PC External Monitor installation problems

[LanguedocGal2]

Hi everyone,

I have a PC monitor problem that is driving me a little loopy.

It’s a Samsung flat screen  Monitor that I’m trying to hook up to my laptop. Have followed all the installation instructions.  When loading XP, everything is visible on both monitors (laptop and new external), however, once windows XP loads, the external monitor stops displaying what is on the hard drive. 

The laptop’s background image displays on the external monitor too but nothing else. It appears to be reacting as an extension of the laptop monitor so when the cursor leaves the laptop monitor, it appears on the Samsung one.

Have tried everything to make the Samsung external into the primary monitor from settings but nothing seems to work.

The monitor came with a normal analogue cable as well as a DVI one. My laptap doesn’t have the digital DVI port so I’m using the analogue cable. The relevant drivers are installed.

Au secours!

 

[fulcrum]

Will this help you?

http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-1035_11-5053877.html

It explains about dualview. Which is what I think you have. It might point you in the direction of how to switch it off.

On another forum someone suggested that there is a keyboard key that selects which monitor is to be used.

[Dago]

Hi LG,

    I can't figure out the problem myself but you may find this helpful, good luck.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/multimonitor.mspx

It's my guess that you have already been through all of this though.

best regards

[IMG]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g130/dago49/Dago3.jpg[/IMG]

[LanguedocGal2]

[:D]Wow!

Two replies already! I'm so impressed. I'm going to check out both links now. If you see a cute Samsung monitor flying past your windows in a few hours, you'll know who it belongs to and that I couldn't work it out[:D].

Very very grateful for the links.

Thanks

[Dago]

Just had another thought....that's two today...could the display on your laptop be set at a resolution that the samsung can't handle?

best regards

[IMG]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g130/dago49/Dago3.jpg[/IMG]

[Dick Smith]

It's a function key - but I can never remember which one, if it's the same problem I sometimes have with PC laptops and digital projectors.

[Kalyn Computers]

Try this:

RIGHT click on a clear area of your Windows desktop. This will open a dialogue box, click on PROPERTIES, this will open another dialogue box. Cick on SETTINGS. This will open another box, here you should see that you have TWO monitors. Click on the IDENTIFY button for each monitor, that will tell you which monitor is which. The next bit depends on your computer but somewhere, probably in the ADVANCED settings, you will be able to either EXTEND your desktop on to both monitors (this means that you can show different programs on each monitor) or you can display the same thing on both monitors.

Also, you may find that there is a function key that alows you to switch between the laptop screen and the external screen, this is normally on function key  F7, you need to press and hold the Fn key and then tap the correct function key.

Lastly, you may also find that there is a setting in the CMOS / BIOS settings of your computer which allows you to set the computer to display on both monitors simaltaeneously.

HTH

Tim

[LanguedocGal2]

Thanks a million everyone!

There'll be no PC monitors flying across France today[:D].

I had simply not understood that my cursor appearing on the second monitor meant that this monitor was effectively complementary to the first. I had expected it to react as Tim mentions above - contain the same display as the laptop monitor enabling me to choose monitors with a function key as Dick suggests. 

Only, this function is more sophisticated (for simple minds like mine[8-)]). Managed to understand it by reading through the links provided above.

I'm now going to spend the rest of the day kicking myself for not being aware that for the past 3 years, I had the facility to work on multiple monitors simultaneously. Something that  would have made my life soooooooooo much easier on a variety of projects.

Quelle c**** je suis[:(]  (My asterisks, I beat LF censors to it[:D]).

 

 

[Andymr]

Used this feature many times in a previous life........ Photoshop tools on one monitor, image on the other...brilliant!

[LanguedocGal2]

Andymr, I'm gobsmacked by it!

Seems, I can link up and work on up to 10 monitors at the same time.  Ok, a little OTT perhaps but the flexibility is amazing. I'm currently working on two. Magic!