Q I have a desktop PC running Windows 7, another running Windows XP, as well as a Vista laptop.

Each desktop PC has its own mouse and keyboard, which unnecessarily take up space on my desk and get confusing as I sometimes lose track of which PC I am controlling. Is there a way I can use a single mouse and keyboard to control all the PCs?

Simon Marigold

A There are two ways to control your PCs using a single mouse and keyboard. The first is to use a KVM switch, which is a small box that you connect a mouse, keyboard and monitor to, then you plug cables into each PC you wish to control.

A button on the KVM switch lets you swap which PC is being controlled. An example of a KVM switch can be found at Ebuyer. If you use a high-resolution monitor, you may find some KVM switches degrade the picture quality, so check the specifications of each before buying one.

KVM switches vary in price, depending on how many PCs they can control and what type of connectors they have. KVM switches with older PS/2 connectors are usually cheaper than those with USB connectors. Most KVM switches only have analogue VGA monitor connectors, rather than DVI ones. KVM switches with built-in DVI connectors normally cost much more.

Another way to control multiple PCs with a single set of peripherals is with software that allows you to switch control between computers by moving the mouse from the edge of one desktop seamlessly onto the next. The PCs need to be connected to the same network, whether wired or wireless.

We recommend some free software called Input Director, which can be downloaded from the Input Director website. Click the download link at the top, then click the link to download Input Director V.1.2.2 in a zip file. Open the zip file by double-clicking on it, then run the installation program found inside.

Input Director has to be installed on each PC, with one designated as master, into which you plug the mouse and keyboard, then the rest are configured as slaves. After installation, run the program and you will see the main window. On your master PC, click the Main Configuration tab and choose Enable as Master.

Input Director lists the Hostname of your PC, which is the computer’s unique name on your network. On the other PCs, open the Input Director window then click the Slave Configuration tab. Click Add, enter the Hostname of the master PC, then click OK.

Finally, on the master PC, open the Master Configuration tab. Click and hold the left mouse button over the icons and drag them around to rearrange the PCs so they match the position they are in on your desk. You can test whether Input Director is working by moving the mouse off the screen, and it should appear on the next monitor. The keyboard automatically controls whichever computer the mouse pointer is on.

When you move the mouse between PCs, a ripple effect will highlight its position on the screen. A clever aspect of Input Director is how it lets you copy text from a document on one PC, then paste it into another document on your other PC.

You can also set up keys to immediately gain control of a certain PC, encrypt the commands sent between PCs for added security and you can add as many computers as you like, including your laptop.

If you share a single display between multiple PCs, we recommend using a KVM switch to swap between them. However, if each computer has its own display, Input Director is a better way to control them all with a single mouse and keyboard. Unfortunately, Input Director does not support Apple Macintosh or Linux computers.

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