Dual monitors on Windows 7

[semiproslacker]

I am using a IBM Lenovo T61 and an HP LP1965 as a dual monitor. I have used this monitor(which is only two weeks old) on another lenovo t43, so I know the monitor and cables are good. I cant get W7 to see two monitors. It will only pick up the one, it will not detect the other. I have tried "scan for hardware changes" too. If I have the hp monitor plugged into the laptop at boot up, it will work, but the laptop screen will not. I have just installed W7 last week. I have updated drivers and completed all W7 updates.

Any ideas???

 

[Snives]

Well, I doubt it will help since you are saying it's not even detecting it... but Win+P is a nice little shortcut for changing display modes for multi-monitors. If it is detecting, but just not using one of the monitors you could use that to change to extended/cloned/etc.

By chance have you checked for any BIOS settings which might play a factor? Also by knowing whether the GPU is ATI/nVidia/Intel people may be more likely to be able to point you in the correct direction.

 

[Snives]

Here's the IBM page for a T61. IBM currently does not offer Windows7 drivers for this model.

Lenovo Support & downloads - Overview - ThinkPad T61, T61p

Graphics :

Intel PM965/GM965 graphics
128MB nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M
256MB nVIDIA Quadro FX 570M (T61p only)

So, when you say "updated drivers" do you mean from Windows Update, IBM, or from Intel/nVidia?

Also, is this Windows 7 32 or 64bit?

If it is either nVidia card, here are the potential drivers. The FX-570M is currently running on beta drivers, which I doubt MS or IBM would offer if you updated through them.
NVS 32bit
http://www.nvidia.com/object/quadro_nvs_notebook_win7_186.03_whql.html
NVS 64bit
http://www.nvidia.com/object/quadro_nvs_notebook_win7_x64_186.03_whql.html
FX 32bit
http://www.nvidia.com/object/quadro_fx_notebook_win7_186.03_beta.html
FX 64bit
http://www.nvidia.com/object/quadro_fx_notebook_win7_x64_186.03_beta.html

Edit > And here is the link for Intel 965 Express (select your OS), the same driver is used for chipset+graphics
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Product_Filter.aspx?ProductID=2800&lang=eng

 

[ciphernemo]

There a couple things that could be causing this:

• The default Windows 7 driver for your graphics chip isn't recognizing the ability to display multiple monitors and one time via the LCD and the port on the back/side of your laptop. In that case, update the drivers from your laptop manufacturer's website. If they don't have Windows 7 drivers, try Windows Vista drivers (32 or 64-bit, depending upon what you're using).
• You might have displaying multiple monitors disabled. In this case, check for keyboard shortcuts on the laptop, such as Function (Fn) + another key like F5 or F8 to toggle display mode from single to clone to dual.
• This is the least likely, but perhaps your laptop is not dedicating enough system memory to run both at the same time? In the laptop's BIOS look for an option that reflects video/grpahics "shared" memory.

 

[semiproslacker]

By the way, I am running W7 32 bit,Build 7100. the graphics card is the nvidia 140.IBM,just like the last person said, doesn't support 7(i talked to them already).

 

[Snives]

I'd say you should try getting ahold of a newer build first of all then. I found my system to work extremely better under 7600.16384 compared to 7100. I have not tried other 7600 builds yet, I'm waiting for final RTM to be sent to OEMs.

 

[Boudu]

I'm having a similar problem. I installed Win 7 on my Sony VAIO laptop but when it boots I just get a blank screen once the POST messages and initial Win logo have been displayed. The laptop has a Radeon X700 graphics card and Windows update found an up to date driver.

However if I remove the driver and reboot the laptop screen works with a generic VGA driver. Also if I plug in an external monitor on the VGA connector it works fine. I can't get both the external and internal displays to work or the internal alone when the up to date driver is installed.

Any ideas or solutions ?

 

[maxihod]

I'm having a similar problem. I installed Win 7 on my Sony VAIO laptop but when it boots I just get a blank screen once the POST messages and initial Win logo have been displayed. The laptop has a Radeon X700 graphics card and Windows update found an up to date driver.

However if I remove the driver and reboot the laptop screen works with a generic VGA driver. Also if I plug in an external monitor on the VGA connector it works fine. I can't get both the external and internal displays to work or the internal alone when the up to date driver is installed.

Any ideas or solutions ?

I had similar problem on M100 with 82855 drivers installed. Solution for me was to press the Fn-F5 key which on the Toshiba is the key for switching to external monitor and back. Seemed to do the trick for me. Different hardware I know but still worth a try.

 

[Antman]

3 characters

 

[Boudu]

3 characters

Sorry Antman, I don't understand your message.

 

[TGSoldier]

Sorry Antman, I don't understand your message.

 

[Boudu]

Mmm. Most helpful I'm sure.

 

[Antman]

Mmm. Most helpful I'm sure.

Respond to the advice provided. Did it work? Did it not work?

You are being ignored for two reasons: You hijacked a thread and it looks like you abandoned your question.

Either create your own thread with a detailed problem description or provide something that we can work with in this thread.

Then, hundreds, maybe thousands, of professionals will have the opportunity to be helpful, I'm sure.

 

[semiproslacker]

VGA

I had to manually install the drivers from nvidia website. I downloaded them to the laptop, then manually selected the location that the "update driver installer" was going to look for the file. This was after I installed the RTM version of Win 7. So I guess that I answered my own question.

 

[Antman]

So, the nVidia driver links that Snives provided you on 21 July were not correct? And you have since updated your OS?

Glad it's working.

 

[Boudu]

Respond to the advice provided. Did it work? Did it not work?

No, the advice from maxihod, while appreciated, was not relevant. My graphics card is an ATI not Nvidia, and on the VAIO the switch between int / ext monitor is FN + F7. Already tried to no avail. Also tried the Win + P trick. Internal monitor wont work under any combination, external no problem, including Aero effects.

I've tried using latest drivers from ATI, MS drivers that Win 7 periodically loads and legacy XP and Vista drivers. Same result. The only way I can get the internal screen to work is to use a MS standard VGA driver, which unfortunately will only display 1600 x 1200, not the native 1920 x 1080 of the panel. It also keeps getting replaced by the MS driver whenever Win 7 auto updates.

Antman: I certainly had no intention of 'hijacking' this thread. What I wanted to do was to highlight that I was having an identical problem on a different computer with a different graphics card. To me that flags up the possibility that this may be an issue with the operating system rather than device drivers. I apologise if the promptness of my responses do not measure up to your standards.