# [SOLVED] Dual monitor stopped working?



## Apocolapse (Feb 27, 2012)

Hey everyone,

Had a problem that just began this morning. I have used my Dell XPS 16 with a second monitor connected via VGA alot over the past years, and recently got a new shiny 24 inch screen.
This morning, I booted the laptop from sleep with the external monitor connected, when booted, only the external monitor recieved video signal. When I had logged in, I tried pushing the button that allows disconnect projector/duplicate/extend etc, but this made no change, my laptop screen remained black and didnt function.
I went into the resolution screen, and my laptop screen was undetected! The only monitor found was my external one.
I unplugged the VGA and then tried changing the screen settings using that weird screen duplicate etc button again, this prompted an error sound. When I plugged the external back in the error message said 'no projector detected'.

Now it gets very strange. I put the laptop into sleep mode, unplugged the VGA, and brought it out of sleep, whereupon the laptop screen worked perfectly! Then, I plugged the VGA back in, and tried to initiate the monitor extend, whereupon my laptop screen shutdown, my external monitor powered on as my primary monitor, and the laptop screen was again rendered undetectable...

I am at university at the moment, so I cant run any more tests till I am back, I just hoped that some of you may have an idea what this is?

I have a few ideas that may solve it, what do you think?:

Actually shutdown the laptop and reboot (didnt have time this morning, was in a rush)
Uninstall video driver software and reinstall
Try plugging in the external monitor using HDMI rather than VGA
I am probably more inclined to think that this may be a software problem, but I didnt know where else to put it! 

Thanks for your help in advance

oh, and I have an ATI 4670 HD


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## Learn2day (Feb 16, 2012)

*Re: Dual monitor stopped working?*



> Actually shutdown the laptop and reboot (didnt have time this morning, was in a rush)


Which should have been the first thing to do.. Don't you know you *always *should shut down your pc when installing new hardware?
Even being a plug n' play monitor, you said it yourself, you removed the other on sleep, and plugged in the new.. I think this is a recipe for drivers conflict disaster, but maybe that's just me..


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## Apocolapse (Feb 27, 2012)

*Re: Dual monitor stopped working?*



Learn2day said:


> Which should have been the first thing to do.. Don't you know you *always *should shut down your pc when installing new hardware?
> Even being a plug n' play monitor, you said it yourself, you removed the other on sleep, and plugged in the new.. I think this is a recipe for drivers conflict disaster, but maybe that's just me..


Hey, just want to update, after shutting down and rebooting, it worked perfectly again. I was more concerned because I have booted it from sleep that way before, and this was the first time such a problem had been encountered!
But anyway, thanks for your help, thank god it wasn't something more serious!
Cheers :thumb:

Edit: Just to clarify, the monitor wasn't new, I have had it for a few weeks now, so it should not of been installing new hardware


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## Learn2day (Feb 16, 2012)

*Re: Dual monitor stopped working?*

Glad it worked out ok.
Old/new was just a way to identify the monitors.. The real issue was change monitor in sleep mode. Although VGA port is plug n' play, it's not exactly an USB port nor it works the same way.


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