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HERO NEEDED: Lost my display DURING final installation stages of Windows 7
I NEED A HERO!
What alternative is there to Fn-F8 to toggle the video to an external display?
I have an external display connected to my E1705 laptop because my laptop display died several years ago (light tunnel problems). No problem all this time - a simple Fn-F8 would mirror the video to that external display.
During final installation stage of Windows 7, I lost my external display. Fn-F8 does not work anymore, although it worked previously during the installation process when the boot disk needed to restart my computer twice.
So now, it's waiting for my input, I can't see a thing, and my heart is sinking to think that in this limbo state between a not-quite-installed Windows 7 and an old Windows XP that's been wiped out, that it no longer has the capacity to understand Fn-F8.
Am I doomed? Funny, my machine DOES still recognize a WiFi toggle (Fn-F2). How can I get my display back? - is there an alternative sequence? Many thanks to any potential heroes out there.
Dumb Question S
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April 5th, 2014 23:00
Believe it or not, problem is solved.
Read countless threads - most not helpful, tried a few, nothing worked.
Finally executed hard shutdown; rebooted in safe mode.
Held down Fn-F8 for several seconds - DISPLAY RETURNED!
Opted to restart in normal mode as installation could not continue in safe mode.
Again, Fn-F8 worked - and I completed my installation.
So … why did I lose my display in the first place? - and why was Fn-F8 useless as I tried for hours to figure this out? Still don't know. But thankful indeed for the opportunity to air this here. Thanks, Mary G - for letting me know that there are caring folks out there.
Dumb Question S
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April 5th, 2014 23:00
Problem resolved - and most unexpectedly, it wasn't strenuous.
After reading countless threads and finding none that worked, executed hard shutdown of laptop. Rebooted in safe mode, and external display came back while pressing down Fn-F8. Installation could not continue in safe mode, so opted for normal Windows restart … and voila! - installation continued where it left off. Win 7 is now installed.
Can't explain what the hiccup was that lost my display in the first place, but thankful to have it back.
Also discovered: While searching the threads for "windows 7 install", when you use the word "blind" to describe that you have no display and therefore must run diagnostics sight unseen, search engines will point you to endless links on how to install window blinds. :)
Mary G
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April 5th, 2014 19:00
Try F8 alone without the FN key. Are you sure the external display is not the problem? Turn it off and on and recheck the connections.
Dumb Question S
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April 5th, 2014 20:00
Mary,
Powering up/down and resetting connections did not work. My monitor did display error messages ("cable not connected" etc) so the monitor appears to be functioning.
F8 and Fn-F8 do not work, even when pressed down for long periods of time.
Now and then after long periods of inactivity, my broken laptop display will flash the display for a split second. Windows 7 installation is waiting for input from me, but it's so quick I can't respond in time. I read online a suggestion (from non-Dell) to reboot while holding down F8, but that would be a last resort as I'm treading in unfamiliar waters here and don't know what that would do to the installation process.
Thank you. Any suggestions would be gratefully attempted.