VGA out from windows, software question

**edit: I added a third post to help clarify my problem.

Ok. so recently I think I may have bent the monitor hookup on the back of my laptop because sometimes if I bump the computer while monitor is hooked up the colors will distort slightly. This wasn't a big problem for a while, but recently windows has stopped detecting that a monitor is plugged in no matter what.

The thing is, I know that the hardware is still perfectly capable of outputting a vga signal from the monitor port because the bios detects and displays its splash screen on the attached display without any difficulty at all. As soon as windows loads, however, it is impossible to convince it to activate the vga output.

Mostly, I was wondering if there was an application available to force the monitor output to activate, despite that fact that windows is unable to detect that anything is attached.

Any advice at all would be most welcomed. Thanks,

notenlightened

 

Are you sure the monitor is not broken? I don't see how this could be a software problem.

 

I know the monitor is not broken. additionally, I know the output is able to work because while booting the splash screen is displayed perfectly fine. The monitor simply doesn't work once windows starts.

 

my first guess would be that the monitor cable is the culprit... otherwise one or more of the pins just doesn't have a good connection..

try the monitor on another computer / laptop and see if moving the cable causes problems..

 

Did you try changing the output settings in advanced properties of the VGA driver? If you see the BIOS splash, then most probably a driver issue. Try changing the driver, upgrade it or downgrade if you already have the latest version.

 

or it could simply be that u have (hair.lined) cracked the vga connector within the laptop. it is a simple (not really) fix involving replacing the vga connector (soldering is required)

try testing by putting some pressure on the vga port from the end of the cable and wiggle it about (be very careful). this is pretty much the same issue as when a power jack is being loose within the laptop.

just a wild guess

cheers ...

 

Thanks a lot for your advice guys.

I'm pretty sure qhn is correct about the cracked vga connector. PhoenixFX is also right that it is essentially a driver problem however.

I'm relatively certain that the fact that the connector is mildly damaged is causing the computer to fail at detecting when a monitor (any monitor I try, with any cable) is plugged in. The thing is, the bios doesn't bother trying to detect, as the way I have the bios set is to always output to both the attached displayed and the vga out no matter what -- under this mode I'm actually able to view the output with no trouble on both displays. What I really want to do is find some way for windows to do this same thing. I want to bypass the check on whether there is something plugged into the port, because I know it would actually work if I could. Does anybody have a clue how to do this?

 

ur laptop is not failing or trying to check/detect if there is an external monitor is being present. Outgoing display signals are always there - u can take an oscillator to the pins and see. The only time that it would ignore going to the port is when u use Fn key to toggle (block) it or if ur mobo is done in at this area.

cheers ...

 

I assume your DDC information is not being read because of a damaged cable..

 

Try booting Windows into Safe Mode to see if it will output VESA.