# Second monitor, black lines.



## goudy (Jan 4, 2007)

So I got a second monitor and its currently connected to my laptop for dual display. But theres these flickering black lines all over the screen and its driving me crazy haha. Does anyone know what could be causing this?


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2004)

Does it flicker if you turn off the laptops display? Usually, there's a 'Fn' (Function) key you hold down, then another key has a monitor symbol on it that you press at the same time to cycle through the various monitors.


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## goudy (Jan 4, 2007)

I hit the "Fn" then a button that made my laptop screen go black until I hit any button and no change on the monitors flickering. I also tried making the monitor the primary and turning the laptop one off and still no change.

I updated all graphic drivers, tried changing to lots of resolutions, and tried to change the refresh rate by the only option is 60 so I wasn't able to change anything.

Nothing seems to help, its just like a faint flickering over the entire screen..almost gives the illusion like the screen was made of water...or like the wraith screens in SG:A lol.

The laptop screen is still great and isn't effected by the problem.


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2004)

Sounds like you have a compatibility issue between the monitor and the PCs hardware. Have you tried the monitor on a different computer? Looked up your monitors specs for compatibility? Or pressed the monitors 'Menu' key and changed settings in there?

Oh, and is this set up with software so that your two monitors are acting like one big one? You know, where the mouse cursor reaches the side of the screen and then pops up on the other screen?


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## goudy (Jan 4, 2007)

Ya I have the "extend desktop to this monitor" this selected so the mouse does travel between both.

And the monitor doesn't have a "menu" button anywhere on it.


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2004)

OK, let's narrow this down a little. Your multi-monitor software. Can you shut it off, reboot and then do the 'Fn' thing again.


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## goudy (Jan 4, 2007)

I'm not running any multi-monitor software, the computer just recognizes both.


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## goudy (Jan 4, 2007)

/bump, still trying to get a solution. I've got a headache at this point haha.


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2004)

What happens if you turn off 'Extend Desktop to This Monitor'?


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## goudy (Jan 4, 2007)

If I set the monitor to stop extending then it just turns off, and if I set the laptop to stop extending it also turns off and the problem continues on the monitor.


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## goudy (Jan 4, 2007)

/bump


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2004)

Eggnog is wearing off. So, what brand laptop, what brand monitor.


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## goudy (Jan 4, 2007)

Haha, fair enough 

Umm 

laptop: Aspire 6930g
monitor: Acer g215h


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2004)

The manual says the Acer is designed for Win7 & Win Vista, but excludes XP. Your signature shows you are using XP. That true?


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2004)

Your monitor manual shows that the 'Menu' key is on the bezel, bottom right.

What flavor of XP are you using? Pro? Home? 32-Bit, 64-Bit?


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## goudy (Jan 4, 2007)

No actually the laptop is Vista, that was from my old computer I failed to updated it. Sorry 

Oh damn I didn't see those buttons at all, your a ninja.


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2004)

OK, Vista. There must be a way to turn off the multi-desktop mode. Right click anywhere on the desktop where there isn't an icon. Choose 'Properties'. Then 'Settings'. In the drop down menu, what choices do you have?


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## goudy (Jan 4, 2007)

Well when I right click I have "Personalize" instead of properties and I think "Settings" is the "Display Settings"...which takes me to the generic monitor settings with black boxes numbered 1 and 2 for each monitor, as well as the resolution slider.


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2004)

OK, above the resolution slider is there a bar with a drop down arrow? When you click on that, what does it show?

(I'm using XP so yours won't look exactly like mine).


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## goudy (Jan 4, 2007)

Theres two options

The first is 
"g215h (Analog) on NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GS"

the second
"Generic PnP Monitor on NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GS"

Changing this between the two seems to have zero effect unfortunetly.


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2004)

Did you connect the external monitor with an analog cable (D-shell, 15pin positions, sometimes not all of them with pins, but sometimes all 15 of them)? Looks like this: Video Connector 15-pin

Or a digital cable, wider, with more pins? Looks like this: Digital Video


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2004)

There has to be a way to turn of the Extended Desktop. There's probably some installed software that came with the computer, 'Start' - 'Programs' and probably called 'Acer' or 'Display' or something. You should be able to open that program and set it either to two monitors displaying the desktop (with a mouse cursor on both which moves on both when you move the mouse), or to just the external monitor as a single desktop (some computers will only run one desktop at a time). 



I'm just trying to see if the Extended Desktop software has a conflict with the hardware.

Time for bed, I'll check this first thing in the morning. G'nite.


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## goudy (Jan 4, 2007)

Ya I have the monitor connected to the laptop with a VGA plug, blue one with the screws haha.

I mean I can "uncheck" the "extend desktop to this monitor" like I tried earlir and that seems to disable the extended desktop software, or function, but like I said it seems to have no improvment on the monitor by switching off the laptops display .

I almost want to just say that its an issue with the monitor itself, I'll have to try it on another computer tomorrow.

Thanks for all the help and continued assistance, I know my responses weren't very quick.


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2004)

Ahh, wasn't thinking straight when I read that the first time. Yes, it's time to try the monitor on another computer. Monitors can fail too, at any time in their life span.

You might also try a DVI cable instead of the VGA as well...though I don't hold out much hope that that will work.


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