dual monitor help....

keizza · Jan 2011

hello pcount. i gotta problem:

when my computer boots up....both monitors work. as soon as the boot up process ends, one monitor goes into sleep mode. i'm running xp. any ideas?

keizza · Jan 2011

thanks for the response luke. i've tried that many times....nothing happens.

renderhjs · Jan 2011

update GPU drivers?
update Bios?
wrong resolution or refresh rate set?

keizza · Jan 2011

tried it. weird thing is....this has happened on and off for about a month. i either wake up or come home from work...and my computer has rebooted. then...sometimes they both work sometimes they don't. this leads me to believe that someone here modeled some gremlins and let them loose to my connection.

renderhjs · Jan 2011

Anyway this seems more like a guess game, how about you write down some hard data and put some more effort in your writing.

Like I said my first guess would be to update drivers because thats usually the first spot to look for, as there might be some driver conflicts or alike. Another thing you can try is too boot into safe mode (press F8 after a few seconds once booting), from the safe VGA mode you can then set booth monitors to a safe low resolution with low frequencies. After that restart and see if the changes kick in and if booth work at least. From there on you can increase the resolution and see where you can go.

keizza · Jan 2011

ya i hear you renderhjs. i don't put a lot of effort in my "tech" posts about computer stuff because i am literally ignorant when it comes to computer talk. i just know how to use programs. haha. but i've set my monitors up before and i know how to get around to try all the "properties" stuff. but i'm admittedly computer dumb. i'll try your advice. THANKS SO MUCH.

renderhjs · Jan 2011

No I meant your writing and the value of your post, just put some more effort in your writing and you might get some useful answers.

Mark Dygert · Jan 2011

I remember having wonky problems in XP with duel monitors, it was a pain in the ass with some video cards and cable configurations. For a while I had a CRT, LCD combo going and XP had a hell of a time figuring it all out on its own.

Once you get it working its fine until you have to reconfigure them. I remember having to check on a box that says "extend my desktop to this monitor" or some such nonsense.

Are you able to set the sleepy monitor to be the primary in display properties (right click your desktop, display properties) and it stays on while the other one goes dark?

It could also be the extra software that video card drivers like to install and set to boot up when your machine does. I normally disable that from starting up in msconfig.

I also use a little app called UltraMon, that extends your taskbar to the second monitor and organizes the bar with only the windows on that monitor. It has some other handy features like wallpaper management and display settings.

keizza · Jan 2011

thanks mark. if i set my second(sleepy) monitor as primary...it still stays in sleepy mode. it's just weird that while the windows boot up sequence is going...they both work. then one goes to sleep. and it's weird that it happens every now and then. maybe my one monitor is just dying on me.

ZacD · Jan 2011

if you just have the sleepy monitor plugged in and not the other one, does it stay asleep?

Mark Dygert · Jan 2011

keizza wrote: »

maybe my one monitor is just dying on me.

yep, it could of blown some of the caps and it overloads the remaining caps as soon as it gets a signal that requires more of a load.

Does it get really hot if you leave it on for a while? If you turn the brightness way way down does it stay on longer?

I recently had a monitor go tits up on me, due to bad caps. You never know when they go and there isn't any visible signs of damage other than things run hotter than normal.

YOu can attempt to repair it yourself by researching and replacing the caps sites like www.badcaps.net can help with that.

It's amazing that so many monitors use cheap caps, they good ones are so in expensive its crazy. The only reason I can think of is to burn your monitors out on purpose so you go buy another one... heh.

Neavah · Jan 2011

I had a computer a several years ago (single screen) and the monitor would constantly go off 'no video input' then go to sleep - yet the computer was still on. a month or so latter the back light burnt out. ... .... if its not a video card problem... maybe time for a new monitor

keizza · Jan 2011

hey guys. thanks for the responses. i totally appreciate it. i was at work late so didn't get to reply sooner. i'll try some of the mentioned tests. if i find any solutions i'll post so others may know. otherwise....i think i may just get some new monitors. they actually are getting on in age. THANKS AGAIN.

dual monitor help....

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