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September 28th, 2010 11:00

Vostro 200 dual monitor issue with Windows 7

I have the following machine:

  • Dell Vostro 200
  • Display Adapters
    • Intel G33/G31 Express Chipset Family
    • Standard VGA Graphics Card Adapter (has an exclaimation mark next to it)

I previously had Windows XP Pro as the OS and i was able to use two monitors (VGA and DVI outputs).

I now upgraded my OS to Windows 7 32bit and am not able to use two monitors. The Standard VGA Graphics Card Adapter show an exclaimation mark beside it. 

I have already tried the following to no avail:

  • dell drivers for vostro 200
  • windows update

This machine's power supply is 250W and it requires a low profile video card; i wasn't able to find one.

Any solutions would be appreciated. Also any suggestions for a compatible video card would be helpful. 

Thanks!

 

268 Posts

September 29th, 2010 11:00

DIVP001,

Sounds to me as if you have an add-on graphics card installed in the system and (for some reason) the on-board graphics is working.

The on-board video SHOULD automatically disable itself when an add-on graphics card is installed in the PCI-e X16 slot. I may be that it has failed. The Standard VGA with the exclaimation  mark shows that the system has scanned the hardware and found the I/O ports for your add-on graphics card but the video BIOS didn't run as it should so the on-board video didn't get disabled.

Power off the machine and WAIT 5 MINUTES. Then open it up and remove the add-on graphics card and put it back in, making sure that it is FULLY seated in the PCI-e X16 slot. Fire it back up with you monitor plugged into the add-on graphics card instead of the motherboard and see if it works.

If not, you need to purchase a new card. There are lots of low-profile cards for low powered systems. Just browse through this forum for suggestions.

Masi_GC

 

2 Posts

September 29th, 2010 11:00

Thanks, ill give it a shot! 

6 Professor

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8.8K Posts

February 17th, 2014 11:00

Do you have the proper drivers installed for your video devices?

4 Posts

February 17th, 2014 11:00

I know this is old but I am having the same trouble.

I had XP SP3 running dual monitors with no issues. I installed 7Pro 32bit and now it's either or. I can get any monitor to run with the onboard card or the add-in but not both at the same time.

The fact that I can use either card tells me they both work fine. Whenever I go into choose the setting to extend monitors that option isn't present and only one monitor is available.

Any ideas?

4 Posts

February 17th, 2014 12:00

Well the windows 7 installer loaded defaults for both.

It's an older Matrox IS-Storm R2 video card. I can use it by itself but the system automatically disables the onboard so I can't extend.

Then if I go in BIOS and choose the onboard as the 1st device, it disables the Matrox.

I thought it was drivers too so I loaded the Matrox drivers in XP compatibility mode. Same results though.

4 Posts

February 17th, 2014 14:00

Just for giggles I installed a FirePro 2260 with the most recent drivers for Win7 and I get the same results. Works on both adapters just not simultaneously for extended display. Worked fine on XP

4 Posts

February 17th, 2014 14:00

The only way I got it to work was to use the add in card only. There doesn't seem to be a way to use the onboard for one monitor and the card for a secondary.

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