DVI and DP monitor disconnect problems

quadrplax · 24 Apr 2014

My computer has 2 monitors. One is connected via DVI and the other by DisplayPort (specifically, MiniDisplayPort on the PC to regular DisplayPort on the monitor. The DVI is Dell E2014H and the DP is U2414H. I've had the DVI for a while, and it works fine. Now I've added in the DP monitor, and things get weird. If I turn off the DVI monitor, nothing happens and Windows still thinks I have two monitors (desired behavior). However, if I turn off the DP monitor, it gets disconnected. This causes a problem, because during the day I use my computer for remote desktop and the monitors at home are off at that time. So, windows thinks there is only one monitor, the DVI one. This has undesired behavior, such as moving my desktop icons, shifting all my programs over, etc. It also has weird behavior sometimes when I come home and wake my computer from sleep. One time, the DP monitor showed up in screen resolution as a "Generic Non-PnP monitor" and was stuck at 640x480 resolution. Another time, I got a BSoD. Any way I can make it always think it's connected with the DP monitor like the DVI one?

quadrplax · 25 Apr 2014

I just read this from the forum rules:

No useless posts, e.g., thread bumping, useless one liners, junk posting to increase post count, and identical multi-postings in different forums.

Does this mean that if nobody answers your post in 24 hours, you still can't bump it, and you have to keep making new topics, or that if you aren't answered right away, then nobody will ever answer your question and you have to go to another forum site?

badger906 · 25 Apr 2014

I think those rules only apply to impatient folk :)

now for some bad news.. this is a windows 7 design feature and not something wrong with your setup.

I believe your gpu also has a hdmi output? are you able to use that instead of the mini display port? this would bypass the annoying windows faff!

or if not a somewhat middle grpund solution would be to dim your display untill the back light turns off.. it will still be on.. but not on on :)

quadrplax · 25 Apr 2014

My display cannot do the back light dimming entirely off, it's LED. My graphics card has a DVI (in use), two MDPs, and an HDMI. However, all the TVs in my house are old (CRT) and I therefore don't own and HDMI cables... this is also my only DP cable. Also on the rule thing, I'll take it that you can do a 24 hour bump like on the forums I use frequently.

badger906 · 26 Apr 2014

you can pick up a cheap hdmi cable on ebay for like 99p/99c and it will solve your issue =) im not sure why windows does this but it is by design.
I guess someone thought it eas a good idea just like removing the desktop.. derp!

3rd party software and or the catalyst control centre may have an override feature but thats something im not sure on :) cant know everything ha!

quadrplax · 11 Jun 2014

Well I'm using my Actual Multiple Monitors trial right now (can't find a good program, but that's for another topic) and it has a feature to restore and save desktop icons, which seems to *kind of* solve my problem. I still have programs move around to wherever they feel like on whichever monitor. I would prefer the 3rd party software route, money isn't easy to come by at my age.

quadrplax · 20 Jul 2014

Ok, this has gone by long enough. I installed the drivers for both monitors from dell. This stopped the Non-PnP 640x480 problem, and the BSoD, but it seems like more than half of the time, the DisplayPort monitor doesn't work until I do detect, and I have to mover every program (except Winamp, good old Winamp) back to their proper monitors. This is getting annoying. Maybe there could be 3rd party software that makes the computer always think the monitor is connected, rather it is or not.

Edit: Ok, I just had the weirdest thing happen. The 640x480 thing happened, which as I said had never happened since I installed the driver. For a second, one of the monitors in "Screen Resolution" said something like "in-built notebook display". After pressing detect, The smaller DVI monitor became my "main monitor" and the position data was lost, so I had to realign the monitors. Now, I use Dual Monitor Taskbar for my second screen since it seems nothing free is better. After reopening it, as it sometimes crashes upon fixing my monitors, All my programs started disappearing off of both taskbars when I would move, minimize, etc, to them. When I maximize a program on the DVI monitor it ignores the startbar and goes behind it, fulling the whole screen. So, it appears that my computer is crippled until the next reboot.

quadrplax · 24 Aug 2014

Ok, I have been leaving the monitors on all the time to avoid this issue. But, it hasn't avoided the issue. Whenever I resume my computer from sleep, about 80% of the time the following will happen.

DisplayPort monitor does not turn on at all
Press WinKey + P, select extend
(Optional) DP monitor goes to 640x480 and I do Win+P again
DisplayPort monitor shows up as a generic monitor and is not set to primary
Span Win+P --> Extend for about 30 seconds
Windows finally realizes what the monitor is and sets it as the primary

By the time this process is done, my desktop icon and program locations are completely trashed. I also always have to restart Dual Monitor Taskbar because it spontaneously closes for whatever reason. Sooo annoying, any possiblity of a solution? From what I've read an HDMI cable wouldn't solve anything, but I'm open to hardware solutions now if anyone has any. Would disconnecting the Hot Plug pin be a reasonable route to go down? Would this thing work, and if so, is there a DisplayPort equivalent? I'm guessing that thing is just disconnecting the Hot Plug Detect pin, anyone have one of those? Is this a reasonable approach? Help is much appreciated.

Edit: What I'm saying is should I try coveting the green pin, hot plug detect, in this picture?

quadrplax · 28 Aug 2014

I tried the electrical tape over Pin 18 and could not make monitor work, help?

quadrplax · 31 Aug 2014

Anyone?

I'd be ok with makeshift solutions too. For example, let's say I press a hotkey to put my computer to sleep. Before it does so however, it saves the locations of all my programs. When I turn my computer back on, it automatically spams detect until both monitors show up, then restores window positions. It'd be better than nothing.