A personal computer may be adapted to run different applications on two or more different displays by providing a second and further sets of input devices including a keyboard and a mouse. Within the operating system the user and Gdi dynamic links are surrounded by custom dynamic links which filter out SetFocus messages where data is received for applications running on a different screen from the last data received. A custom shell launches applications and also identifies the display from which the application was launched and creates a handle for that application including an identification of that display. In a second embodiment an application wrapper is launched within a second display and the application shell is then launched from that wrapper. When the application shell is launched, the wrapper can gain control of the application edit controls allowing input data and commands to be redirected from the second input device to the second application.