Windows 10: Dual Monitors w/ Extended Display - Mon2 lose signal when Mon1 off

Hello,

I couldn't find this posted earlier. I have a PC with dual monitors. My main monitor is connected via HDMI and Monitor 2 is connected with DVI off same graphics card. I have set to extend display, which works just fine.

However, sometimes I like to connect my work laptop via a VGA output to Monitor 1's VGA input. For the longest time, when I would change the input on Monitor 1 to VGA, my PC's desktop would migrate over to Monitor 2 (acting as the main monitor) and I could listen to music, surf the web etc. while my work laptop would display on Monitor 1 as intended.

Sometime in the past 3-6 months or so, when I change the input on Monitor 1 to the VGA input, Monitor 2 very briefly shows the migrated desktop (like it used to) but very, very quickly turn black as if the Monitor is searching for a single before going to sleep. The same thing occurs when I turn Monitor 1 off. Previously, whenever I turned Monitor 1 off or switched the input, my PC would just switch Monitor 2 as the main display and I could use Monitor 1 for my work laptop display and Monitor 2 as my PC's display.

I'm not sure why this is happening now.

:)

 

4 monitors, three graphics cards, but can't get Windows 10 to extend desktop to all of them.

Hi there.

I use 4 monitors for my desktop PC, using three graphics cards.

4 days ago I bought a new graphics card to replace one of them, but try as I might, I can't seem to get all of the monitors to show the desktop.

Here's an idea of my set up:

Mon4

Mon2/Mon1/Mon3

Monitor 1 uses a nVidia Quadro 4000

Mon2 used a nVidia 210

Mon3&4 use a nVidia G210

I bought a new graphics card 4 days ago to replace the one using Mon2.

This is a nVidia GT710

When I installed it and turned on the PC, Windows 10 decided "Oh... I see you've added a new graphics card.... Let me turn ALL your screens off to black with just a mouse pointer for you!"

Looking through a variety of questions with solutions, I've managed to get Mon1 3&4 working.

I've been incredibly frustrated by this problem for 4 days now, and have had to boot to safe mode more than anyone should have to (about 20 times now!).

I've taken out all but one graphics card and tersted them all independently, and they all work.

I've reinstalled drivers.

I've deleted drivers

I've uninstalled drivers

I'd get two cards (Mon1 &Mon2 working fine, and then install the Mon3&4 card.... and then I'd get black screen with mouse pointer, or swirling dots for HOURS and nothing happens.

It's been so frustrating that I'd have gone to Linux.... but I only didn't because I'm a CAD engineer and Autodesk AutoCAD and Inventor are limited to Windows/Mac!

I've already lost a days work to this... I don't want to lose Monday too!

Currently I have Mon1, 3&4 working, but I can't seem to extend the desktop to Mon2 (despite it showing up in the select and rearrange displays).

I hope someone can help

Cheers

Cliff

PC specs:

Motherboard: Gigabyte 990FXA-UD5

Processor: AMD AM3+ FX-8350 4GHz

RAM: 16GB

 

Dual Monitor (HDMI) Through HDMI Switcher

I use a 3 port HDMI switch with my laptop and my Xbox One in to one external monitor.

When I use the laptop I use the laptop's screen and the extended/external monitor in 'extended' mode. When I want to use the Xbox, I simply switch it on and the signal from it automatically switches the HDMI switch to the Xbox's input, thus putting the laptop
back in to 'normal' no external monitor mode. If the laptop's screen goes off (not sleep), I simply move the mouse and it comes back on again and I can use the laptop, whilst still having the Xbox on the other monitor.

This worked perfect when I was running Win 7 on my laptop, for well over a year...

Since recently installing Win 10 on my laptop (fresh install, not upgrade), when I'm using my Xbox and my laptop either turns it's screen black/off (not sleep) after a period of time, every time I move the mouse to get the laptop's screen back up, the laptop
puts itself back in to 'extended/dual screen' mode and I lose my Xbox signal from the other monitor, overtaken by the laptop's signal!

Any ideas on how I can get it back to working how it was with Win 7 please?

(The display drivers are all up to date).

UPDATE: Turns out my display drivers were NOT up to date. Downloaded the latest NVIDIA drivers (not from their actual site I might add) and it's now working as it did before.