Can not view desktop on external monitor

OK guys and gals, here are all the clues I have. I sure hope there is a sloution.

My laptop died so a friend gave me hers which does not have a working display, but is able to power an external display just fine. Seems I made a wrong choice about some settings.

It's a Toshiba Satellite A25-S2792 running XP (not sure if it's home or pro) on a home network.

I was attempting to tweak the display. I right clicked the Desktop for Properties, then the Settings tab. I was messing with the screen resolution which yeilded me a black screen, but the setting reverted back to 'normal' and I was still OK.

I believe I clicked the Advanced button and I think I remember something about checking a box that referred to enabling a second monitor. I can now no longer see anything. I'm thinking that the primary monitor is the laptop's dead display (off to the left), and the external monitor is now the second display (to the right; the only one that I can view).

I tried right-clicking the (2nd?) display which I am looking at, selected properties, and "fished" for the possible display properties box within an imaginary screen to the left of the one I'm looking at. On one fishing expidition, I retrieved a desktop icon (and dragged it back off-screen to the left and dropped it there).

Tried a hard restart, but now I get the Windows startup screen on the external display (with the rolling activity bar) but after Windows loads, I get some vertical rainbow lines and am left with a balck screen. On one restart, I got a white screen with vertical rainbow lines...then black..nothing...except the cursor.

I tried restarting and tapping the "exc" key and can see the two setup pages on my working external monitor. I changed the ---DISPLAY---- settings from "Auto-selected" to "LCD+Analog RGB" and back and am not sure which to leave it on. I am running a SONY LCD monitor.

Oh how I wish I could see a blue desktop background, a bunch of icons and a start button.

Of course, any help is urgently appreciated.

dr carl

 

addendum

Yay! Safe Mode gets me the desktop. Better: tapping F8 and selecting VGA Mode also is allowing me to be here now, on the Toshiba, viewing the external/second display.

I am happier yet still limping along. When I restart normally, all I get is a black screen upon which I can drag the cursor to.

In Properties, On the display tab, I remember originally seeing an image of two monitors. I had clicked on the second one and was making my big mistakes there.

Somewhere along this path, I also remember seeing quite a few more additional tabs in the properties box. If I click properties now from the desktop) I only have the standard single row of 5 tabs. I think the additional tabs go with whatever is inside this machine (i.e. are proprietary)

There must be a way to get back. There are no system restore points to try.

TIA

drcarl

PS. If and when I get things back to semi-untweaked-normal, I'll be eager to discover how to determine what the video card is capable of, what the display is capable of, and tweaking things to their best possible combination. SO many steps....

 

Re: Still Can not view desktop on external monitor in normal mode

More Clues:

Although I am still only in VGAmode (whatver that is), I am able to access the Display Properties box via Control Panel and I do now see the proprietery tabs that are associated with the Toshiba Laptop....if only I know which to select and which does what...

Onthe Settings tab,after the Advanced button...I see that title bar of the box says: `(MultipleMonitors) and Trident CyberALLADiN-P4 v6.4612.22ICS_S...

Maybe there is a user who is familiar with this and can help me.

TIA

 

Try this,
Start the unit in Safe mode
Go to the Control Panel
Double click the System icon
Click on the Hardware tab
Open the device Manager
Expand the Display Adapters
Right click the display adapter & on the menu click uninstall
Do that for each shown
DO NOT let the unit restart untill ALL are uninstalled
Once all are uninstalled restart the computer normally
The video adapter should be reinstalled with all of the default settings making it work with the external monitor again

 

Will do fairjoeblue

I hope you mean that I should do this process on "ALL" diseplay adapters (as you said), even if I see one that seems like it's the laptop's (non-working) display...

Must wait a bit as I am importing the Outlook .pst files to get back into the groove again...in a couple of hours I'll know (if I don't fall asleep)

Many thanks for your contribution and help (especially if it works - lol)



drcarl

 

Yes, Uninstall all .

If it works, which it should, I can possibly assist farther.

BTW, The display adapter is the "video card" so you will definatly be uninstalling the laptop adapter also but as I said it will be reinstalled with all default settings restored.

If it makes you feel any better I just joined MG forum but I "do" computers for a living & have been for years.

 

I appreciate it, man. This forum (and others) has helped me and others SO many times. It's beautiful. Sharing knowledge is such a good thing. Thanx.

 

YAYE! Looks better than it ever did. All is A.O.K. and ready for more tweaking.

I have cleartype to install, dust bunnies to remove from under the stickiest of keys, and many many more tweaks...

I'll probably be posting more questions.

Thank you SO much for getting me back.

I KNEW you could do it!



drcarl

 

You're welcome.
Dlad I could help !