Blank, dim, and mirror your screens in a multi-monitor setup
Multiscreen Blank requires a Windows PC running Windows 7 or greater, as well as the .NET Framework 4.5.
No. A lot of Multiscreen Blank's functionality is very specific to how Windows works so making Mac and Linux versions would essentially require a complete rewrite.
Multiscreen Blank was historically released as a standalone application – download the .exe, put it somewhere, and use it that way. The .zip file includes a configuration file pointing to your user directory so settings can stay with each computer, or you can delete that file to save configuration in the same directory as the main .exe file. To update, you will need to manually download the .zip and copy the necessary files where they belong.
The full installer makes it much easier to install, update, and uninstall Multiscreen Blank – just double-click the downloaded file and let it guide you through everything needed. You can use it to install for all users (with administrative privileges) or for the current user only.
Here is a comparison of each installation type.
| Full (All Users) | Full (Single User) | Standalone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portable install to removable media | No | No | Yes |
| System PATH integration – launch command line from anywhere | Yes | Yes (user) | No |
| Optimized launch performance | Yes | No | No |
| Automatic/in-place updates | Yes (UAC prompt) | Yes | No |
Starting in version 2.6.0, you can go into the About page of Settings and click Uninstall, or use the command line
multiscreenblank2 /uninstall.
For prior versions (or if you deleted the program already), see these instructions to manually remove the desktop context menu and auto-start entries.
Ideally you should remove the previous standalone version first, but you don't have to. The auto-run and desktop context menu entries will be updated; if
By default, the standalone version saved its configuration to your user profile folder so your settings should automatically apply to the newly-installed version.
If you saved the configuration file elsewhere, you will need to manually copy the old one to %appdata%\Nookkin\MultiscreenBlank if you want to preserve
your settings.
By default, Multiscreen Blank will check for updates but won't automatically download or install them. You can configure it to automatically download updates and prompt to install at startup, or download and install automatically with no user intervention (aside from a UAC elevation prompt if necessary).
Full installations will update in place with just a few clicks. For standalone installations, you will need to download the .zip file and manually copy the program files, but you will still be notified when updates are available.
You may distribute the Multiscreen Blank installer within your circle of friends, family, and coworkers. Likewise, you are encouraged to link to either the Multiscreen Blank website or official Facebook page to spread the word!
You may not host the Multiscreen Blank installer on a publicly-accessible website or include it on software anthologies without my explicit permission. It goes without saying that you may not make money from distributing Multiscreen Blank.
Multiscreen Blank is not signed because code-signing certificates cost significant amounts of money (at least $100 per year), and since I make no money from Multiscreen Blank, there is currently no incentive for me to pay. I will sign the installer and all related executables once I get a code-signing certificate for a paid application or when Multiscreen Blank gains enough popularity to justify the investment. For now, you will need to allow the unsigned program to run; scan it with your anti-virus tool if you don't trust it.
Footnotes:
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