Strange duel monitor/resolution issue after upgrading

Dalrint · 31 Oct 2009

So I upgraded to Windows 7 64 bit home edition. I am running a duel monitor setup, the primary monitor is a 24 inch monitor running at 1920 by 1980 and a 19 inch secondary monitor running at 1280 by 1024 (it's the highest resolution that monitor can do.) My video card is two SLI'd nvidia geforce 240 1gb cards.

Before I upgraded, I didn't have any issues with the two monitors (using extended desktop.) Now after the upgrade, the secondary monitor is not 'filling the screen'. It's squished the image up and is leaving one inch of the monitor on the left side empty. When you move the mouse between the two monitors it skips over that space as if it isn't there.

Now, it's not a fault with the monitor, I tried adjusting settings and the image remains squished. I also tried using the nvidia control panel to adjust the resolution manually but that doesn't seem to work either. I'm running the latest release version of nvidias drivers, haven't tried a beta yet.

Suggestions on how to get it to use the whole monitor again like it used to? Because this is really annoying.

Edit: Upon more fiddling, I have found it isn't using about half an inch of the screen on the right side of the monitor either. And the desktop is extended down below the base of the screen, though I cannot tell how far.

torrentg · 01 Nov 2009

Use digital controls on the monitor itself to adjust its width and height until satisfied. It may be off center too, after. The monitor has settings for that as well.

Dalrint · 01 Nov 2009

Actually, the controls on the monitor weren't effecting the picture at all, I tried that.

I did find a 'solution', though it's not really one I'm happy with. In the nvidia control panel I created a 'custom resolution' that's just the monitors normal 1280 X 1024 resolution. It seems to be following that.

If I try to use the default 1280 by 1024 it spazzes out again.

Corpsecrank · 02 Nov 2009

Reset the resolution on both monitors. You should keep the resolution the same for each even though the sizes are physically different. I would recommend using the highest resolution of the smaller monitor for both monitors.

I think what you are experiencing is poor handling of the resolution differences.

The only exception to the resolution rule would be pairing a wide monitor with a standard in which case you would match the resolutions in height and then adjust the wide monitor resolution to gain proper aspect ratio. You would end up with something like:

Monitor 1 (standard) 1280x768
Monitor 2 (wide) 1280x1024

Those numbers could be off but the idea is that one has more width than height to accommodate the wide aspect ratio. Otherwise you get an image of a round circle that looks like an oval on the wide monitor.

Irestone · 26 Nov 2009

I had this same issue post-Win 7 upgrade, and the suggestion to do a "factory reset" on the affected monitor resolved my issue. Thanks for the help/suggestion!

mushroomboy · 26 Nov 2009

Corpsecrank said:

Reset the resolution on both monitors. You should keep the resolution the same for each even though the sizes are physically different. I would recommend using the highest resolution of the smaller monitor for both monitors.

I think what you are experiencing is poor handling of the resolution differences.

The only exception to the resolution rule would be pairing a wide monitor with a standard in which case you would match the resolutions in height and then adjust the wide monitor resolution to gain proper aspect ratio. You would end up with something like:

Monitor 1 (standard) 1280x768
Monitor 2 (wide) 1280x1024

Those numbers could be off but the idea is that one has more width than height to accommodate the wide aspect ratio. Otherwise you get an image of a round circle that looks like an oval on the wide monitor.

yeah, that's always a good idea. though I was using a TV once.... doesn't work the same lolz but anyways, you can also see if the refresh rates are what's causing the issue? a lot of black area can be filled up by the proper refresh rate (though some monitor adjustments are always needed).