Display at bootup

[PeaB4YouGo]

I did a little searching before I wrote this, so if it's covered someplace, point me in the right direction, please. I never found anything like it in the search.

I have a NVidia 250GTS. I use HDMI to feed the Acer 23 in monitor that is my main display. I also have a generic 19 in CRT that I feed with the VGA port as a secondary. We use it for displaying system monitoring and web pages while gaming.

Here's the thing... When I boot, the secondary display shows my post (things like Memory checks, drive detection, "Loading Operating System"...etc. I'd like to see that on the main display, instead.

Is there any way to do this? I'm assuming that the video card defaults to my VGA display because it's the lowest denominator. I'd just like to see all of that on the flat panel, because it is nearly instant-on.

Thanx ahead of time... and pls pardon any misuse of terms.

 

[TimStitt]

Hi PeaB4YouGo,

Have you tried to set the the HDMI display as the primary display in the Nvidia Control Panel? This is different from configuring it inside windows only.

This works for me with my (slightly older) Nvidia card.

Attached is a picture, your version of nvidia Control panel may look different to mine.

- Tim

 

[PeaB4YouGo]

Been there...no joy. I'm really beginning to believe that the only reason you designate one display as the primary is so that Windows knows where to put the taskbar and any new program icons when you install them.

Heh. Thanx for trying, though.

 

[TimStitt]

hmm.... I will think on this..... google a bit..... forget about it.... come back to it.... and see what that gives us.

it's still weird that it worked on mine... but they are different models.

 

[TimStitt]

Well google tells me that you are not the only person with this issue.

Just to clarify, there is no way to swap your cables around to make this work is there? i.e. there's no HDMI port on the monitor that you currently use as VGA is there?

All I've got is a maybe..... You could try the nvidia bios editor, perhaps you can choose the default display and re-flash the bios if you're game. This seems to be where the issue is. I should be able to attach it here for you as I've lost the link. You'll need to download your bios from somewhere though to play with it.

Good luck and please let us know if you solve this one... it irks me, it should be possible.

 

[PeaB4YouGo]

Well google tells me that you are not the only person with this issue.

Just to clarify, there is no way to swap your cables around to make this work is there? i.e. there's no HDMI port on the monitor that you currently use as VGA is there?

All I've got is a maybe..... You could try the nvidia bios editor, perhaps you can choose the default display and re-flash the bios if you're game. This seems to be where the issue is. I should be able to attach it here for you as I've lost the link. You'll need to download your bios from somewhere though to play with it.

Good luck and please let us know if you solve this one... it irks me, it should be possible.

I'd rather not mess with the BIOS. Regarding the VGA, this is an older CRT that only works with VGA. It's not that big a thing, and thanx for looking. Who knows, we'll find something in the future (when I can afford a new vid card, should a BIOS flash screw things up.)

 

[alphanumeric]

I have a 220GT and its the other way around. It has a DVI and a VGA connector. The monitor on the DVI connector shows the post screen, welcome screen and login screen and the one on the VGA is blank with a no signal box until windows loads my desktop. The monitor on the DVI connector is my main monitor so in my case I have no reason to want to change it. I don't know how anyway. If you do figure it out though, I'm going to take note for future reference.

 

[TimStitt]

Same card, opposite scenario... interesting. Maybe take not of your bios revisions, flashing with an authorized bios is not too hard and relatively safe (if they are different of course).

As an after thought, just check the monitor itself, there should be a menu button on it (it may also be be called OSD).

I theorise that if the HDMI monitor is set to default to VGA, it will try to find VGA, after a while it can't so it would try HDMI and then work correctly, this would mean that it misses the start up selection as your default monitor. Alphanumeric just got me thinking and it may be worth a look to check this On Screen Display and see if there is an option you can change.

Otherwise I'm-a-outta-ideas.

 

[alphanumeric]

It looks like the Video card decides. I just booted up with only my VGA monitor connected and the post displayed on it. Windows made it my main display and put my desktop on it. While windows was still running I went and connected my DVI monitor back up. I heard the new hardware beep and when I sat back down my desktop was moved back to the DVI monitor. I had switched to single display, "Computer Only" before the test. Just turning the monitor off doesn't do anything because it's still detected. I would say that if your video card sees a monitor on the better quality connector thats the "one" it uses.
For me this was the first dual display video card that didn't light up both monitors during the post. All my AGP cards just mirror everything onto both monitors until windows loads my desktop. Even the login screen would be in stereo.

 

[PeaB4YouGo]

For me this was the first dual display video card that didn't light up both monitors during the post. All my AGP cards just mirror everything onto both monitors until windows loads my desktop. Even the login screen would be in stereo.

THAT can hurt yer eyes. heh

Thanx for your suggestions, folks. Never had a dual display before. I wanna get FS10 installed, and see what good it is. You know, run the gauges and a front view on the smaller monitor, etc...

 

[alphanumeric]

I don't run dual when I play games, although I think I would make an exception for a flight sim. I play mostly first person shooters and some race sims. Having the frames of my two LCD's smack dab in the middle doesn't work out so well for a first person shooter. Hmmm, maybe I should go to 3 displays, yeah thats the ticket. Opens wallet, watches moth fly out, and thinks to himself, well maybe not.

 

[TimStitt]

I don't run dual when I play games, although I think I would make an exception for a flight sim. I play mostly first person shooters and some race sims. Having the frames of my two LCD's smack dab in the middle doesn't work out so well for a first person shooter. Hmmm, maybe I should go to 3 displays, yeah thats the ticket. Opens wallet, watches moth fly out, and thinks to himself, well maybe not.

We must have similar wallets..... mine does that too

 

[Beemer2]

I did a little searching before I wrote this, so if it's covered someplace, point me in the right direction, please. I never found anything like it in the search.

I have a NVidia 250GTS. I use HDMI to feed the Acer 23 in monitor that is my main display. I also have a generic 19 in CRT that I feed with the VGA port as a secondary. We use it for displaying system monitoring and web pages while gaming.

Here's the thing... When I boot, the secondary display shows my post (things like Memory checks, drive detection, "Loading Operating System"...etc. I'd like to see that on the main display, instead.

Is there any way to do this? I'm assuming that the video card defaults to my VGA display because it's the lowest denominator. I'd just like to see all of that on the flat panel, because it is nearly instant-on.

Thanx ahead of time... and pls pardon any misuse of terms.

The first display to show boot information is the one that Windows uses as the Primary display. If yours is not the one you want then like me swop the cables