Okay, I need some help with a monitor issue (update: solved!!! :-) )

[krispos42]

I have an old Lenovo Windows7 PC that used to be a generic office machine, but I've upgraded with a decent video card and an SSD so it actually runs fairly decently.

I was using a 32" HDTV as a monitor (HDMI cable) until my kid saved his money and built his own gaming rig last year. Part of that was he bought a crazy super-duper-high definition monitor.

So the TV went into the attic and both computers were on the new monitor. We simply switched inputs depending on which computer was being used. I think I increased my screen resolution somewhat to take advantage of the higher resolution.

Now a couple of few weeks ago he packs up his entire system, including the monitor, and stays at a friend's house nearby. Not wanting to go drag the old TV down from the attic, I hook up an old 24" monitor that used to belong to my parents.

Now I have a problem: the computer won't display on the 24" monitor.

It boots okay, and after the BIOS startupscreen comes and goes I see the " (C) Microsoft Corporation" with the green loading bar for a few seconds. Then the graphics card must do... something..., and the display goes blank. It starts looking for inputs and eventually goes into power-saving mode.

I"m using the same HDMI cable as I was on the 32" TV and the fancy monitor; I have an HDMI-to-VGA adapter on it for the 24" monitor.

Now, if I do a Safe Mode boot, the monitor will work at 800x600 resolution. So obviously the setup works.

What I THINK is happening is that the graphics card is switching to a higher resolution than the monitor can handle. But I can't figure out how to change the screen resolution in "normal" mode while I'm in Safe Mode.

I did try doing the "press F8 during boot" to bring up the advanced boot option screen and tried the "low-resolution" boot mode (640x480) but that still runs into the same problem.

Any idea? I found one site on the Microsoft Support website that talked about changing values in the registry but I couldn't find the exact key that was listed. Maybe it was for Windows 8 or something.


*** Update ***

It's wonderful how being forced to write out and explain something makes you understand it better. So I didn't fix the problem but I managed to bypass it, I think. Damn thing is still booting up!

I went into the BIOS and changed the graphics card from the new one to the crappy built-in VGA card. Then I unplugged the HDMI cable and plugged the old card into the monitor with a regular VGA cable.

Now I can use the computer, but it's running noticably slower.

Hmph, the icon layout looks the same as it did on the bigger monitor, like it's the same resolution.

Also forgot to note that it was working the weekend before last, on the 24" monitor.

[TheBlackAdder]

1. Do you have an old monitor or does your monitor support a standard VGA cable. Try using that.

[krispos42]

6. It's older, but I think I have it figured out now. :-)

[Hugh_Lebowski]

2. I would try to uninstall the video card driver while in safe mode

You said its a decent graphics card which implies a PCIEx (add-on) GPU of either the nVidia or AMD (formerly ATI) persuasion, right?

So, when you're in safe mode (in theory) in the installed Apps/Programs list you should be able find the nvidia or AMD drivers that are specifically for the GPU (if it's nVidia it will be called nVidia Graphics Driver XXX.XX), and uninstall them okay.

So do that in safe mode, then restart the machine.

At that point windows will (hopefully) boot with default MS drivers for your card, and probably it will pick a correct resolution (one your monitor understands), and THEN you can re-install the 'real' (Geforce or Catalyst) driver package for the GPU once it's running in normal mode.

[krispos42]

3. See my update, but yeah, it's a nVidia of some sort. Damn thing is taking forever to boot up now.

Goddamn, it's slow now. (I'm posting from my laptop, FYI).

I make have to do what you said just so it will finish booting before the icecaps melt and wash me into the Atlantic...

[Hugh_Lebowski]

4. Yeah I was going to suggest you could probably 'get it to work' exactly like that

assuming the board/cpu supports CPU (onboard GPU) graphics.

You can just uninstall the nVidia drivers from normal windows (i.e. while booted to the onboard GPU as you are now). Then switch the cable back to nV GPU, switch BIOS back to PCIEx graphics, and allow to boot/see what happens.

[krispos42]

5. I went back to the old card but it was uselessly slow

I went back to the new card, rebooted to the BIOS, set it to the PCI graphics card, and then rebooted in safe mode.
l
I uninstalled the nVidia card, and rebooted again to "normal" mode.

Now it seems to be okay. I'm at 1600x900, it's working at normal speed, and Windows is trying to find drivers to install. It's a nVidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti.

Thanks so much!!!!!

[Hugh_Lebowski]

7. You got it ... and you might as well put the real ones on there now it's working

https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx

Geforce
Geforce 10 Series
1050Ti
GRD

download and express install