2nd monitor on laptop

[traderman57]

Hello All,

Updated a Windows Vista OS to Windows7 and added from 2GB to 4GB memory - LAPTOP.
Everything works great - much better.

EXCEPT one thing:

Before the change I was able to attach a second monitor to the laptop and it worked correctly.

Now no go.

This laptop uses the Fn keys and the F3 is the key for adding the monitor.
When I press Fn+F3 the laptop screen flashes but does not add the second display.

Secondly, when I go to the set up computer for multiple displays, the only one that is shown in the picture and in the menu is the attached monitor - properly identified.

The window pane to set up the multiple displays never shows the laptop monitor.

This all results in my being able to see and use only the laptop screen. The attached monitor
is not usable although it shows up correctly in the menu.

Any ideas on how to get both monitors to show up in the set up pane?

 

[fowang]

and you have expanded your desktop to the other monitor?

 

[traderman57]

Hello fowang,

yes, I have gone to the "set up computer for multiple monitors" windows.
Microsoft shows a video on how to do this. There are two parts to the set up.

In the upper part it is supposed to show two monitors via icons. I am only seeing
one monitor. I am not certain, but it seems to show the attached monitor and not the laptop screen monitor. I am not certain which icon it is showing

It is confusing because below this box for monitor icons is a drop down menu.
This drop down menu should display two monitors to set up as you please.
However, it only shows - correctly - the attached monitor - a PnP monitor properly identified.
It does not show the laptop screen display as an option to adjust the settings for it.

So since it is only showing one monitor I can not expand the desktop (laptop) to the second monitor.

In control panel/devices it shows the proper attached monitor by name.
There is an icon for the laptop, but it has a (triangle shield!) on it. I have tried to trouble shoot this,
it does not provide a solution. Finally, - the best I can find is that this (triangle shield!) comes up with base drivers for this device (laptop) are not installed. Windows searching for for drivers does not find drivers for the base system device.

So how/where do I get base system device drivers for the laptop monitor device?

The laptop and display works fine. I am typing this and using the normal display on the laptop.

 

[traderman57]

Still having trouble.

I used the device driver disk that came with the laptop and was able to update two drivers.
They no longer show up as requiring updated drivers.
There is still an unknown device that will not install a driver from let windows find it or from the installation disk.

The PnP attached monitor shows up correctly in device manager is is shown as working correctly.

Apparently the laptop monitor itself is not showing up correctly so when I try to expand the dispay to multiple monitors only one - the attached monitor is detected.

Selecting the detect button or anything else does not let me show the laptop display.

Any advice?

 

[nd_hunter]

What type of graphics does your laptop have? Have you tried installing the latest Windows 7 drivers from the Web? They might be newer than what came on the CD you used.

I too had issues getting an external display to work properly with my laptop (has an nVIDIA 9800GS, I believe). Fortunately, all it took was about 20 minutes of trial and error with the settings to get it (close to) how I wanted it.

 

[traderman57]

Hello nd_hunter,

Thank you for your reply. Windows7 was indeed at least in part the problem.
Drivers did need to be updated - i was not surprised. Windows7 just would not do it automatically.

After many trials and searching I finally got the drivers updated and it worked just like it should.

Thanks and good luck to you!

 

[nd_hunter]

Hello nd_hunter,

Thank you for your reply. Windows7 was indeed at least in part the problem.
Drivers did need to be updated - i was not surprised. Windows7 just would not do it automatically.

After many trials and searching I finally got the drivers updated and it worked just like it should.

Thanks and good luck to you!

You're welcome. Glad it worked out for you!

 

[dg27]

I'm surprised to hear that you had problems with this. I switch back and forth to an external (both extended and duplicate) monitor setup several times a day, Does your keyboard have the monitor key next to F12? That gets you right to the config screen.

 

[traderman57]

Best answer selected by traderman57.