What video card do you have? If you don't know, you can check in Control Panel - System - Hardware tab - Device Manager button. It should be listed under something like display adapters.
What exactly are you looking to do? Have the same thing displayed on both screens (i.e. two identical pictures)? Have the screen extended, so one picture is shown over the two screens? What are you trying to display - video? Internet? Spreadsheets?
Have you updated the drivers for your video card? What are your current display settings?
This information should make it possible to point you in the right direction.
I don't think you read my initial message/quiry. The video card is immaterial along with your other questions.
Read that my alternate hard drive works just fine as did the usual one which now doesn't. It also doesn't matter what program I am running as I said that the problem exists anytime even if there is no progrem running.
I can't toggle between the two screens, as I wrote, that's all. The Fn-F8 combo is supposed to allow this as it always did and does with the alternate HD.
The laptop screen only shows the desktop picture and nothing else, the same picture as always and the one that is on the remote screen that has all the windows icons, task bar, start button , clock and all, all working.
What else can I say? The problem is simple, the resolve should be too but it is over my head. This used to work as the laptop is supposed to work until I did something as I wrote. I have to undo something.
As you said in your original post,
"All this is related to when I may have done something in the Display Properties Settings menu but I don't know what."
That makes the video card settings material. Have you taken the time to compare the settings, including the video driver version, between the installation that doesn't work and the one that does?
you might have your settings set up to extend the desktop to both monitors. go to display properties, click settings. you should be seeing two monitors there, #1 should be on the left side and should be "multiple monitors." #2 would be default/plug and play monitor. click on #2, make sure that "extend my desktop to this monitor" is unchecked. click on apply. click on the advanced button, click on nView tab. if you want identical displays on both screens, click on Clone.
I do believe you know what my situation is and I followed your suggestions. This seemed to effect the issue, but not quite solve it.
I unchecked the box for monitor #2 but can't find the nView tab past the Advanced tab.
However, when I do the first part the laptop screen goes off, then I use the Fn-F8 combo and it comes back on showing just the Desktop Background, no icons or Taskbar. It won't cycle back.
Then when I reboot, that monitor box is again checked like the puter didn't remember I had unchecked it and the remote is fully on and the laptop screen just shows the desktop background.
All this is addressing the issue and I appreciate your being able to grasp what is or not going on with my system. It has a mind of its own.
Thank you for your assistance and for any further ideas you may have.
it sounds like your external monitor has somehow been set as the primary monitor, and the LCD screen as the secondary monitor... i'm not exactly sure what happened to make it that way though. *thinking* when you click on screen#1 (which should be the lcd on the laptop), is the "Make this my primary monitor" option checked? what happens if you don't have the monitor plugged in?
by the way, it's not the nView tab - my mistake - it's Twinview. if you don't see the Twinview tab after unchecking the "extend desktop" option, restart the computer. if you still don't see it after the restart, uninstall/reinstall the video drivers and try it again... tell me what happens after that.
As an inexperienced amatuer I didn't get to where you were going with your replies but not it makes sense.
Another forum helper clarified things and I followed what he suggested and that was to uninstall/reinstall the NVidea GeForce2 program that I had thought of as a chip and not software. I reinstalled it with the original CD that came with the 2650 and now all is well although I don't know how I messed things up with in the beginning, but I will be very careful in the future.
See my reply to Amaretto for all the details.
I do thank you and apreciate your attempt to sort things out for me and my 72 year old brain.
The most important thing I can report is that everything is just fine again as it was before I did something stupid. You directed me in the right places with the insight of realizing what was going on with my machine even though you were many miles away and had no idea of what I had done. I am most grateful. The ending? . . .
The external ViewSonic LDC was set as the Primary monitor and I couldn't change that.
When rebooting with that monitor unplugged then things looked fine on the laptop LCD but trying to make changes to make that a permanent primary also didn't work.
I finally found (in a jump out in my face place) the Twinview Tab you mentioned and when looking at that it was obvious what that was for and that feature had not been activated.
In the end I was going to take a chance in believing that the Video Driver was not a permanent chip but was software so I did your last suggestion and uninstalled/reinstalled the NVidiaGeForce2 from the original restore CD that came with the 2650. I also removed the ViewSonic driver which was not necessary with the Plug and Play feature that comes with XP which I also didn't understand.
With the NVidia driver reinstalled I rebooted and BINGO! . . .
Couldn't ask for anything better than what I saw, just like nothing had ever happened.
Your time was valuable to me as your patience was most worthy. Thank you.
Everything has returned to what it was before, and I mean bad.
This morning I did a cold boot and I saw what I had been trying to correct. The remote ViewSonic is once again the prime monitor and the laptop only shows the wallpaper. The Fn-F8 combo does not cycle the screens any more.
Now I am paranoid that a mischievous virus has entered my system just to cause pranks. With that in mind I will ask you a question.
