# [SOLVED] No display on HDMI before login screen



## JKDMind

Hey guys! It has been a really...really.... really long time since I posted a thread on here and since you guys have helped me in the past a lot, I decided to come back with only one issue. I am not used to you guys awesomely new layout and I am not quite sure what category I should properly post this issue.

My issue, which I have googled A LOT and found no solution is that my HDMI input on my graphics card works perfectly fine in windows and at the login screen. I also have a VGA cable plugged into a DVI adapter on the DVI port on my graphics card for old games like StarCraft, because HDMI can't scale StarCraft at full screen properly. The only way to view it correctly without getting two vertical black boxes on each side of the screen, or having the screens top and bottom slightly cut off at full screen, is to use a VGA output which scales StarCraft at full screen perfectly.

Anyways, I am ranting on another issue, but this is why I have HDMI and VGA with a DVI converter. HDMI is for everything else except for old games that HDMI can't scale correctly, then I use VGA in that department.

Ok, on to my issue. Like I stated HDMI works fine and all, but when I restart, or turn on my computer from shut down etc, my HDMI input goes off and says that there is no Display Signal, and then switches to my VGA output which works fine and I can see the splash screen loading screen etc. So at least I am able to see everything with VGA at boot, but for some reason HDMI says there is no signal until I get to the login screen. Once I get to the login screen, HDMI comes back on and the signal is fine. Sign in to windows, and do my thing and everything is peachy.

It's just so annoying to have the HDMI signal go out and monitor go black with a No Signal display and switches to VGA to see boot screen/loading screen and then when it loads to the login screen it goes black again, because it's switching back to HDMI! Which finally works once I get the login screen and Windows itself.

Is there a way I can just have my HDMI input work through all stages of the boot sequence, without removing my VGA Cable that is plugged in to DVI with a DVI converter? I even went as far as to go to Screen Resolution and selected "Show desktop only on 1", which 1 is my HDMI port and I went to Nvidia control panel and done the same thing, basically disabling the DVI port that my VGA cable is connected to, until I actually need it, which is much better than having to actually physically remove/replace the cable and the screws attached to the converter.

GPU : EVGA GTX 470
Monitor : Gateway HD2201
OS : Windows 7 Home Premium

Thank you guys! Don't be made at my long rant, k? Lol. Thank you so much!!!

:luxhello: :luxhello: :luxhello: :luxhello: :luxhello:


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## JKDMind

*Re: No display on HDMI before login screen*

Er, is there no edit option for my post? Oh well... I meant to say please don't be mad at me for my long rant, not made. Lol.

Oh I guess I waited to long to edit... Oh well.


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## JimE

*Re: No display on HDMI before login screen*

Remove/disconnect the VGA cable (use on the HDMI cable), and test.

Aside from that, I'd suspect a hardware issue (video card). I've had some cards that properly display boot over HDMI, and a few that wouldn't.

As for the HDMI "scaling" issue. It's not an issue. HDMI (as it is a TV hardware spec), maintains AR. If you are playing an old game that is in a 4:3 format, the HDMI output will be in 4:3 format (and black bars on the left and right). This "issue" is overcome by most TV's by providing video input mode selections (ie: widescreen, widescreen stretch, etc.). This is just one of the many issues that arise when mixing technologies.


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## JKDMind

*Re: No display on HDMI before login screen*

I can set it to fit the screen to eliminate the black boxes, but I even stated when it is in fullscreen (with out the black boxes), that it doesn't scale properly. When it scales to fullscreen, the top and bottom portions of the screen is still cut off, even when adjusting screen position. If you know StarCraft, lets just say that your minerals and vespene gas at the top right of the screen can not be viewed because the entire top potion of the screen is literally cut off, no matter what scaling option you choose from the monitor, or GPU.

The bottom of the screen is cut off as well, so you can only see the top half of the command menu. My monitor also has a built-in "Auto-Adjust" feature, but it is only viewable/available on VGA, which when selected scales and fits the image in widescreen format perfectly, with no cut off. With HDMI however, this option is not viewable/available and can not be found anywhere on the displays built-in options, which can be explored by touch sensitive LED lights at the bottom right of the display. I've tried adjusting the image over HDMI with GPU options in the Nvidia control panel with no luck, since whatever reason the only scaling options I have over HDMI is "4:3" and "Wide" in my displays built-in options.

