Problem with Dual Monitors with ATI X1600 Pro 512mb

I have been running Vista Home Premium for a couple of months, and it always
showed the video adapter driver twice in the Device Manager (Primary and
Secondary - the card supports 2 monitors). I ordered a second monitor (same
model as current one, dell 1907fp ultrasharp) and upgraded to Vista Ultimate
at the same time. Now under Vista Ultimate in the device manager, there's
only one video adapter showing, and it refuses to acknowledge the second
monitor. The secondary adapter DOES show up in the Device Manager in safe
mode! This is driving me crazy - what am I missing??

 

Here's more info on the problem, in case anyone is actually looking into
this!
I've done all the updates for both ATI and Dell, reseated the card, and
swapped cables and monitors. When the monitor 2 is unplugged, it shows the
self-test screen, when plugged in it says "2: Digital Input In Power Save
Mode." In my power save section, I've currently got it set so that nothing
ever turns off. The 2nd adapter still shows up in Safe Mode, but can't be
detected when I boot normally.

 

I have dual monitors using an ATI Radeon x600 display adaptor. (Vista Home
Premium) It has one dvi and one analog port. I have a digital LCD in the
digital port and an analog LCD in the analog port. The digital monitor scans
for a digital / analog input and locks on to the digital input from the ATI
card. At one time I had two LCD analog monitors connected using a dvi to
analog adaptor. This setup has worked fine in XP and Vista. (I dual boot)
In XP, device manager shows 2 ATI display adaptors but in Vista only 1
display adaptor is shown.
In YOUR device manager how many monitors are listed. In my Vista I have two
monitors listed.
In my display settings I show two active monitors... 1 and 2. When I click
on 2 I see that I have checked the box that says "Extend the desktop onto
this monitor". You must do that. However if you don't I believe you will see
each monitor mirrored.
When the computer boots it must see both monitors. If you have a KVM
switch... make sure it's operating correctly or remove it until you figure
out your problems.
Once you boot does your monitor 2 continuously display the power save
message? What is the power indicator on that monitor doing? Are both your
monitors digital? Are you using a dvi to analog adaptor? Do you have the
display resolution set correctly for the problem monitor? (Well if you can't
see it you can't set the resolution but you can in safe mode) When you drag
your mouse off the right side of monitor 1 do you get the feeling the it is
traveling across the blank monitor? (move the mouse off the right side by
what would seem to be half the screen and then slowly move it back to the
main monitor. It should NOT immediately be visible on monitor 1)
As you can see I have no particular solution for you but you can compare
what I've told you about my system with yours.
Any specific questions... post back.

 

Ok, I'm gong to split up your post and answer these in the middle of yours:
(Since my original post, I have also tested the monitors and cables on
another system, as well as picking up another video adapter (this time the
x1650 pro instead of the x1600 pro), no changes. When I first changed the
video card, the system detected both ports, but as soon as I updated to the
current ATI drivers, the second one disappeared.)

It is showing only one adapter, but two show (primary and secondary) in Safe
Mode.

Only one. It's never given the other one enough of a signal to even detect
it (if I turn it off, then on again, the device manager resets, like it's
trying to add new hardware, but then, nothing).

No second monitor available (yet!)

No KVM switch (enough problems without adding that LOL)

No, only when I push the Menu button on the monitor

Solid orange

Yes, and both ports on the card are DVI, no adapters

It won't let me set up the other monitor, it only says "default monitor" and
won't let me set up drivers, either.

Never know when something will be just the ticket! Thanks!

 

You said this:
"When I first changed the video card, the system detected both ports, but as
soon as I updated to the current ATI drivers, the second one disappeared."
Does that mean that the two monitors worked OK before doing the ATI driver
update?
If so then it seems you have issues with the new driver. Are you installing
the entire catalyst package? If I am reading your post correctly and the two
monitors worked fine before the driver update you should roll back the
driver and tread slowly. Don't install catalyst. Just do the driver update.
Maybe even let Vista decide and download a newer driver for you. Choose
"custom" from the Win update site and see if a new ATI driver is detected.
You don't have onboard graphics (motherboard) by chance? (in addition to ATI
card)

 

Anytime I uninstall all of the drivers and catalyst, it comes back, but
won't give me the option of two monitors (just a raggedy looking screen with
huge icons LOL). Adding any sort of ATI driver makes that second port
magickally disappear. I've got a ticket submitted to the ATI folks, but no
answer yet.

Nope, no onboard graphics

 

I have no solution for you but am curious. When you uninstall all the
drivers what comes back? What do you see on the 2nd monitor? Huge icons on
the 2nd monitor only? Where do you NOT have the option of two monitors...
"Display settings"?
Have you tried one monitor at a time from each of the two DVI ports?

 

I've tried swapping monitors and cables, even to another computer. (no slot
in either of our other computers to test the video cards, but since it's two
cards doing the same thing, chances are the cards are fine.)

If I uninstall the drivers, pull the card out, switch it to the other one
(they're close, but not quite the same) and let Windows pick one when it
detects the new hardware, both ports are there. I can't restart the computer
worth a darn from there, because it's Blue Screen Of Death Central until I
get those drivers updated. With the basic drivers in, there's not even an
option to extend the desktop under Display Properties, have to have al the
fancy drivers for that, too

It's so odd, but if the Device manager is open, and I turn the 2nd monitor
off and on again - the Device Manager refreshes itself! No change, though...
aaaugh!!

 

This is driving me nuts, and I can't get an answer out of ATI

What if I add in a x1300 (has to a pci slot, I only have one pci express,
and both cards would have to be ATI and use the same driver, right?) as a
work around? Is there a better PCI card to use as a second card? I don't
want to have to limit my video capabilities on either monitor!

 

How about another question? Is a 375w power supply enough to run the thing
with 2 monitors?

 

Not sure about the power supply but whether you have one or two monitors
connected it's still one graphics card. My guess is it's not a power supply
issue. But the common denominator seems to be your computer. You've tried 2
different graphics cards with the same results. And you've double checked
all your cables. How new and beefy is your computer? Which CPU and how much
memory. Catalyst uses a lot of memory.
You may want to post for help in the Vista.general group. There's more
action there. Might even consider a non Vista specific group as I'm thinking
you have a computer problem and not a Vista problem.
24hoursupport.helpdesk has some knowledgeable folks there. (and some
whacko's)

 

I spent a good 4 hours with Dell support going over the computer, all the
hardware checks out! It's a new XPS 410, with a 2 core 2.4 GHz processor,
and 2gb of ram. There shouldn't be any hardware reason why this shouldn't
run, I'm just grasping at straws here now... I'll try some different groups,
and maybe ATI will get back to me one of these years <rolling eyes>