Windows 10: second display configuration issue

Hi All,

My configuration:

Windows 10 Pro x64
AMD Radeon HD 7800

Latest updates and video drivers installed, no hardware changes for 2+ months, latest significant Windows update 2 weeks ago, latest AMD video driver installed at least a week ago.


I have 2 identical displays connected via DVI to Windows PC over several years already with "Extend displays" configuration, and suddenly this configuration stopped working a couple of days ago when I was in the middle of doing something. Windows just replaced it with "Duplicate displays" configuration.


During PC startup I see BIOS diagnostics on both displays. Windows detects 2 displays. "Show only on 1" and "Show only on 2" options work as expected.


Problem: "Extend these displays" results in display 1 going blank and display 2 shows it's part of the image.


AMD Eyefinity (which creates virtual desktop over several monitors) works fine - which suggests that problem maybe only with Windows configuration.


What is done:

• checked cables
• removed and installed again latest AMD drivers
• removed second display from the System Devices, refreshed hardware list and added display again - now I have "Generic PnP monitor" and monitor with correct name in Monitors section
• searched for latest drivers for monitors and display adapters from Device Manager, nothing found

Next I replaced one monitor with monitor from different manufacturer, and everything works as expected - "Extend these displays" configuration shows extended image.


Any ideas what else can be done to fix the problem?


Thank you in advance.

:)

 

Primary Monitor Stopped Working

I have a Sony Vaio VGC-JS290J All in One Desktop configured to drive a second monitor via a DisplayLink USB Display Adapter.

Everything was working fine for a long time and then I advertantly pulled the adapter from the PC. Once everything was back running the main display monetarily flashes a display during a boot cycle or shutdown and then the primary display goes dark and only
the second display works, I have tried various configurations, reverting to only the primary display, coming in over a remote PC. reloading drivers, disabling displays, etc.

Bottom line - Windows thinks the primary display is working fine and I can figure it as the primary or second monitor, I can configure it as a duplicate or do it as extension. The display configuration thinks it is working but other for a brief second when
booting or shutting down the computer, the main display stays black. I know the monitor is working because it does momentarily display. I tried upgrading from Window 7 to Windows 10 hoping it would fix it but no cigar. Is there a registry entry that could
fix this problem? How do I do it?

 

reset cofiguration

Hi,

To address your concern, you can simply shutdown the computer and disconnect the second display. Restart the computer, reconnect the second display and configure it.

Let us know if you need further assistance.

 

Hi Andriy. Welcome to the TenForums @Andriy

If you "Windows Key + P" do you get an option to extend?

If you use Windows to identify displays does it know there is a 1 and a 2?

Do you have System Restore enabled and have you thought about using restore to go back in time.

Before doing so consider making an Image using a product like Macrium Reflect. Free, reliable and a great way to get your system back to this point.

Ken

 

Thank you for response @Caledon Ken.

If you "Windows Key + P" do you get an option to extend? - Yes

If you use Windows to identify displays does it know there is a 1 and a 2? - Yes

Do you have System Restore enabled and have you thought about using restore to go back in time. - I do have System Restore enabled, however I didn't think about rolling back as there were no software or hardware updates before the issue. OS loaded correctly, next after about an hour of working (editing text) second screen just became blank.

 

Interesting.

If you switch display 1 and 2 does it do the same thing? Does display 2 still go black after an hour or does 1 go blank.

I think I would also create an Image with a tool like Macrium and I think I would try system restore.

I think we both agree, something changed or something is failing.

 

Yes I have verified that both screens operational - physically switched connections between displays and PC, but second display still played up.

Rolling back via System Restore was not an option as there were no system changes for a long time.

My theory is that in some configurations system struggling to distinguish displays from the same manufacturer and they detected identically.

 

While not a fix for this issue you may wish to investigate the usage of Macrium Reflect. By taking regular images you can roll back at will.

When you switched displays did you switch their cables with them?

You said you removed and re-installed AMD drivers so hopefully that would have reset most configuration files? I wonder if repeating the process and running DDU to do the removal would be more complete.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/deta...installer.html

You might even try an older driver to see if this is an issue with the new driver.

If the configuration is not part of the AMD side of the house then I think you are looking at what can be done to Windows.(Reset, Repair or Clean install). The repair process is straight forward and we all now what is involved in a clean install.

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade


Ken

 

When you switched displays did you switch their cables with them? - No

You said you removed and re-installed AMD drivers so hopefully that would have reset most configuration files? I wonder if repeating the process and running DDU to do the removal would be more complete. - Will give it a try

You might even try an older driver to see if this is an issue with the new driver. - There were no driver upgrades for a long time before the issue

 

So if cable is common, always being attached to Display 2, do you have another you can try? Likely not cable but ruling it out means one more thing checked.

 

Investigating the problem I swapped cables already and affected display is always the 2nd in the Windows configuration - looks like pure software problem. Sadly I don't have two identical monitors from different manufacturer to verify this theory.

 

Have you reported to AMD? Might be worth jumping on one of their graphic forums to see how they suggest resolving.

I think you said you tried and older driver?

Ken

 

Sorry for the late reply, by some reason I am not getting new messages notifications from forum.

I did not report to AMD as Eyefinity works fine. Have not tried old driver as with new one system was working for at least a couple of weeks.

Maybe worth checking what AMD forums suggest, will give it a try.