Windows 7 Booting to Secondary Monitor?

[MitchellEve]

Alright so I recently just set up dual monitors on my Windows 7 Ultimate x64 bit machine again and I'm noticing that the secondary monitor is getting all the boot information.

I have it set as the secondary monitor in Windows but the secondary monitor gets the BIOS information, and the Windows 7 boot graphic but after Windows boots it switches to the primary display.

Right now my video has two DVI inputs, one VGA and one DVI. Does VGA come first with priority? The VGA connection is my secondary, and the DVI is my primary.

Also, because it has two inputs 1 and 2, I have the VGA one plugged into 1 do you think it would help if I switched them?

 

[rraod]

Whatever the monitor you have setup in windows as primary monitor will get the boot information and get the windows desktop. Check the monitor settings in the Screen Resolutions window.

 

[serpentracer]

if this helps..yours might be the same way.

I have a dual dvi out on my graphics card, aparently one of them is the default (#1) out and the other one is the secondary out(#2). i had to switch mine around to the montior I wanted to use all the time or most of the time I should say. I didn't know it at the time, but I had always had it hooked up to the secondary out. and since I only had one montitor hooked up to it, it never had to change so it always worked. but when I hooked my new tv up that's when I discovered it was on the secondary output.
then when windows restarted it was on the tv and my monitor was blank.
and since I need mine set up to "extend these displays" . because my tv is much bigger and requires a different resolution setting(smaller than the computer monitor actually) to get the display to fill the screen. and when I set it to show desktop on this display (#1) it makes both screens the exact same resolution and you can't change it. so you either have to set it as extended to make 2 different sizes or keep them both the same. and if you have two different sizes you'll want to use the option "extend these displays"


I know that sounds crazy but that's what works on my Nvidia card.

 

[Britton30]

Right now my video has two DVI inputs, one VGA and one DVI. Does VGA come first with priority? The VGA connection is my secondary, and the DVI is my primary.

Hello, this statement is confusing. I will go with the assumption your graphics card has two outputs, one DVI and one VGA. As rraod said the physical connection should make no difference as to which is primary. After in windows one monitor turns off?
On the Desktop, right click and choose Personalization/Identify to confirm which monitor Windows "thinks" in number 1.

 

[arkhi]

I have it set as the secondary monitor in Windows but the secondary monitor gets the BIOS information, and the Windows 7 boot graphic but after Windows boots it switches to the primary display.

Guys, look at how the BIOS itself posts at the secondary monitor. I would think this has nothing to do with Windows since BIOS comes first.

The reason it switches when Windows boots is that the Windows kernel now takes over the BIOS. Windows knows your settings.

I would suggest either messing with the BIOS settings, or just switch the plugs (i.e. DVI->VGA and vice versa). Makes it easier.

 

[Britton30]

Arkhi may have something there if you have video on your motherboard and a graphics card installed too. You'll want to disable the on-board and connect both monitors to the card.

 

[rraod]

BIOS will have no settings to switch the monitors.

Open BIOS and try swapping the signal cables a bit to get the BIOS display on your favorite monitor (I assume the left side one) with both monitors connected.

Later on make that monitor as primary monitor in windows and the other one as either secondary monitor or you can use it to stretch your desktop from primary monitor.

 

[Britton30]

The BIOS will have a default video option IF OP has on-board video. It will set which to use first. If the on-board is set as default, and the 2nd monitor is connected to it, it will show POST then hand off to Windows on the first monitor which may be connected to the card.

 

[Carmaine]

I do apologize for reviving this old thread, but I seem to be having the same issue as the OP.

I own an old GeForce 8400GS with 2 inputs. 1 VGA and 1 DVI.

The VGA is currently connected to my Vizio TV, while the DVI is connected to my "primary" ASUS computer monitor.

Both POST and Windows displays on the TV until it reaches the login screen. Then it is displayed on the DVI monitor.

Just to make sure, I did the following: (see image link below)
1. Made it the "primary" monitor in Windows 7.
2. It is detected as "1" in the display.
3. Did NOT extend the displays and kept it ONLY at the monitor.
4. Updated Drivers

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/8962/screenshotdgw.png

I also checked BIOS for video settings and there was none and I STILL can't get it to show on the monitor.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

 

[serpentracer]

I do apologize for reviving this old thread, but I seem to be having the same issue as the OP.

I own an old GeForce 8400GS with 2 inputs. 1 VGA and 1 DVI.

The VGA is currently connected to my Vizio TV, while the DVI is connected to my "primary" ASUS computer monitor.

Both POST and Windows displays on the TV until it reaches the login screen. Then it is displayed on the DVI monitor.

