Strange Extended Desktop Problem

Wondering if someone here can help with a strange extended desktop settings problem I'm having on the Acer Aspire One. Graphics card shows Mobile Intel(R) 945 Express Chipset Family (no letters such as G or GM)

I originally set the netbook's extended desktop up at my desk which has a 1920x1080 monitor... no problems, everything worked fine.

After everything was setup, I went to my wife's desk and changed the display settings to match the external monitor at her desk (1280×1024) and had no problem.

She used it for a week with no problems on the same boot, using hibernation to power the computer down until the computer was finally rebooted.

Now, when each boot completes, the external monitor comes up, displays correctly for less than a minute, then blanks with the message "video mode not supported"

After extended (and somewhat hilarious) research quest on a computer with the main monitor dark, I was finally able to determine that the external monitor was being set to 1920x1080 (the settings for the original monitor used to set up extended desktop)

I've tried every way I know how to erase and/or reset this erroneous setting using both the windows and intel graphics settings with no success.

Google comes up with solutions to the problem of not being able to set higher resolutions, but, can't find anything on computers which set graphics resolutions too high.

I've posted this on the intel graphics forum as well at http://communities.intel.com/thread/4331 which includes a temporary workaround I discovered, but there have been no responses there at this time.

Beverly Howard

 

have you tried checking the refresh rate for the external monitor?

 

What OS are you using? I've had some absurd dual monitor problems with my Dell laptop running Vista - resolution randomly changing, the main screen changing after standby, screens duplicating instead of extending etc. etc.

Since installing Windows 7 on that laptop (which is also what I'm running on my AAO) I haven't had any of these problems.

 

Thanks for the responses... appreciated.

>> have you tried checking the refresh rate for the external monitor? <<

I was actually able to determine the settings by going fishing totally blind with the mouse and successfully launched the intel graphics settings utility, then managed to snag the utility window and drag it to the netbooks "screen 2"

The monitor I am using has a max resollution of 1280x1024 and the utility confirmed that it was set to 1920x1024.

>> What OS are you using? <<

XPHome SP3 as shipped with the unit, not ready to go to Win7 as this is being used by a non tech user... I just want to find out how to get the default that's being used reset to an acceptable value.

fwiw, I ran the intel 945 driver update, and, while the driver version remained the same and the problem remains, running the update added the ability to <right-click> on the extended screen and select a "scheme" which has the correct settings... a pita, but that, at least, makes rebooting possible for the user.

I've got an email into intel and will report back if I get a solution.

Thanks again for the responses... glad to know someone's here.
Beverly Howard

 

Use the Intel icon on the systray to switch modes on regular and extended desktops... XP does not support some widescreen formats if you used it's own settings on the advanced tab. Like in my case it does not have 1366x768 when I played around with 1 of my external LCDs. But the Intel utility had the proper resolution and all is well.

 

>> Use the Intel icon on the systray to switch modes on regular and extended desktops <<

Thanks... I always use the Intel utility on any machines that I have it on...

...remember, in this case, nothing is accessible since, after boot, the only screen visible is the netbook screen which was the extended desktop secondary screen.

It's relatively simple to reach into the dark main screen, grab the task bar and move it to the extended screen, but, even if you do that, every application you launch opens up in the dark main screen and is inaccessible.

Since I noted that the Intel screen utility always opened up at the top left corner of the main screen, that made it possible to use the mouse in the blind to go in, grab the top bar of the utility and drag it over to the extended screen...

...who says computer games are more challenging that the windows os? ;-)

Beverly Howard

 

Intel Responds... sort of...

Thank you for contacting Intel Technical Support.

I am sorry for any inconvenience but at this point
I ask you to please refer to your system manufacturer
or Original Equipment Manufacturer for additional
assistance on this netbook solution.

Sincerely,

Diego A.
Intel® Technical Support