i don't want to squint!

December 5, 2007 6:05 AM

Why did my external monitor lose confidence overnight?

I hate wasting my MeFi question on technical stuff like this that probably is really simple to fix, but oh well. I'm frustrated enough.

My work computer is a Windows 2000 laptop. I have it set up to use an external monitor as the primary desktop, and the laptop display as the secondary desktop. Yesterday I came into work after leaving the computer in sleep mode over night (as I usually do during the week) and my external monitor would not wake up. Instead, it flashed the message "Input Check, H:Off V:Off." then went into "Power Save" and then shut off.

However, when I change the settings to use the laptop display as the primary monitor, my external monitor wakes right up and is functional as a secondary desktop. When I try to change the external back to primary, it goes back into "Power Save." For some reason it now only functions as secondary and not primary.

What did I do wrong and how do I fix it?

posted by kidsleepy to Computers & Internet (3 answers total)

My laptop moves all the icons on the desktop into a smaller window when it sleeps, like safe mode does, and I haven't found any way to fix that. It also changes the video output settings. It doen't do that if I shut it down.
posted by StickyCarpet at 6:42 AM on December 5, 2007

Response by poster: i have restarted my computer and the problem remains. it's not that big of a deal, but it's annoying to have all windows and notifications pop up on the smaller screen.
posted by kidsleepy at 7:30 AM on December 5, 2007

Out of curiosity, how did you get your computer to let you use the laptop's screen as the second display in the first place? I've been trying to do this for quite a while, and can't get it.

Unplugging the monitor, restarting the computer, and plugging it back in may have an effect.
posted by DMan at 8:32 AM on December 5, 2007