cannot use e6410 with KVM switch

Question

My company recently replaced my Thinkpad with a Dell E6410 Latitude. I have a KVM switch that I use to share one external monitor, keyboard and mouse amongst 4 PCs. With the Thinkpad, I could configure the external monitor as the primary and the laptop monitor as an extended desktop secondary monitor. This worked fine and there were no issues switching away from the Thinkpad and then coming back to it. The monitor configuration was stable and worked fine. With the E6410, I can switch the KVM to it, configure the KVM connected external monitor as the primary and the laptop as the secondary, just like with the Thinkpad. All is fine until I use the KVM switch to access a different computer. When I do so, the E6410 switches to single monitor mode, throwing all open windows onto the laptop screen. When I use the KVM to switch back to the E6410, the KVM connected monitor will become active in clone display mode. Is there a way to prevent the external monitor port from going inactive? On the Thinkpad (and an HP laptop, and 2 other systems) this is not a problem...

damonragan · Answer

Let me know if this helps? http://communities.intel.com/message/100760;jsessionid=A891353558E24E8748EEB82E175F123F.node7COM

mdisante · Answer

'Let me know if this helps? http://communities.intel.com/message/100760;jsessionid=A891353558E24E8748EEB82E175F123F.node7COM ' Damon, I spotted that web page last night. This is not exactly the issue that I am having. I am using the Intel integrated graphics that is built into the chip set. The Intel integrated graphics processor supports extending your desktop onto an external monitor and it seems to work fine, until I use my KVM switch to change to another CPU. Later, when I switch back to the E6410 Laptop, the video has been changed from extend my desktop to 'clone built in monitor' mode. Then I must manually reconfigure the built-in and external monitors back to the configuration that I want. This is the first laptop that I've ever had that was so fussy about the external monitor being connected or not connected. The dang thing should just do what I tell it to and ignore whether or not it thinks a monitor is actually connected!

damonragan · Answer

How bout this???
The KVM switch you have is the source of this issue - it did not provide Full-time/ Active DDC communication between the connected display monitor and the connected system via the KVM switch channels. Please google "Full-time All DDC", you will find more information about it.

mdisante · Answer

Damon, I understand, but what I am trying to say is why does the laptap care? This is the first and only PC I have where this is an issue. My KVM switch works fine with everything else and now your are telling me that I need to go out and spend another $200 to get a different KVM? How about giving us the ability to tell the video to ignore if a monitor is hooked up or not? I thought that maybe my KVM switch was the issue and Dell sells Belkin, so I ordered a Belkin F1DS104L KVM switch. Do you know if this unit will work or is this another waste of time? Thanks...

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