Multi monitor setup

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killadoob

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Ok so i have both my 22" monitors working on my 9800gx2 problem is when i reboot vista it loads like normal but won't load up the desktop.

Could this be drivers? what could be causing this?
 
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Search for and install DisplayFusion, it's Freeware.

It allows you to have your wallpaper spread over both screens, and looks awesome with a panoramic photo, or a Dual Desktop 2048x1600 or something pic...

This after you fix your problem, of course:)
 
Yea, you know when vista boots up it does the bar then you get your mouse pointer than the vista icon, this goes past the bar and never shows the mouse of vista icon just a black screen :)

Take it out of dual setup and it boots up one time. I am working with the dual setup now and its 100% til i reboot :)
 
Ja, mine does the same, one screen starts black until you login. Once you've logged in then it lights up, probably something to do with the driver.
 
My VISTA works fine with the laptop's screen and my 22". The only problem I get is if I'm on the work's network, then RANDOMLY, my screen starts flashing, then something about the display drivers not working... and boom! Blue Screen Of Death! Dum! Dum! Dum!
 
I do not login though, it goes straight into windows, well i wish it would :p

Since putting the second into play my hdd is reading at 80mb/sec

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
 
Short answer as to why only one display shows POST: It's a hangover from the way it's been ever since IBM defined the VGA standard on its Personal System/2, released in April 1987. Nothing wrong with your system.

Thus it is with Vista, and also on my current Win7beta dual-mon set-up. Mapping standard VGA into the first 1MB of memory (just above the 640kB line) in Real Mode allows only one addressable display. To retain maximum compatibility with IML/BIOS POST sequences, the extended address space opens up only when Protect Mode in the CPU is engaged when the NT Executive is loaded. For Windows to maximise support for things like Safe Mode, the original VGA address space is retained until fairly late in the opsys boot process. The additional monitor is mapped into memory with a 16-bit address, so you can see the mouse, but other more advanced GUI features are disabled until just before the log-in screen.

Of course you can replicate the single display space on more than one monitor (which is a simple electrical thing), but you in effect only have one addressable display space. Seeing the exact same stuff on two or more displays is not true dual- or multi-monitor, but simple display replication.
 
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Alright so how do i fix it and could you try put that in english please :p

Is it normal for my dual monitor setup not to load my desktop?
 
killadoob said:
Alright so how do i fix it and could you try put that in english please :p

Is it normal for my dual monitor setup not to load my desktop?
Click to expand...
No. Your Windows Desktop should be displayed on both monitors - provided you've activated dual display.
You can extend the desktop over two screens and have them work as one large workspace.

That said, perhaps terminology is causing confusion ... the Windows Desktop is loaded after your log-in to your system. Is this what you mean? What do you see at what stages of the boot and load process?
 
So basically what you saying is that windows first needs to load my desktop and everything like normal before turning the monitors?

So it will be black until my entire desktop is loaded like normal then click over?
 
Here's the normal sequence for a dual-monitor setup:

1) When you power on, the BIOS POST display will appear on one or both monitors. This depends on the type of graphics card you have. Generally though, the POST display is on the Primary Display, though some cards will replicate that onto the other monitor so both show exactly the same thing.

2) Once the BIOS POST ends and hands over to the operating system, all displays will briefly go blank; after a short while you will see the Windows splash screen appearing, generally only on one monitor, but again some graphics cards will replicate the splash onto both monitors. If you look carefully, generally one montor actually goes black not blank.

3) Quite far into the Windows boot process, both monitors will again go black, and shortly thereafter the log-in screen will appear on one monitor. Depending on you graphics card (I don't have a 9800GX2), you might be able to see and move your mouse onto the black screen/. If both monitors sho exactly the same, then you system is not set up for true dual display but simplky an additional monitor. This can be corrected once you log in.

4) Once you enter your username and password, both screens will momentarily go black, and then the Windows Desktop should be loaded and displayed on both monitors. Quite often there is a short 100-500ms delay between activation of Display One and Display Two.

Do you actualy get to load a Windows Desktop (ie with Start menu, Task Bar, and icons)?
 
Another question, Have you ran XP on this setup? Did it work then? Which driver?

We are running Dual 19" screens on 6600GT cards with XP as the OS and have never experienced this issue. So, or it is Vista or the driver.
 
No arthur after the vista taskbar man its goes black, i am going to leave it for like 5-10 minutes see if it will load.

Yea shark my next trick is load xp on another drive and see if it works with the same driver :).
 
Hi Killa - that's not right. Don't think leaing it will solve anything.
Sounds like a driver issue to me. Or perhaps displays set out of frequency. Will Desktop load with one monitor?
I have a 4-way dual-monitor KVM switch, and run dual-monitor on Win7Beta, Vista64Ult, and WinXPPro. All work without a flaw.
 
Just loaded a january 5th backup of my pc and its working 100%, must have been these latest nvidia drivers that messed it up because its working as it should do :)
 
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