Dual display problem

[Simulat]

For about a month, I was running dual monitors with no issues. I've got a Radeon 1800gto video card. The primary monitor is a 22" Acer with a native resolution of 1680x1050. The secondary monitor is a 32" HDTV with a resolution of 1366x768. I'm using the latest Catalyst drivers. I used Powerstrip to force the 1366x768 resolution into the display resolution slider.

The other day the cable connecting the HDTV came off. When it became disconnected, I heard one of those Windows beeps like when you disconnect/connect new hardware like an external hard drive. After connecting it, I wasn't getting a display. I checked into "display properties" and none of the settings had changed.. yet there was no display.

Now I've been messing around with it for hours and can't get it to work. I'm trying to be specific as possible but its difficult because I don't know what change occurred to cause the problem. I've tried re-installing the video drivers and Powerstrip countless times.

Right now I can run the HDTV as the primary monitor. However, as soon as I try to attach the 22" as well I lose the signal on the HDTV.

I can also run it as the second monitor as long as the 22" is not plugged in. As soon as I attempt to also plug in the Acer, again I get a "no signal" message on my TV.

For some reason they are no longer able to run together even when I've configured XP for a dual monitor set up and have the proper resolutions for each. Does anyone have any suggestions? This is driving me nuts.

 

[InFeXiOn]

Although I don't have the solution to your problem, I have a 22'' and a 32'' HDTV that I want to setup in dual but I don't have very many ideas on how to arrange things. You have any pictures of your setup? Haha. Sorry about the randomness.

 

[Simulat]

Heh, no problem. I don't have any pictures and my setup probably isn't all that ideal. Right now I've got the HDTV just off to the side on a stand that is about half the height of the computer desk... with the 22" on the edge of the desk on that same side. Works well enough for my needs.

Anyway, this is really confusing me. I can get displays on the HDTV only provided the other monitor isn't physically hooked up. As soon as I plug it in, the display goes on the HDTV regardless of whether it is set to the primary or second monitor.

 

[InFeXiOn]

Again, off-topic, what exactly are you using the displays for? Like each for what? Games? Movies?

 

[Simulat]

I use the second HDTV display almost exclusively for watching movies and things like TVU player. I like having that screen for a video display so my other one is completely free if I want to browse the internet, check my email, etc. I do all my PC gaming on the 22".

If this helps anyone:

Right now I just had the HDTV running as the primary monitor. It was plugged into the first output on my Radeon card. It worked fine, no problems. Just to see what would happen, I plugged in the Acer to the second ouput but didn't configure XP for dual monitors. I immediately lost the signal on the HDTV and Acer became the primary. Then I went into the display properties and tried to activate a second monitor... I lost the display on both! What the heck is going on?

I don't understand how this could have been working fine for a month and a half and suddently I can't get them to function together simultaneously.

 

[Matthias99]

What are you using to connect each monitor? DVI for both? DVI to the monitor and component to the TV?

Does CCC show both outputs as enabled? What does it say is hooked up to them?

 

[Simulat]

Meant to include that info but forgot, Mathias. DVI to the monitor, and the VGA port on the TV. That's how I had it set up before when it was working.

It looks like CCC is detecting the HDTV but there is a problem with it receiving the signal in dual monitor mode.

Right now I've got them both enabled through display properties. When I go into "displays manager" in CCC, it lists desktop one as "Acer AL221e extended" and desktop 2 as "DDC display extended." But my TV still says no signal. For the Acer, it lists the graphics adapter as "Radeon x1800gto." For the HDTV, it says the same with "secondary" listed after it.

Like I said, I can get the HDTV working if its hooked up as the only monitor. But one thing I noticed that was odd... when its the only monitor and I go into CCC, it lists a "main" monitor and a "clone." I don't know what the clone business is about.. when I'm just running the Acer alone, it just lists it as the sole monitor... no clone.

One more thing I just noticed: under CCC, each monitor has its own "digital panel properties tab." One says: Digital Panel Properties 3 and the other says Digital Panel Properties 4. Why the 3 and the 4? And each has its own tab.. one lists the panel as the DDC display and one as the Acer. However, it lists the graphics adapter as the same for both: Radeon x1800GTO (Acer al2216w). Shouldn't it be that for one and "secondary" for the other?

Somehow it isnt' splitting the dual display signal correctly.

 

[InFeXiOn]

Simulat:

That's how I'm trying to hook mine up:

TV with VGA
Monitor with DVI

So that I can swap between the two with different resolutions for certain things like media. Can you help me out on how to do it? Possibly via AIM?

AIM: Do The Paul
MSN: paulsheppard[at]gmail.com

Would GREATLY appreciate the help!

 

[Simulat]

I'm not sure I'm the best person to help given all the problems I'm having.

I don't have AIM installed and am trying to do a few other things around the apartment while I do this.. but I can post here with any help I might be able to offer.

What is the native resolution of the TV? That was the only problem I had initially.. I couldn't get force the custom resolution of 1366x768 as a display option. So I just downloaded Powerstrip and found out how to add that resolution. Then everything worked fine and it was just a simple matter of enabling dual monitors in Windows with the correct resolutions for both.

Not sure what happened to screw things up. I'm definitely thinking there is something wacky with the "clone" listing in CCC and perhaps with the 3 and 4 listings under the digital panel properties tab. Shouldn't they be 1 and 2?

 

[InFeXiOn]

Ok, so you downloaded a program called Powerstrip and added a resolution and then enabled dual monitors? I wish I wasn't lost, cause I wanna get this setup, haha. I'll figure this out hopefully. Do I enable it in the nVidia Control thing?

 

[Simulat]

Does your HDTV have the non-regular resolution of 1366x768?

I'm not sure about the nvidia control thing since I haven't had a Geforce card in years. If the problem is getting that resolution forced as an option, Powerstrip can do it.. it lets you force resolutions that are not usualy listed by your video drivers. I might be wrong but I think there is also just a way to do that with the Nvidia drivers. Some option to add custom resolutions. Then you should just be able to go into "display properties," hit the "extend windows desktop to this monitor," and set the different resolutions for the two displays.

 

[InFeXiOn]

Just figured it out. It's so pimp.

 

[Simulat]

BTW, I've also tried to do a system restore back to the point where they were both functioning with no problems.. but I get the "can't restore to this point" and "no changes have been made" message.

 

[Simulat]

I was able to get everything running by using Ati Tray Tools. Not sure what the problem was but setting up the dual display with ATT worked.