Dell Optiplex 780 Mini + Windows 7 + Dual Monitor Issues

Having a simmular issue. We have a lot of these around campus and it is not effecting them all. We have the Dell 19" LCD connected to the DVI port on the expansion card and a older LCD connected to the system board VGA port. They have work great since last summer till about 2 weeks ago. Now the DVI will go blank and not come back. I have flashed the BIOS and updated the video driver with no complete luck.

I have also noticed similar behavior from a limited number of Optiplex 780 machines when running Windows 7.  Tried all of the usual fixes (drivers, BIOS, etc.) with no measured success.  There seem to be varying symptoms between the various machines, but the consistent aspect is the monitor power saving mode.  Most of the systems are running dual displays with either the DP to DVI adaptor or the DVI riser card along with the built-in VGA, but all are using solely onboard Intel video.

The most troubling issue is that when some systems are left on over a weekend, for example, in monitor power saving mode (no Sleep or Hibernate enabled) they will "wake up" to an all black Ctrl-Alt-Del screen that does not allow the user to logon successfully.  The only way out is a hard reboot.

This issue has been reported to Dell, who claimed to be escalating it to a level 5 technician, but over a month later I have not heard a peep from them.  I'll be calling back in soon to see what excuse they give for not calling back.  Hopefully I'll end up with some good news to post here, unless someone already has a solution! *fingers crossed*

Same thing here, but with both 760 and 780 models. We tried both the 7/2010 drivers included on our original build, then the Intel_multi-device_A06_R296582.exe (4/4/2011) drivers from Dell, as well as Intel's unsigned drivers for the Eaglelake Q45/G45 etc. "Intel Series 4" chipset. Tried with 1907FP, 1908FP, 1908FP-BLK, and P190S and P190St monitors (and drivers). After *all* that time and effort, we were starting to think it was a difference between the A06 and A09 BIOS for the 780 (which did not explain the 760), or an MS security update, but it now appears that replacing the DVI add-in card seems to have fixed the issue. It was apparently bad in at least one 760, the 780 with which it was replaced, and at least one other 780 of which we know. It's the PCI card which adds the white DVI plug; uses the Silicon Image 1364A chip:

SiI 1364A   ADD2-N-Card

SiI-SC-0132

SiI-GE-0096

SiI-BM-0168

Try replacing that with one from the PC of someone who CAN use dual monitors and see if that fixes it. It seems like an awful lot of these are bad (and now I'm having flashbacks to our GX270 and GX280s...)

...and they're all using Windows XP SP3, tower form factors for both 760 and 780. I'm reading this closer now and it seems this might not be your issue(s)... my apologies.

No need to apologize.  That is one aspect we have yet to inspect closely - probably because we assumed those cards would be among the more simple and fool-proof components on the system.  I am in the process of testing one more software-based theory, but if this fails (seems likely after what we've been through already) we have some DisplayPort to VGA adapters I can test out in place of the DVI cards.  At this point, any new lead is worth investigation.

I'll post an update once I have confirmed whether or not my recent tests are showing promise.

Did you ever get any resolution from Dell?  I have been experiencing this exact same issues with workstations in three different batches since the beginning of the year.  Windows 7, OptiPlex 780, Dell P190S, DVI riser card for monitor connectivity, and the intel GMA.

Thanks,

Thanks for the response.  Did you have to test different driver versions to find a working one, or does base image you have just have that driver version?  8.15.10.1872 is ver A01 and they are offically at a10 and a11 15.17.18.2555 is obtainable from intel, but not avilable from Dell.

I am trying to figure out at which driver version the DVI issue was introduced.  Does anyone have this issue that was able to succesfully go to a higher driver revision above a01, but below a07?

Thanks,

Adam

John,

Did you ever get any resolution from Dell?  Do you have a case number?

Our config base is: OptiPlex 780, Windows 7/SP1 32bit, intel GMA, DVI riser card , and the Dell P190S monitor.  I dont know if the monitor model has anyting to do with the issue, but all of our 780s have this monitor.

I have been experiencing the issue since April, and I have 3/4 of 25 machines that were orderd in 3 different batches that are having the exact same problem.  I have 3 machines from my first batch that I downgraded to XP and they havent had an issue.  Machines that are running win 7 32 bit have the problem.  The only thing that seems to resolve the issus is if you can get the machine to use the built in win 7 driver that comes with the OS.  My newest site was working fine untill I installed intel driver ver15.17.18.2555 (dell has yet to officialy release this driver).  Driver ver A07 and A10 make no difference.  We were suspecting the DVI card up untill recently, but the newest batch of machines would seem to disprove that.  I honestely belive it has to be a driver issue.

The Dell case number is 844705914 and it was opened the last week of October.

I have installed the latest Intel drivers and bought all the machines to BIOS a10 (which was current up untill just recently, a12 just came out), but we contiune to have issues.

If you have a case number would you mind sharing it.  The Dell Senior Technical Analyst is satying they dont have any other cases in their system regarding this issue.

Thanks,

Adam

Nothing from Dell, or case #  at my company we have an image that come loaded from Dell, and then a ghost copy..  I took a troubled machine and reimaged it..  Now it works fine..  the Bios version doesn't seem to matter, the video driver that is loaded and seemed to work is version is 8.15.10.1872 .  with i had more of an answer.  

I attempted to get the latest drivers to work (don't recall what version) from Dell and then from intel.  but no avail.  

We have the exact same problem in our company here.

We have about 150 Machines 760/780, approx. 15 got this issue.

On about 10 machines we where able to fix it if we did the following procedure:

- Update to the latest Bios A10 or now even A12

- using the latest Intel Driver 8.15.10.2281

- set the Power Options in the Intel Driver to Maximum Performance

- installing the necessary Dell Monitor INF Driver Files

On the other 5 Machines the Black Screen Problem persists. So on two of them, which are highly risked for data loos, we installed a NVIDIA Dual DVI Gfx Card 60$ - problems gone.

But we do not want to solve the Dell Issue with an additional graphic card. In my case it’s also an ongoing problem since Nov. 2011.

Regarding your opinions here, it seems to be a tricky one, right.

We have a variation with the mt  opti 780, the display port with the special cable from the port to DVI will not show only lowest resolution.  We have two units and have updated the drivers under Win7 64 bit.  Anyone have this experience of suggest a solution??

Note:  The monitor will show only the lowest resolution.  We can not adjust the monitor.  We have tried other monitors and have the proper Dell cable from the video display port..

Giving everyone an update:

There are several issues that have been discussed here, but the issue I am talking about is black screen or frozen logon screen issue on Windows 7, 760 or 780, intel GMA,  with the monitor attached via the DVI riser card that happens randomly (it is usually overnight or over a weekend for us).  We use the DVI rise card as the primary video interface for the systems to have a digital connection to our monitors.  If we were using dual monitors and utilizing the VGA port, we would have the same issue that some of you are reporting.

I have had a case open with Dell since October of last year.  After 3 months it got to a point were Dell had me send in one of our 780s to observer the issue.  After two weeks of Dell having the system I was notified that the issue has been reproduced and confirmed.  It is a driver issue.  Since then it has been weekly updates indicating that there is no update on the progress of a fix being produced.

The only temporary fix that I know of is to use the Windows 7 OEM driver or the 2.5 year old A01 driver from Dell.  The last driver update from Dell for the system was releae on 04/04/11 with a ver. of 15.17.15.2281.  The last driver direct from Intel that we tested was 15.17.18.2555.  Both drivers exhibit the same problems when used.