# [SOLVED] Vista device manager don't detect my 2nd video card



## djnono17 (May 19, 2008)

Hi,

okay, here is the stitch, I had a multimonitor system on a ATI HD 2900 PRO (2 monitors). I need to add a Cintiq (basically a third monitor), so I bought another HD 2900 PRO (same card, same manufaturer (SAPPHIRE), same product number). I have an Asus M2N4-SLI M/B with 2 pci slots.

Now, the device manager won't detect the second card. I thought she might not work, so I swapped them, and she works, The card on PCIe slot 1 always works, but the other isn't even detected.

No signal on the dvi either.

I have no conflict on the device manager, I have the latest catalyst drivers, I even tried to delete the video card from the device manager to force a new detection, it did, reinstalled the drivers, but still only the first card.

Both cards are running (the fans at least), and I checked that the SLI is disabled on the bios (since that M/B can do SLI).

I have to admit that i'm stuck, so i'd appreciate any help


----------



## Night_Wolf (Apr 24, 2008)

*Re: Vista device manager don't detect my 2nd video card*

The card is a radeon card and hence the mobo should be *Crossfire* and not *SLI*

One Radeon card is fine but not 2


----------



## djnono17 (May 19, 2008)

*Re: Vista device manager don't detect my 2nd video card*

It would have to be SLI if I wanted to run them linked, I need them to run *independently*, so I can have 4 screens. Since Vista new graphhic support (wddm) can only load one driver at a time, You need to have two identical card (I originaly had had an ati x1550 with the firest HD 2900, and It appeared in the device manager with a code 12 error because of that, that's why I bought another 2900 PRO)

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/display/multimonVista.mspx


_
Multimonitor Support in WDDM

On Windows Vista, older XPDM drivers still work and the multi-monitor behavior with XPDM drivers hasn't changed, because the operating system uses the legacy graphics stack.

However, the Windows Vista Display Driver Model (WDDM) brings fundamental changes to the management of multiple graphics adapters and external displays. This includes a new restriction, because WDDM drivers do not support "heterogeneous multi-adapter" multi-monitor implementations. Specifically:

•	*All graphics adapters in a system must use the same display driver model*. That is, all of them should either be running XPDM or WDDM. The driver models are mutually exclusive, and Windows Vista does not allow the simultaneous loading of both an XPDM driver and a WDDM driver.

If a system has one graphics adapter with a XPDM driver and another with a WDDM driver, then Windows Vista will choose the POST device, which is the one with VGA resources. This is commonly referred to as the "VGA adapter."

•	*If multiple graphics adapters are present in a system, all of them must use the same WDDM driver*. If there are two graphics adapters with WDDM drivers from two different manufacturers, then Windows will disable one of them. The VGA adapter will be enabled, and the second device will be disabled.

Notice that XPDM drivers still support heterogeneous multi-adapter as they did in Windows XP. A user who has such a configuration working fine in Windows XP will encounter a problem when upgrading to Windows Vista. An external monitor connected to one of the graphics adapters will have no video signal, because it is disabled. An error message will appear on system boot, as described later in this article.

The solution for this problem could be as follows:

•	A user could force the installation of a XPDM driver for each of these devices, and therefore get heterogeneous multi-adapter multi-monitor to work as in Windows XP.

-Or-

•	The user could change the graphics hardware configuration by choosing multiple graphics adapters that use the same WDDM driver. Graphics adapters from the same ASIC family generally have the same graphics driver. In late 2006, each of the major graphics vendors had a single WDDM driver for all supported WDDM graphics adapters. Please consult the graphics vendor's Web site for details on their driver support.

Background Notes: This restriction only affects a system that has WDDM drivers. WDDM was designed with stability as a key objective. Based on information gathered through Windows Error Reporting and the related Online Crash Analysis for Windows XP display drivers, Microsoft decided to simplify the graphics stack in Windows Vista.

The use of multiple graphics adapters occurred when graphics hardware vendors did not expose multiple connectors on graphics adapters. Today, almost all modern adapters support two or three connectors such as DVI, VGA, and S-Video. A*lso, most OEMs are now offering SLI/Crossfire configurations that support two or more graphics adapters that could also be used to connect more than two display devices when not in SLI/Crossfire mode*._


----------



## djnono17 (May 19, 2008)

*[Solved] Vista device manager don't detect my 2nd video card*

okay, I solved the problem by reinstalling my realtek ac97 audio drivers, I'd guess that made the vista device manager reallocate the ressources or something, but it works perfectly


----------



## Night_Wolf (Apr 24, 2008)

Ah sorry misinterpreted question :upset:


----------



## johnakabean (Dec 17, 2008)

I had installed an ATI X1600 with my ATI HD 4870; I couldn't get Vista to recognize it at all - not even give the balloon "INCOMPATIBLE DISPLAY ADAPTER HAS BEEN DISABLED". It didn't show up in device manager.

I had given up; I didn't want to install xpdm drivers for my HD 4870 either.

I **** you not, I am now using both the 4870 and the X1600, two heterogenous adapters, with Each using their own display modules. The x1600 is using its xpdm driver and the 4870 is using its WDDM driver.

how? The IBM (Lenovo) fingerprint reader software somehow made windows vista not care it was using heterogenous displays. I still have my windows Aero and THE COMPUTER EVEN RUNS MORE EFFICIENT.

I DON'T HAVE AN IBM COMPUTER, JUST THE KEYBOARD WITH A BIOMETRIC PROCESSOR. (I hand built my computer as I'm sure you guys did if you're reading this) It also doesn't matter if you're using any combinations of nvidia and/or ati cards togther, (read the very bottom)

Why should this work for you with you not having this keyboard? THE DISPLAY ADAPTER IS WORKING PERFECT AFTER RESTARTING THE COMPUTER MANY TIMES WITHOUT THE KEYBOARD EVEN CONNECTED. I'm not saying i'm 100 percent sure it will work, i'm saying i'm 90 percent sure. Whenever the software started looking for the biometric keyboard, using windows vista's add new hardware wizard, it made the X1600 kick in and installed the drivers for that too.

Why should I install this software; it will interfere with my computer? NO, WE ARE USING THIS SOFTWARE TO TRICK VISTA (somehow). When the Fingerprint Reader software, on startup of vista, realizes the keyboard is not there, it will not load nor interfere at ALL with the normal operation of your computer. I tested this, tried and true, as much as I can.

Please, install the finger print software and see if it does not make both of your display adapters work simultaneously. I have done everything I can to BREAK the installation of both adapters. I don't have the keyboard plugged in; I have removed both display adapters from device manager and restarted the computer several times and both are detected with the corresponding display drivers installed, against microsoft's will, and their corresponding display models are used together. The x1600 is using an XPDM driver and the 4870 is using a WDDM driver. Windows Aero is also working perfect. Directx 10 on the 4870 also runs BETTER than before.

I don't know what this software did but I'm glad it did it.

For 64-bit users:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=MIGR-70065

For 32-bit users:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-70064.html

SLI users: I WOULD GIVE THIS A TRY FOR THE HELL OF IT. Something this does, like I said, not only makes Vista not care its using Two display models at the same time but makes the computer perform better as far as the resources of the hardware. I'm using an nforce 790i from EVGA.


----------



## johnakabean (Dec 17, 2008)

UPDATE: I uninstalled the IBM fingerprint software, removed my display adapters from device manager, restarted, and IT STILL WORKS!!!!! Of course, with ATI, I prefer the catalyst driver over the microsoft supplied driver and it installed that one for my 4870, WDDM model.

If you're still debating on whether the fingerprint software will do harm to your computer, after you install it and restart, uninstall it.


----------

