- May 1, 2015
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Hello fellow techies! I want to start by saying that this is a HIGHLY advanced problem, and I feel like a complete idiot for not being able to figure it out. I fix computers as a profession, so you should know that I tried all of the"obvious fixes". If this hasn't scared you off, and you feel up the the task, please read ahead!
Customers Computer: Custom ASUS Build from 2011
CPU: AMD Phenom II 1100T (http://products.amd.com/en-gb/DesktopCPUDetail.aspx?id=726)
Mobo: ASUS Crosshair V Formula (http://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/CROSSHAIR_V_FORMULA/)
Video Card: Two MSI R6950 (http://us.msi.com/product/vga/R6950_Twin_Frozr_IIOC.html#hero-overview)
Ram: 16GB of blah blah blah
Monitors: Two ASUS VH238H (https://www.asus.com/us/Monitors_Projectors/VH238H/)
So gents, here is the issue: before upgrading his machine to Win8.1, he was running Windows 7 Ultimate x64 just fine, both monitors worked fantastically. I upgraded the machine for him to Win8.1 Pro, and that is where the issues with Display started. First of all, there is no on-board graphics on his motherboard, so we have to use his cards to do any form of display. Each card has 2 DVI ports, 1 HDMI, and 2 Mini-Display ports on it. I CAN get dual displays if I use 1 HDMI and 1 DVI connection in any layout, but I cannot get a display if I use dual DVI in any layout. If I just use one display on any port, it works great, either monitor. The issue is trying to get dual displays with DVI. Also worth noting, I cannot use dual HDMI's split between the cards either. I have upgraded the firmware for the video cards, as well as the BIOS for the Motherboard just to be safe. Before the upgrade, we would get output on both monitors with no HDD's or other SATA connections active, so the cards and mobo were duplicating the signal just fine, but now it doesn't want to recognize the second monitor.
Below is the testing I have done:
1. Checked multiple different ways to see if Win8.1 is even recognizing the second monitor, it is not.
2. Checked mutiple ways to see if the monitors are in perfect working condition, they are.
3. Checked to see that the Mobo and GPU's are working just fine, they are.
4. Checked multiple cables to make sure that they are not the issue, no change.
5. Tried to cold boot with no bootable devices, still no signal to second monitor.
6. Tried to reinstall Win7 back on the drive, still no second display.
7. Tried EVERY port and layout possible for the ports from GPU, still no second display besides #8 below.
8. Tried 1 HDMI and 1 DVI, success, but the customer wants to use dual DVI.
9. Tried 2 HDMI, 1 in each card, fail.
My conclusion: there is a changed setting in the motherboard or GPU that no longer wants to detect two outputs in the same style ports; this setting was changed by the upgrade to 8.1.
Thoughts? Ideas? I am out of answers guys. I've been building/fixing computers for quite a few years now and I haven't had an issue (that I'm pretty sure is fixable) like this one. Any advise or thoughts are helpful, anything could spark a solution at this point!
- Harrison Whitmarsh
Lincoln Nebraska USA
Customers Computer: Custom ASUS Build from 2011
CPU: AMD Phenom II 1100T (http://products.amd.com/en-gb/DesktopCPUDetail.aspx?id=726)
Mobo: ASUS Crosshair V Formula (http://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/CROSSHAIR_V_FORMULA/)
Video Card: Two MSI R6950 (http://us.msi.com/product/vga/R6950_Twin_Frozr_IIOC.html#hero-overview)
Ram: 16GB of blah blah blah
Monitors: Two ASUS VH238H (https://www.asus.com/us/Monitors_Projectors/VH238H/)
So gents, here is the issue: before upgrading his machine to Win8.1, he was running Windows 7 Ultimate x64 just fine, both monitors worked fantastically. I upgraded the machine for him to Win8.1 Pro, and that is where the issues with Display started. First of all, there is no on-board graphics on his motherboard, so we have to use his cards to do any form of display. Each card has 2 DVI ports, 1 HDMI, and 2 Mini-Display ports on it. I CAN get dual displays if I use 1 HDMI and 1 DVI connection in any layout, but I cannot get a display if I use dual DVI in any layout. If I just use one display on any port, it works great, either monitor. The issue is trying to get dual displays with DVI. Also worth noting, I cannot use dual HDMI's split between the cards either. I have upgraded the firmware for the video cards, as well as the BIOS for the Motherboard just to be safe. Before the upgrade, we would get output on both monitors with no HDD's or other SATA connections active, so the cards and mobo were duplicating the signal just fine, but now it doesn't want to recognize the second monitor.
Below is the testing I have done:
1. Checked multiple different ways to see if Win8.1 is even recognizing the second monitor, it is not.
2. Checked mutiple ways to see if the monitors are in perfect working condition, they are.
3. Checked to see that the Mobo and GPU's are working just fine, they are.
4. Checked multiple cables to make sure that they are not the issue, no change.
5. Tried to cold boot with no bootable devices, still no signal to second monitor.
6. Tried to reinstall Win7 back on the drive, still no second display.
7. Tried EVERY port and layout possible for the ports from GPU, still no second display besides #8 below.
8. Tried 1 HDMI and 1 DVI, success, but the customer wants to use dual DVI.
9. Tried 2 HDMI, 1 in each card, fail.
My conclusion: there is a changed setting in the motherboard or GPU that no longer wants to detect two outputs in the same style ports; this setting was changed by the upgrade to 8.1.
Thoughts? Ideas? I am out of answers guys. I've been building/fixing computers for quite a few years now and I haven't had an issue (that I'm pretty sure is fixable) like this one. Any advise or thoughts are helpful, anything could spark a solution at this point!
- Harrison Whitmarsh
Lincoln Nebraska USA
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