These options (even the 4:3 option), will have the image cut off at the top and bottom. So not only do I have the black boxes when selecting 4:3 mode, but the top and bottom of the screen are still cut off to boot (Not being able to view minerals/gas, not able to view the bottom half of the command menu etc). I hope I was a little more detailed about this issue, even with the monitors and GPU display options, the image just simply does not fit correctly.

I also had this same issue even with my EVGA GT240. I believe the answer I got was along the lines of "You don't have a powerful enough graphics card", which doesn't make sense concerning proper scaling which requires little (if any) power and last time I checked you can run StarCraft : Broodwar on DirectX-Compatible SVGA Video Card from 1998. But here I am with a GTX 470 that should definitely have enough "Power". I know my card isn't defective, because this has happened on multiple GPU's. Could be my monitor, but it's just stupid that VGA is more flexible than HDMI when it comes to compatibility. I guess people who like to have a little nostalgia are pretty much abandoned in that department.

As for the removing of the VGA cable and testing with HDMI, I will get back to you with the results later on. Thanks again!!!


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## JKDMind

*Re: No display on HDMI before login screen*

Wow... I feel.... So dumb... Right now....

Ok, I looked at my monitors manual, and it seems that most of the screen adjusting features are only compatible with VGA (Weird for a monitor that supports HDMI). But oh well, because I found the solution. I went into the Nvidia control panel under the "Adjust desktop size and position" and tried to select "No scaling" for the Display bar and "Full-Screen" for the GPU bar and hit apply.

Went ahead and checked the Display bar and it automatically selects the same option that I selected for the GPU bar, which was frustrating, but I went ahead and launched StarCraft Broodwar anyways, just to check. Surprisingly it worked, I can even see the patch number for the game at the bottom right of the screen, which was not viewable before.

Funny thing is, that I have tried this before, but for whatever reason when I launched StarCraft it would show the game screen for a fraction of a second and then revert me to the windows desktop and anytime I tried hitting the StarCraft button on the task bar, or Alt + Tab back into the game that it will just say "No Display" and revert me back to the desktop, again. So now, for whatever reason it works, which is strange.

To double check things while it was working, I went ahead and Alt + Tab out of StarCraft and then hit Alt + Tab again back into StarCraft and I got the same "No Display" in the middle of the monitor and then it reverted back to the windows desktop. After that, I Alt + Tab back into StarCraft one more time, and for whatever reason it worked, the image is shown and scaled perfectly.

Seems kinda finicky, but at least I know I can get it to work. I wonder what is causing it to work now, but not work at other times. Regardless, I solved my own problem and was super simple. The only thing that originally made me think I had no more options left is because when I selected my options from before in the Nvidia control panel, that it would just revert me back to the windows desktop. But now it's working? I guess I should of been more repetitive about it.

Oh, and for anyone that has color glitch issues for StarCraft Broodwar for Windows 7. Just right click on the desktop and select "Screen Resolution" and leave the screen resolution window up (do not minimize) while you play StarCraft. This has help me at least to eliminate the color glitch issue. Also, make sure that the games .exe file is running in Windows 98 compatibility mode.

For my other issue, I will reboot now and see what I can come up with by unplugging the VGA cable. Thanks guys!!! You the bestest!


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## JKDMind

*Re: No display on HDMI before login screen*

Alright! I did what you asked and removed the VGA cable, since I won't be needing it now since I resolved my issue with StarCraft, which was the reason why I used the VGA cable to begin with.

Everything in the boot sequence is properly shown through HDMI, which is great. It only goes black after the Windows Loading screen and then refreshes back to HDMI once the login screen is up. So I am happy now. Thank you guys and I hope this thread helps anyone who encounters the same issues I have.

Take care!!!


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## JimE

*Re: No display on HDMI before login screen*

Cool. Glad you have it figured out. Enjoy!


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## Harry.Batt

Thanks JKDMIND i was puzzles as to why my hdmi monitor lost signal on boot up of xp....Went into Nvidia control panel and the settings had reverted back to single monitor....Put it back on dual monitor....all is fine and dandy now....Cheers


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