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General discussion

Second monitor has "no Signal"

Aug 14, 2006 2:43AM PDT

This is weird because everything was working just fine. I have 2 TFT displays connected to my Windows 2003 server box. I have nVidia GEForce 5500 Graphics Card whose DVI-to-VGA adapter I used to extend my primary display (Samsung TFT 17"). I set the second one (Daewoo HL710S 17") as the second monitor with "Extend your display" property in the Display settings. This was working just great for 3 weeks.

Last week I may have touched something on the connectors and the second display since then shows "NO SIGNAL". Of course I checked, tightened and did this again for the DVI-to-VGA adapter as well as the incoming connections.

I noticed that when the computer boots up, the second monitor displays just fine (the Windows 2003 Server logo etc). As soon as the machine boots up the display says "no signal".

I read somewhere the DVI-to-VGA adapter is basically an analog device. But all this was working just fine, I dont know what I touched off for this to stop working. Any ideas anyone?

Discussion is locked

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Video cards and screens
Aug 14, 2006 11:37AM PDT

How many video cards do you have on the PC? If there is only only then right click on the desktop and go properties. Then go to settings open-up advance and set your 1st monitor has defauft. Then apply the screen will go off for sec. this will ask you if you want this setting, click oK. If you have 2 monitor video cards with 2 monitors there is a free proagram that lets you use both at the same time, in fact the way you point your mouse is the monitor that is use. You can even have your back ground on both and spilt the screen if want. Here is the site http://www.mediachance.com/free/multimon.htm

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re: Second monitor has "no Signal"
Aug 15, 2006 1:09AM PDT

check device manager and ensure the OS 'sees' both monitors.
in display properties, ensure the 2nd monitor is still set for extended desktop

if both of the above are ok, i assume the issue lay with some driver setting. delete your display adapter and reboot to force the OS to reinstall the drivers. if that doesn't correct the problem, uninstall the drivers and set your display adapater as generic SuperVGA. after rebooting, reinstall the nvidia drivers.

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Windows sees 4 monitors when there are only 2!
Aug 15, 2006 1:21AM PDT

Its strange. I have 2 monitors (both 17" TFT LCD displays) but Windows Device Manager sees 4 monitors! There are 2 "Default monitors" in the Monitors tree and even though I disable and uninstall them, when I dot a "Scan for hardware changes" it picks it up and show them again!

Where are these 2 extra monitors coming from?

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Works in Safe Mode!
Aug 15, 2006 5:22AM PDT

By doing some tests I found the second monitor works all right in safe mode. so I checked the resolution / frequency and find that these are all way within the range the monitor can handle (60Hz and 1048x76Cool. What gives?

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re: works in safe mode
Aug 16, 2006 6:12AM PDT

uninstall all of your video drivers and delete all your display adapters and monitors from device manager. turn off your 2nd monitor. when you reboot, don't allow the OS to install any software. check device manager and ensure you have only one display adapter (disable on-board via the bios if necessary).

now install the latest nvidia drivers. turn on the extra monitor and reboot.

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Monitor Resolution
Aug 29, 2016 12:10PM PDT

I had a very similar problem. While my second monitor was not initially working (as a second monitor - it had worked years prior as a primary), where yours was, I would have the same effect of both monitors showing the bootup process, then only the first monitor having an input once Windows started.

Anyway, I went into Advanced options and fiddled with the resolution of the second monitor, and several options didn't work, but eventually changing to 1280x1024 got everything working splendidly.