Please help me fix my husband's monitor/display issue...

[desperatewife]

Ok, I'll try to keep this as simple as possible.

He has a Toshiba gaming laptop (although not high-end) with an NVIDIA GEForce 8700. He has always used the laptop with an external monitor and other peripherals. One evening he decided that his 22" monitor wasn't large enough to satisfy him any longer so he decided to hook the laptop to our 42" tv and sit in the middle of my living room to game....then being the nagging wife that I am I demanded that he return to his desk and his crappy 22" monitor. Well, now the monitor doesn't work with his laptop. It works perfect when plugged into other computers. But when it's plugged into the laptop it just won't power on...almost like it's just stuck in sleep mode. He's combed through every control panel and Nvidia control panel setting. He's formatted and reinstalled Windows 7. Nothing works.

His explanation, "I fried something"

So...please help me be the right one in this argument. I want to fix it before he gets home from work and look like the genius wife that I am.

Thank you.

 

[Devballs]

Did you check to see if the monitor is on the correct source? For example if you are using an hdmi cable from the laptop to the monitor that the monitor is set to HDMI, or DVI cable and the source on the monitor is DVI? etc

 

[desperatewife]

It's VGA. Would there still be a setting for that as well? I am going to troubleshoot after he goes to bed.

 

[desperatewife]

Also...I suggested that he should plug the laptop back into the TV to see if it still works when plugged to the TV. And it does.

 

[Devballs]

Yes there would be a VGA source on the monitor, are you using the same cable/port to plug the laptop into the TV as the monitor?

 

[desperatewife]

Yes. Our TV has a VGA input and we have used the same port. Another bit of information...we've tried various resolution settings as well.

 

[Devballs]

Well, I suggest plugging the laptop into the monitor, make sure that it is on the correct source input, then opening up the nVidia control panel and make sure that the monitor is detected, and that the resolution setting is compatible with your monitors resolution.

 

[desperatewife]

Ok. He has gone to bed. I'll give it a try.

 

[desperatewife]

Ok...I'm not finding any VGA/DVI/HDMI settings anywhere in the Nvidia control panel or the Windows 7 control panel. Nvidia control panel is recognizing the monitor. The monitor is still in "sleep mode". I have also tried the windows key +P with no luck.

 

[Devballs]

No the VGA/DVI/HDMI will be a button on your monitor labeled source, or input.

 

[desperatewife]

No such button on the monitor. It's a HP w2207. Not sure if that is helpful. Would it make sense that when plugging this monitor directly into another computer via the VGA port and it works like a dream that somehow the source is off?

 

[Devballs]

As per HPs website:


Selecting the source of video input

Attach a VGA cable (provided), a DVI-D cable, or both to the monitor. To use DVI, your computer must have a DVI-compliant graphics card. If both cables are installed, the default input selection is DVI. To switch the input selection, use the Switch Video Input option in the OSD menu.

1.
Press the Menu button on the front of the monitor to access the OSD main menu.

2.
Navigate to Switch Video Input by pressing the + (plus) or –(minus) buttons on the monitor.

The Switch Video Input toggles between VGA and DVI.

3.
Click Save and Return after you make your choice.

 

[desperatewife]

Ok...when I press the buttons on the front of the monitor it doesn't even wake up so I wouldn't really be able to navigate through those options. Lol.

It's plugged into the laptop and is just stuck in sleep mode/says "No signal" then goes to sleep. I know it's not the cable as we use the cable to plug the monitor into another computer and it works fine. I know it's not his VGA port as we can plug his laptop to the TV and it works fine.

 

[Devballs]

Even if there is no input you are able to access the OSD.

 

[desperatewife]

Hmm. Well all I see is a black screen. Lol. The only time it will "wake up" is when I unplug and plug it back into the laptop. It wakes up long enough to display a message of no signal and going to sleep.

