So I just got my new Gateway 30" XHD3000 to go in the middle of my dual 20" Dell 2001FP's and everything is just gorgeous and wonderful, save for one little problem.


I am running Vista Ultimate 64 with a Q6600, 4Gig RAM and an 8800GT for the Gateway and 1 Dell and a 7900GT for the other Dell. Also, I'm using the 169.09 Nvidia driver (for both vid cards).

The monitors are set up like this:

#3(Dell in portrait on 7900GT)---#1 (Gateway on 8800GT port 1)---#2 (Dell in portrait on 8800GT port 2).

Now, before I got the Gateway tonight, I was running Aero w/o problem on both Dell's. But now that I throw a 3rd monitor in the mix on a 2nd video card, monitor in the #3 spot goes haywire. It's getting a signal from the computer, but it's diagonal and completely scrambled.

I have tried "updating my score" (which is 5.7), I have tried both DVI ports on the 7900GT, I have tried switching which monitor is hooked up to 7900GT. Nothing has fixed the problem and I'm beyond frustrated now. The 7900GT works fantastically running everything BUT the Aero Theme. Grrrrrrrrr.

Also, native res is 1600x1200 and I tried 1280x800, 1280x768, and 1280x720. All have the same problem.

I should also add that tried using my new Gateway 30" on the 7900GT "slave" video card and the same problem happened.

Again, this is ONLY w/ Aero. All other themes/appearance settings work w/o problem.

I have even uninstalled/cleaned/reinstalled the 169.09 drivers.


If anyone has encountered the same problem and/or knows of a fix of this, PLEASE let me know.

TIA.

Also, Whenever the/a screensaver pops up, the same "diagonal scramble" pops up and it remains there, even after the other 2 monitors 'wake up' for about 30 seconds, then it pops up and clears itself and is then useable again. I took a screenshot to try and show what I was talking about, but in the screenshot, the monitor appears just fine.

this was one of my problems with vista64 biz... I had 4 monitors on 2 vid cards. I was able to figure out more of what was happening do to my configuration...

I only have 1 PCI E slot so I put in a reg PCI card for the second.

The best (closest I could get was)...

geForce 6600
geforce fx 5200

I noticed once I installed the second card - bios and vista treated that the (FX 5200) as the main video card... (bios and boot would run off the slower card). I tried to give control back to my main 6600 card but couldn't get it to happen.


I noticed when I installed the 66000 driver that the 52000 driver was loading... I noticed that because I couldn't get the resolution of 1680 x 1050... for montiors 1 and 2...

After hours of trouble shooting by some lucky combination of pulling cards - installing rolling back drivers disableing installing again. ( I think I even included standing on one leg and drinking orange juice) I tricked Vista into loading the 6600 driver and I got my boss resolution!

But then I got the same problem as you! Screen 3 and 4 (sometiems just 4) would load all scrambled...

MY MAGIC FIX!

Then by luck!!! I noticed when I played peggle... (an app that changed the video setting/resolution... after I stopped playing I would get all the montiros to work - no **** - I"m not kidding)...

That led me to a work flow of...

I would boot... then I would go to display settings I would disable then reenable monitors 3 and 4 ... then they would work... 4 monitors in vista 64...

What a pain in the ass!!!

I pulled the Vista HD out and swapped it for an xp pro disck and just a week ago (after 8 months of sitting on my shelf) SP1 made me give Vista another go...

Seems that there was an actual nvida update on the MS website... Since that then teh Sp1 update I haven't had a problem.






My struggle was getting Vist a to install the native 6600