For some time during a session I get a screen that looks like a MicroSoft thing reading that Windows has detected a problem. The option is to notify MS of this by clicking on the send button. Is there a possibility that these have been a virus?
If so, perhaps I should do the thing and format this drive and start over. I had been preserving the alternate drive for safety and never going on line with it only using it for storage of important data but would make the swap if I can safely move data to it via burning CDs. How can I tell if any files have viruses in them? Do I trust Norton for a full system scan?
Well, you have the picture. Removing and reinstalling the video drivers restored things but only for one boot cycle. I will try it again while waiting for your reply with ideas if you would again be so kind.
With my last message I reported that everything wrong had returned. This is a list of play by play things I have done again.
1- Unplugged the remote ViewSonic LCD display and rebooted.
2- Removed NVIDEA from the system with the Ad/Remove program. I had to do this two times as the first attempt didn't remove it. Turned off the 'puter.
3- Plugged in the VS, turned it on, and rebooted the Dell. Both screens were on with all the icons, very normal appearance. The screens cycled from one to the other then both using the Fn-F8 keys, very normal. I checked the Add/Remove program list and lo and behold the NVIDIA program was listed and I had not reinstalled it(???).
4- I checked the Display Settings and the #1 screen was active and the #2 was grayed out. the ID check indicated both screens as #1. The #1 screen shown on the bar was (multiple monitors) on Dell 2650. The #2 was listed as ViewSonic on Dell 2650.
What else can I say. XP seems to have a mind of its own but it sure knows more than I. And, for now, I am not complaining or confused, well perhaps confused. I will continue to use it as I have and see if it wants to bug me again.
Carleff
PS. I did a full system scan with the up-to-date Norton and no viruses showed up. I still am concerned about those notices that pop up on the wallpaper that something went wrong with the program (it usually stops) and do I want to notify MS, if so, click here. Are those legit or or those a well designed method to transmit my information to a spy?
spiked_martini
948 Posts
0
December 8th, 2003 18:00
What video card do you have? If you don't know, you can check in Control Panel - System - Hardware tab - Device Manager button. It should be listed under something like display adapters.
What exactly are you looking to do? Have the same thing displayed on both screens (i.e. two identical pictures)? Have the screen extended, so one picture is shown over the two screens? What are you trying to display - video? Internet? Spreadsheets?
Have you updated the drivers for your video card? What are your current display settings?
This information should make it possible to point you in the right direction.
carleff
42 Posts
0
December 8th, 2003 21:00
To Spiked-Martini,
Hello, SM,
I don't think you read my initial message/quiry. The video card is immaterial along with your other questions.
Read that my alternate hard drive works just fine as did the usual one which now doesn't. It also doesn't matter what program I am running as I said that the problem exists anytime even if there is no progrem running.
I can't toggle between the two screens, as I wrote, that's all. The Fn-F8 combo is supposed to allow this as it always did and does with the alternate HD.
The laptop screen only shows the desktop picture and nothing else, the same picture as always and the one that is on the remote screen that has all the windows icons, task bar, start button , clock and all, all working.
What else can I say? The problem is simple, the resolve should be too but it is over my head. This used to work as the laptop is supposed to work until I did something as I wrote. I have to undo something.
Thanks, SM for your attempt.
Got the picture?
jwatt
4.4K Posts
0
December 8th, 2003 22:00
That makes the video card settings material. Have you taken the time to compare the settings, including the video driver version, between the installation that doesn't work and the one that does?
You should also review the Forum Terms of Service.
Jim
amaretto
63 Posts
0
December 9th, 2003 04:00
carleff
42 Posts
0
December 9th, 2003 13:00
Hello Amaretto,
I do believe you know what my situation is and I followed your suggestions. This seemed to effect the issue, but not quite solve it.
I unchecked the box for monitor #2 but can't find the nView tab past the Advanced tab.
However, when I do the first part the laptop screen goes off, then I use the Fn-F8 combo and it comes back on showing just the Desktop Background, no icons or Taskbar. It won't cycle back.
Then when I reboot, that monitor box is again checked like the puter didn't remember I had unchecked it and the remote is fully on and the laptop screen just shows the desktop background.
All this is addressing the issue and I appreciate your being able to grasp what is or not going on with my system. It has a mind of its own.
Thank you for your assistance and for any further ideas you may have.
Carleff
amaretto
63 Posts
0
December 9th, 2003 22:00
carleff,
it sounds like your external monitor has somehow been set as the primary monitor, and the LCD screen as the secondary monitor... i'm not exactly sure what happened to make it that way though. *thinking* when you click on screen#1 (which should be the lcd on the laptop), is the "Make this my primary monitor" option checked? what happens if you don't have the monitor plugged in?
by the way, it's not the nView tab - my mistake - it's Twinview. if you don't see the Twinview tab after unchecking the "extend desktop" option, restart the computer. if you still don't see it after the restart, uninstall/reinstall the video drivers and try it again... tell me what happens after that.
carleff
42 Posts
0
December 10th, 2003 15:00
Hello -Martini
As
carleff
42 Posts
0
December 10th, 2003 15:00
Hello -Martini
As an inexperienced amatuer I didn't get to where you were going with your replies but not it makes sense.
