Setting color profiles in a multi-monitor, single video card, XP environment can be difficult, if not impossible. In some cases, the video card will only allow you to use a single color profile for all monitors attached. If your setup falls in this category, here's an application that will help you out:
- Download/install the Microsoft Color Control Panel Applet
- Create color profiles for each monitor using your favorite calibration tool (Eye One, Spyder, etc)
- Run Microsoft's Color Control Panel Applet, go to the Devices tab and assign the appropriate color profile to each monitor
- Apply and exit
- Create a shortcut to the Color Control Panel in the Startup folder so the app will start up automatically
- In the shortcut properties, go to the Target field and add "/L" (without quotes) to the end of the command that starts WinColor.exe. The "/L" tells the app to load the video LUTs (look up tables) with the default display profiles. I installed it in the default location so my command line looks like this:
"C:\Program Files\Pro Imaging Powertoys\Microsoft Color Control Panel Applet for Windows XP\WinColor.exe" /L
- In your startup folder, remove any other color profile managers that are set to startup automatically (Adobe Gamma, Colorvision, etc)
That's it! Now everytime you restart your computer the correct color profile should load for each monitor.
