Dual Monitor Setup Help, 2nd Monitor Res. and Start Issues

[Redden]

Need help with dual monitor setup. First time trying to do it.

2 Problems
1.
Second monitor does turn on, but is only showing native resolution (1024 x 768) but it has the ability to go up to 1280x1024.
I want to to be able to set it to 1280x1024.

2.
Second monitor will not boot up along with computer.
I shut down my PC, the monitor is still plugged in, and it doesn't wake up automatically.


Things I've tried
- Updating drivers, obviously. (Nvidia, etc.)
- Uninstalling default driver of second monitor in Device Manager then rebooting computer, then plugging out and replugging the monitor back in (so it reinstalls) because it doesn't boot up on its own.
- My Power Options is set to "High Performance" so that's not the reason why my 2nd monitor isn't booting up with my PC.
- I have tried plugging in the VGA cord of my second monitor into the mother board but it didn't come up.


General Information
- The second monitor is an HP Compaq LE1711
- The second monitor is plugged into my GPU? via a VGA cord into an HDMI to VGA Pigtail Adapter (company: ATIVA), into an HDMI port.
- The main monitor (1920x1080) is plugged into my GPU?, via a VGA cord into VGA to DVI-I Dual Link Adapter, into a DVI-I port.

Picture of what I'm seeing:




I'm pretty sure I've got some of the terminology wrong (I'm not a computer expert).

Any help is appreciated!



DXDIAG

View attachment DxDiag.txt

 

[lifetec]

You can download the driver here Drivers & Software for HP LE1711 17-inch LCD Monitor - HP Support Center.

But the most likely reason is that the EDID data of your monitor is corrupted or not transferred correctly.
EDID tells your system which features the monitor has and which resolution it supports.
If this fails windows will use the generic nonpnp monitor and set 1024x768 resolution.
First check if there's anything which could prevent the EDID exchange: Broken cable, damaged connector, VGA-DVI adapter, one-monitor-two-workstations switch, etc.

Check your VGA-HDMI adapter is properly connected , not faulty broken pins etc.
Try this is a Test: I suspect that if you use The VGA-DVI adapter the monitor will be recognized correctly, if not your VGAcable may be faulty.

 

[Redden]

You can download the driver here Drivers & Software for HP LE1711 17-inch LCD Monitor - HP Support Center.

Unfortunately, I've been to that page already (didn't mention in OP).
There aren't any display drivers available for any OS as far as I can tell; just Utility downloads.

I tested the VGA of my 2nd monitor and plugged it into the DVI Adapter of my main monitor just like you suggested.
It didn't work. But I tried 2 different VGA cables both with good pins.
Is it really just bad VGA cables?

What are the chances that I have 2 bad VGA cables vs just a bad Monitor?
Despite the fact that my 2nd monitor does turn on and does work via the HDMI to VGA Pigtail Adapter in my GPU?



Thank you very much for replying at all, I appreciate it. This site seems slower than I remember.

 

[lifetec]

What happens if you put the VGa DVi adapter on your second monitor and connect it to your DVI port.

 

[Redden]

What happens if you put the VGa DVi adapter on your second monitor and connect it to your DVI port.

It didn't work. I'm actually trying another Monitor at the moment. HP 1730, which I couldn't find any graphics on.

However I was able to make this monitor 1280x1024 resolution but it's a tiny bit blurry. I did it by making a custom resolution in the Nvidia Control Panel.
Now my issue is getting it to boot up at the same time with my computer. Only my main monitor (1920x1080) is coming up even though the 2nd is still plugged in.

i.e. I have both monitors on, then I shut down my computer, then I want both my monitors to come up at the same time again.

 

[AdrianH]

How long have you had that video card? I remember when I was swapping stuff, I did something that partially fried my video card which could be the case here. Made my video go red IIRC, but frying a card could do other any number of things, from partially working to not working at all. When changing a video card, you have to be careful about static electricity (goes the same with most electronic equipment). Best thing to do is always ground yourself (wrist strap grounding cable) or at the very least, touch a grounded object like your computer's chassis (this only works if the computer is plugged in as the grounding comes from the power cable) prior to doing anything with the electronics and don't wear anything that will generate static electricity (wool comes to mind). Having a comfortably humid environment also helps dissipate static especially in winter.

If you have a spare video card lying around, you might want to swap it out and see if the problem persists.