Sudden Triple Monitor Issue

[gerb68]

I have been running a Triple monitor setup for at least 3 years now and all of a sudden one of the monitors will not connect. Whenever I try to 'Extend desktop to this display' I get the error 'The display settings could not be saved. Please try a different combination of display settings.'
The triple monitor config I now have is DVI+DVI+DisplayPort-DVI active adapter.
Is there a fix or workaround for this? I have tried everything I could think of, I re-installed AMD drivers. Reset resolutions on Desktop displays.
I have also tried DVI+HDMI+DisplayPort-DVI active adapter but it now seems that my ATI Radeon HD 5850 driver will not extend to a 3rd monitor. I am using an Accell B087B-001B UltraAV Display Port/DVI-D adapter
I cant understand how all 3 displays worked perfectly for a couple of years then suddenly stopped.
The Display port adapter works when only using 1 screen.
With DVI + DVI + DP to DVI connected. Only DVI + DVI work.
with DVI + DP to DVI connected. DVI + DP to DVI both work.
with DVI(the other DVI port) + DP to DVI connected DVI + DP to DVI both work.
Then it gets weird. When I connect all 3 monitors and switch around which monitor is connected to which connector (i.e. either of the DVIs and the display port) only 2 monitors work but there is a randomness as to which 2 of the 3 monitors work.

I am unsure as to what to do next. At this point I would also like to know what is the root cause of this issue so that I can go about replacing any problem hardware i.e. Is it the graphics card etc?

 

[Bacon1]

Then it gets weird. When I connect all 3 monitors and switch around which monitor is connected to which connector (i.e. either of the DVIs and the display port) only 2 monitors work but there is a randomness as to which 2 of the 3 monitors work.

Well first I'd try to narrow down where the issue is, is it the port on the card or the monitor / cable?

Do all 3 ever work since it stopped?

Try each monitor one at a time, going through each port (might require you swapping the adapter around).

If all 3 work in all 3 ports, then you've narrowed it down to being a problem when all are connected, and not any cable / port not working properly.

Then try to connect them one at a time, starting with the one that wasn't working before and see if the order you plug them in matters. If the 3rd monitor doesn't work, unplug the 2nd monitor and plug the 3rd one back in, then plug in the 2nd monitor and see if all 3 work still, or if one stops.

 

[gerb68]

When tested on their own each monitor works perfectly when connected to each of the ports (Display port, HDMI and both DVI connectors).

I have also tried everything with the video driver. Uninstalled, reinstalled, rolled backup to old drivers.

When this issue began I was using a StarTech.com DP2DVIS DisplayPort to DVI Active Adapter.

Thinking this was the cause I recently purchased an Accell B087B-001B UltraAV Display Port/DVI-D adapter. So I doubt its the display port adapter at fault.

 

[Bacon1]

Hmm not sure, if you haven't already, uninstall drivers with DDU, reinstall and also install any monitor drivers. Try switching which monitor has the adapter plugged into it.

 

[gerb68]

Yeah I have previously uninstalled with DDU in Safe mode. No matter what the physical config it just will not accept a 3rd Monitor.

 

[Bacon1]

Which monitor isn't accepted when plugged in? Any?

Also this adapter you got looks like its passive, I use an active one and don't have any issues with 3 monitors:

Accell B087B-001B UltraAV Display Port/DVI-D

Did your old adapter die? It sounds like what I have and was active.

 

[KingFatty]

I've just solved an issue very similar to yours, and it turned out it was the cables/adapters.

So, my adapter became faulty after a couple years, but I couldn't tell because the adapter worked fine when tested alone. It was only in use as triple display that the issue came about, where I could only enable two of the three monitors. The adapter would work by itself, or could also work with only two of three monitors enabled.

It's the weirdest symptom ever, because you'd think the adapter was fine because it could work alone. The symptom is only that it prevents triple screen to work.

In my case, I simply used new adapters and the issue went away.

Specific details: the adapter in question was a simple/basic mini-displayport to displayport adapter. It was used in conjunction with an active displayport to DVI adapter. The active adapter was fine, it was just the simple mini-to-regular displayport adapter that mechanically failed because it was supporting the weight of the cable/connectors sticking out from the video card and it slumped/bent over time.

As general advice: if you need such an adapter, get a cable-style adapter instead of the small key-style adapter. The key-style adapter will eventually break because it supports the weight of the rest of the cables sticking out from the video card. The cable-style adapters are better because they curve downward and relieve any pressure on the connector part of the adapter, so they won't break over time.

 

[KingFatty]

Here's what caused the exact same symptoms that you describe, on my triple-display setup, when the metal connector on the end flexed due to weight of the cable pulling it down over a time period of about a year. I was using two of these and one of them went bad:

Here's the cable-based adapter that I used to replace both of the other adapters with, and the issue went away:

Note that I couldn't troubleshoot the problem without getting the new adapters, because testing either of the old adapters made it seem like they both worked fine, though using them both at the same time wouldn't let me have all three screens active at the same time, just any two.

I use these to plug into the two displayport-DVI active adapters that I use, to convert those adapters to mini displayport. I never thought the dumb adapters could go bad in this way, where they would still individually work but disable triple screen.

 

[gerb68]

I have replaced the DisplayPort adapter with this new active adapter http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004071ZX0?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00. Now when the monitor connected to the DisplayPort is extended the display repeatedly flashes with a repeatedly new connection sound. Like if it’s trying to connect but can’t. Then eventually it does not connect.
On one occasion I got an error stating that ‘The system as detected a problem with the connection between your computer and the DisplayPort display the will prevent you from using the highest resolutions and/or refresh rates’. But I tried different resolutions for all monitors and still the third monitor will not connect.

 

[Peter Nixeus]

Did you recently updated to Windows 10? The Display manager for Windows 10 OS does not play nice.

Same thing happened when I updated to Windows 10.

To fix flashes you have to try to set it to extend for each monitor profile individually while its flashing to fix it.

But now, when you want to only use two monitor and say for example you disable or turn off the right monitor - that monitor's desktop configuration will go to the left monitor (and vice versa).