 

[Devballs]

Ok, just read the product specs and the max resolution that monitor displays is 1680 x 1050. In the nVidia control panel or in the windows screen resoltion page can you verify that is what the laptop is trying to push to the monitor?

 

[desperatewife]

When I hold the menu button on the front of the monitor down it wakes it up long enough to tell me it's going back to sleep. haha

 

[simmons33]

I would check the Monitor's OSD for a "Factory Reset" Option. If not available then google the make and model with factory reset.

Also never hurts to try another wall outlet/

Ive had Monitors randomly stop working or develop weird quirks in the past and this has always fixed it for me =/

 

[desperatewife]

I would do that except I can take the VGA cable and plug it directly into another computer and have it work. I don't think in this case that it's a monitor issue necessarily.

This is frustrating to say the least.

I'm not nearly as computer illiterate as I may seem. I actually have a degree in CIS but I absolutely hate computer repair and it's certainly not my calling. Just a wasted four years of my life.

 

[desperatewife]

Devballs, the nVidia control panel is no longer complying. I select the hp as an external display and when I "apply" the setting it just erases it. But earlier it was working fine and I did have the resolution set to the recommended resolution and that was not fixing it either.

 

[Devballs]

As previously stated, have you insured that the laptop is providing a 1680x1050 resolution to the monitor?

 

[photonboy]

Laptop to Monitor issue:

Your monitor won't get a signal until you go into the Video Control Panel and select a 2nd screen, usually as Extended though you have other options such as the Monitor being the main one and the laptop off.

Most laptops also have an F-Key that can toggle the monitor output options. For example, you might:
a) hookup the laptop to monitor
b) press the FUNCTION button + the proper F-Key (may have a square monitor signal) slowly which toggles the options

However, you really want to use the Video Control Panel, and for example:
a) physicall attach monitor
b) choose the 2nd monitor as "extended" in the Video Control Panel
c) choose "scale by aspect" (can be done on the Monitor as well) to prevent stretching
d) choose the proper resolution (apparently 1680x1050)

 

[desperatewife]

Previously it was, yes (1680x1050). Now the control panel isn't holding any settings once applied.

 

[desperatewife]

To elaborate...

When I go into the nvidia control panel on the left-hand side I see:

-3D Settings
--Adjust image settings with preview
--Set PhysX configuration
-Display
--Change resolution
--Change flat panel scaling
--Adjust desktop color settings
--Set up multiple displays
-Video & Television
--Adjust video color settings
--Adjust video image settings

When I first go into nvidia control panel in the center I see:

1) Select the displays you want to use:
[ ] HP w2207
[x] Seiko Laptop Display (1)

At this point I click "Set up multiple displays" in the left pane. I check "HP w2207 under "Select the displays you want to use" I click "Apply" and the laptop monitor will go black for a moment and come back on. "HP w2207" is now unchecked and I'm back to square one. If I re-check "HP w2207" and click "Change resolution" I get a notification stating that changes have been made and would I like to apply the changes. I check "Yes". Again, laptop monitor goes black, comes back and "HP w2207" is again unchecked. Sigh.

EARLIER I was able to check it and was able to change the resolution to the recommended settings.

-----

When I go into Windows 7 Display control panel I see:

Monitor 1:

Display: 1) Mobile PC Display
Resolution: 1440 x 900 (recommended)
Orientation: Landscape
Multiple Displays: Show desktop only on 1 (with drop down) (Yes, I've tried changing this as well to show desktop only on 2 which is the HP)

And then I see "This is currently your main display"

When I select monitor "2" I see:

Display: 2. HP w2207
Resolution: 1440 x 900 (recommended)...this is greyed out and does not allow me to make changes now. Earlier I set it to the recommended resolution.
Orientation: Landscape (Also greyed out)
Multiple Displays: Show desktop only on 1.

[ ]Make this my main display (unchecked and greyed out so that I cannot check it)

 

[Devballs]

In windows 7 display select Muliple displays and extend my desktop to display if you want to run both screens.