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Dual Monitor Issue

Tags:
  • Image
  • Graphics
  • Graphics Cards
  • Dual Monitors
  • Monitors
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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July 21, 2013 7:12:09 AM

Hi. I have a Jaton AGP8X graphics card with dual VGA ports. Yesterday I connected a second monitor to it, and while both monitors are working, I can only get the exact same image on each monitor and Windows is not recognizing that there is a second monitor (even though there is an image on it).

I have downloaded and installed new drivers from Nvidia and at the end of the installation the install program advised of a problem (can not start, Code 10). Also, in the Windows XP Control Panel the card is highlighted with an exclamation point and says it is not working.

I followed the Windows troubleshooting guide and uninstalled and reinstalled the card, with no luck. I also physically removed the card from the computer and reinstalled it, and still no joy.

What puzzles me is that the card is able to drive both monitors. It's just that Windows is not recognizing them as two monitors, and therefore I can not spread the image across them. All I have is duplicate image on two monitors. If the card itself is bad, why do both monitors function?

Also, fwiw, the Nvidia desktop software will not launch. The software shows up in Control Panel, but it will not actually run.

Thanks for your thoughts.

More about : dual monitor issue

a c 302 U Graphics card
a c 83 C Monitor
July 21, 2013 7:32:10 AM

Make certain you have the proper driver. 32/64 bit, XP, and for an older agp graphics card.
Your card may predate the newer unified NVidia drivers.
You may have to run a driver cleaner program to get rid of any residual junk.

Extending the desktop is is a windows function.
Here is what you do in windows 7; I imagine xp should be similar.

Right click on your desktop.
You should see both monitors.
under multiple displays, select extend these displays.
If you need to, identify the displays.
Then drag one to the other side.
You can also select which one is to be the primary display.
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July 21, 2013 8:09:16 AM

geofelt said:
Make certain you have the proper driver. 32/64 bit, XP, and for an older agp graphics card.
Your card may predate the newer unified NVidia drivers.
You may have to run a driver cleaner program to get rid of any residual junk.

Extending the desktop is is a windows function.
Here is what you do in windows 7; I imagine xp should be similar.

Right click on your desktop.
You should see both monitors.
under multiple displays, select extend these displays.
If you need to, identify the displays.
Then drag one to the other side.
You can also select which one is to be the primary display.

Thanks for the quick reply. I have already tried using the drivers on the CD Rom that came with the card. Obviously Windows told me I was overwriting drivers with an older version, but it allowed me to do it. That didn't work either.

The issue with extending the desktop is that Windows is not recognizing there are two monitors. When I right click on the desktop and to to Properties/Settings, only one monitor is displayed. However, as previously noted, both monitors are functioning and getting a picture.

I'm wondering if there is a way to force it to recognize that there are two monitors.
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a c 302 U Graphics card
a c 83 C Monitor
July 21, 2013 8:18:58 AM

Are you on SP3?
Here is a how to extend desktop using XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307873

Without a driver installed, your monitors should only be capable of basic mode. That might be 960 x 480 or similar.
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July 21, 2013 6:04:10 PM

geofelt said:
Are you on SP3?
Here is a how to extend desktop using XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307873

Without a driver installed, your monitors should only be capable of basic mode. That might be 960 x 480 or similar.

Yes I'm on SP3. Thanks for the link to the MS site, but the problem is that when I go to configuration page they discuss, only one monitor shows. There should be two monitors listed, but there aren't. Essentially that is my problem.

I am running both monitors at 1280 X 1024 and they are working fine. Except that they both display the same thing. I have tried lowering the resolution, but it didn't change any of the behavior.

I have finally got the graphics adapter to appear in Windows Control Panel without an exclamation point. In a nutshell, everything "appears" to be OK. Except that Windows does not recognize that two monitors are connected. From everything I've read, this should happen automatically - so long as the graphics card is capable of supporting two monitors (which it is). But it's not working. :( 

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July 25, 2013 12:40:35 PM

Well, I picked up a refurbished graphics card with dual VGA ports for $15, and... problem solved. As soon as I installed it and booted, Windows recognized both monitors. Clicked on the checkbox to extend desktop across both monitors, and all is fine.

Obviously there was an issue with the old graphics card. But I'm puzzled as to why it would display images on both monitors, if there was an issue with it. In fact, the card worked fine for several years while I had a single monitor, and it also (sort of) worked fine with two monitors - short of the minor detail that it simply duplicated everything. Two cursors, two sets of desktop icons, etc., and no way to get Windows to recognize that there were two monitors.

C'est la vie, I guess. I've had problems in the past that took way more than $15 to fix. :D 

BTW, I don't know to mark this thread as solved, but if someone can tell me, I'll gladly do so.
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