Another forum helper clarified things and I followed what he suggested and that was to uninstall/reinstall the NVidea GeForce2 program that I had thought of as a chip and not software. I reinstalled it with the original CD that came with the 2650 and now all is well although I don't know how I messed things up with in the beginning, but I will be very careful in the future.
See my reply to Amaretto for all the details.
I do thank you and apreciate your attempt to sort things out for me and my 72 year old brain.
Best wishes.
Carleff
Message Edited by carleff on 12-10-2003 09:24 AM
carleff
42 Posts
0
December 10th, 2003 15:00
Hello Amaretto,
The most important thing I can report is that everything is just fine again as it was before I did something stupid. You directed me in the right places with the insight of realizing what was going on with my machine even though you were many miles away and had no idea of what I had done. I am most grateful. The ending? . . .
The external ViewSonic LDC was set as the Primary monitor and I couldn't change that.
When rebooting with that monitor unplugged then things looked fine on the laptop LCD but trying to make changes to make that a permanent primary also didn't work.
I finally found (in a jump out in my face place) the Twinview Tab you mentioned and when looking at that it was obvious what that was for and that feature had not been activated.
In the end I was going to take a chance in believing that the Video Driver was not a permanent chip but was software so I did your last suggestion and uninstalled/reinstalled the NVidiaGeForce2 from the original restore CD that came with the 2650. I also removed the ViewSonic driver which was not necessary with the Plug and Play feature that comes with XP which I also didn't understand.
With the NVidia driver reinstalled I rebooted and BINGO! . . .
Couldn't ask for anything better than what I saw, just like nothing had ever happened.
Your time was valuable to me as your patience was most worthy. Thank you.
I bid you peace and good will
Carleff
amaretto
63 Posts
0
December 10th, 2003 20:00
carleff,
glad to hear that everything worked out for you! now if only all computer problems could be resolved this quickly....
carleff
42 Posts
0
December 11th, 2003 11:00
Hello, Amaretto, It's me again,
Everything has returned to what it was before, and I mean bad.
This morning I did a cold boot and I saw what I had been trying to correct. The remote ViewSonic is once again the prime monitor and the laptop only shows the wallpaper. The Fn-F8 combo does not cycle the screens any more.
Now I am paranoid that a mischievous virus has entered my system just to cause pranks. With that in mind I will ask you a question.
For some time during a session I get a screen that looks like a MicroSoft thing reading that Windows has detected a problem. The option is to notify MS of this by clicking on the send button. Is there a possibility that these have been a virus?
If so, perhaps I should do the thing and format this drive and start over. I had been preserving the alternate drive for safety and never going on line with it only using it for storage of important data but would make the swap if I can safely move data to it via burning CDs. How can I tell if any files have viruses in them? Do I trust Norton for a full system scan?
Well, you have the picture. Removing and reinstalling the video drivers restored things but only for one boot cycle. I will try it again while waiting for your reply with ideas if you would again be so kind.
Thank you again,
Carleff
carleff
42 Posts
0
December 11th, 2003 20:00
Hello Amaretto, again,
With my last message I reported that everything wrong had returned. This is a list of play by play things I have done again.
1- Unplugged the remote ViewSonic LCD display and rebooted.
2- Removed NVIDEA from the system with the Ad/Remove program. I had to do this two times as the first attempt didn't remove it. Turned off the 'puter.
3- Plugged in the VS, turned it on, and rebooted the Dell. Both screens were on with all the icons, very normal appearance. The screens cycled from one to the other then both using the Fn-F8 keys, very normal. I checked the Add/Remove program list and lo and behold the NVIDIA program was listed and I had not reinstalled it(???).
4- I checked the Display Settings and the #1 screen was active and the #2 was grayed out. the ID check indicated both screens as #1. The #1 screen shown on the bar was (multiple monitors) on Dell 2650. The #2 was listed as ViewSonic on Dell 2650.
What else can I say. XP seems to have a mind of its own but it sure knows more than I. And, for now, I am not complaining or confused, well perhaps confused. I will continue to use it as I have and see if it wants to bug me again.
Carleff
PS. I did a full system scan with the up-to-date Norton and no viruses showed up. I still am concerned about those notices that pop up on the wallpaper that something went wrong with the program (it usually stops) and do I want to notify MS, if so, click here. Are those legit or or those a well designed method to transmit my information to a spy?
Thanks again for all your help and attention.