Just to make sure, I did the following: (see image link below)
1. Made it the "primary" monitor in Windows 7.
2. It is detected as "1" in the display.
3. Did NOT extend the displays and kept it ONLY at the monitor.
4. Updated Drivers

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/8962/screenshotdgw.png

I also checked BIOS for video settings and there was none and I STILL can't get it to show on the monitor.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

it's like that because the VGA is the "#1" monitor out for your card. mine was the same way except I have 2 dvi out. one was the #1 monitor and the other was the #2 monitor. so I had to switch the cables around.

but I"m not quite sure what you're trying to accomplish with your setup.

if you need the DVI(your computer monitor) as the "primary" or "#1" display you'll have to set your settings up as #2(Show desktop on 2). because #2 is your card's DVI output. windows is changing it all to your tv because you're telling it to with the setting you're using. but you didn't know the vga is the #1 out on your graphics card.

 

[stormy13]

You can install all the drivers you want and make all the changes in Windows you want, but it isn't going to change the default behavior of the video card before Windows loads without modifying the video card's bios to change which port it considers primary and which secondary.

 

[SirSparksalot]

So, Gee. Where is the video card BIOS located exactly?

Do you mean the graphics settings located in the BIOS?

Having the same problem here. Just built my first system at the ripe old age of 53. I have an Asus Z77 mobo with on board graphics connections for 1 DVI, 1 VGA and 1 mini HDMI. Have my LCD connected via DVI and my dinosaur CRT connected to the VGA port. LCD is set as primary display (1). When I boot, my computer will post on the primary (LCD), but right when the Windows 7 boot screen appears, it will switch to my secondary (CRT) display. Not a huge deal, but I usually have my secondary display turned off. I can't find any settings anywhere that address this situation.

Any help would be appreciated by this old timer.

Also,
I have a discreet graphics card EVGA GTX 560, (okay, I'm a poor old timer)
I have BIOS set to igpu (not dgpu),
I have BIOS set to multi-monitor, and
I have been playing around with Lucid Virtu MVP.

 

[Valon1982]

when you install the os windows i think you connect all your cables first hdmi or dvi or vga first , you check if everything is connected and after you install your os windows, in istallation , windows check your video performance and recornising 2 monitors, in this time also choose both monitors as your main video performance with recommented primary this with the biger resoloution . and then when you boot your system the hard drive gives the split signal to your grafic card! you have to put again your OS from the begining and with one display connected! i had the same problem and now is everything ok!! (sorry for my bad english)

 

[Wozzie]

I am having the same problem as the OP. I have installed windows 7 pro with only my LCD plugged in via Display Port and then after everything was all setup added my TV to my DVI port. With the DVI cable plugged into the video card all my post goes to my TV, regardless of if it is on or not. Is there a way to change which port the video card says is the primary display before it gets its instructions from windows? This seems like an issue that effects more then just a few people, there has to be some solution out there.

 

[McDug]

To Easily set Windows to start on a designated monitor every time you start windows/log in:

- open Scheduled tasks: C:\Windows\System32\taskschd.msc
- on left colum, select 'Task Scheduler Library' to be able to view tasks
- on right collumn, select 'Create Basic Task'
- enter name for task (with no spaces, example: Monitor_Startup), click next
- select 'When I log on' for 'When do you want the task to start?', click next
- select 'Start a program' for 'What action do you want the task to perform?', click next
- enter 'c:\windows\system32\displayswitch.exe' for Program/script
(when entering all data on my post, only enter the data between the ' 's, do NOT enter ' 's)
- enter '/external' OR '/internal' for 'Add arguments (optional):'
(sometimes you have to guess which argument to use, because they are not necesarily named according to which monitor you think is interal/external)
- click 'Finish'
- reboot and see if you have the right argument ('/external' or '/internal'),
- if windows started on the correct monitor, you are finished, windows will always start on the same monitor.

If windows still starts on the wrong monitor, modify the task to switch the argument:
- open Scheduled tasks: C:\Windows\System32\taskschd.msc
- on left colum, select 'Task Scheduler Library' to be able to view tasks
- in the middle collumn, locate the task you created (scroll if necesary), right click it, click properties
- click the Actions Tab, click edit
- switch the argument ('/external' from/to '/internal') , and click ok twice
- reboot. Windows will always switch the monitor when you log on.

If you choose to stop this scheduled task, delete it:
- open Scheduled tasks: C:\Windows\System32\taskschd.msc
- on left colum, select 'Task Scheduler Library' to be able to view tasks
- in the middle collumn, locate the task you created (scroll if necesary), right click it, click delete, click yes.

I ran into this problem and figured it out myself, so thought I would share my solution here.

 

[quimby smith]

I can verify that the BIOS settings was the place where I was able to fix the problem. After checking every setting in the BIOS I stumbled upon a display setting that was defaulted to boot on the secondary monitor if one existed. I was able to change that back to the LCD display of my laptop and now everything works fine. I found it strange that it defaulted to a secondary monitor automatically until I realized that the designers were probably thinking of a worst case scenario wherein your LCD display is gone. If that happens, it might be better if it defaulted to a secondary monitor on start up. But then again it might not be that big of a deal. Anyway, good luck everybody.