes black when you launch Civ 5, try the following:

• Go to System Preferences -> Displays, and then in Layout, drag the white bar in the diagram over to the box representing the external display.
• Change to Windows 7 Basic in Control Panel -> Personalization.
• Disable Desktop Composition in Control Panel -> System -> Advanced System Settings -> Settings (Performance).
• Press Escape to skip the boot-up video. While the game is in the pre-load screen, alt-tab out to the movie window on your second screen, and then quickly click back on the pre-load screen.
• Change VLC to OpenGL and Civ 5 to windowed mode.
• Deselect "Full Screen" in the options and press accept. Move the window to your second screen, then select "Full Screen" again.

If you are playing in windowed mode and want to use your second monitor, you may find that when you click on another window, part of the game window goes behind Windows 7's start menu/taskbar. To fix this, press Ctrl-Shift-Esc to bring up the task manager, go to the Applications Tab, right-click on Civilization 5, and select "Bring to Front". When you click back on the game, it should be over the taskbar. Alternatively, set the taskbar to auto-hide, or run the game in windowed mode at a slightly lower resolution.

Using a MacBook Pro with an external monitor

If you are using a MacBook Pro with an external monitor to play Civ 5, you may encounter a problem where the game defaults to the laptop display, and you are unable to drag it over to the external monitor.

To resolve this issue, try the following methods:

Method 1:

• Close the lid of your laptop.
• Use an external keyboard or mouse to wake up the machine.
• Start the game—it should launch on the external monitor.
• Open the laptop lid—the laptop display will light up, but the game should still be on the external monitor.

Method 2:

• Go to System Preferences -> Displays.
• In the Layout section, drag the white bar in the diagram over to the box representing the external display.
• Set up your external monitor as the primary display.
• Launch the game on the external monitor.

Method 3:

Try using windowed mode.

Method 4:

• Connect your second monitor.
• Open the System Preferences pane, then click on Display, then the Arrangement tab.
• You should see your two screens. One of them will have a white bar on the top (this is your OSX menu bar).
• Click and drag the white bar from your laptop screen to the external monitor screen. It will highlight in red.
• Drop it in, and your second screen will now be your primary screen.
• Launch the game on that screen.

Using a dual monitor setup

To set up a dual monitor for playing Civ 5, you can try the following methods:

• Set up your desktop resolution to a single, virtual large screen that spans both displays. Launch the game and select the same resolution as your desktop, spreading the game across both screens.
• Change the game settings from full-screen to windowed mode, then stretch the window across both screens.
• If you are using a Windows PC, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to bring up the Task Manager, go to the Applications tab, right-click on Civilization 5, and select "Bring to Front".
• If you are using an Apple Mac, go to System Preferences -> Displays, and then in Layout, drag the white bar in the diagram over to the box representing the external display.

Please note that some players have reported issues with using dual monitors for Civ 5, such as a black screen on the second monitor or parts of the game window going behind the Windows taskbar.

Mouse cursor won't stay in the game

If your mouse cursor won't stay in the game when playing Civilization V, there are several fixes you can try. Firstly, check your window settings and try playing in fullscreen or borderless mode. If you have a dual monitor setup, try dragging the game window to your preferred monitor. If that doesn't work, try closing the lid of your laptop and waking the machine up with an external keyboard or mouse. Then start the game, and it should start on the external monitor.

Another fix is to go to your system preferences and designate your preferred monitor as the primary display. On Windows, go to System Preferences -> Displays, and then in Layout, drag the white bar in the diagram over to the box representing the preferred display. On a Mac, go to System Preferences -> Displays and then drag the menu bar to the external display.

If you are playing on a Windows computer, try disabling pointer trails. Go to Mouse Options -> More Mouse Options -> Cursor Properties, and untick "Hide Cursor while keyboard inputs".

If you are using a MacBook, try the following workaround: keep your laptop open and start Civilization V. Then, close the lid of your laptop and wake the machine up with an external keyboard or mouse. The game should now be running on your external monitor.

Frequently asked questions