Disable Dual Monitors

[Andrea]

I'm using Win XP SP2 on an IBM ThinkPad. I set my display settings to use
dual monitors, but I only have one monitor. I couldn't figure out how to
change it back and it didn't seem to be bothering anything, so I just left
it and forgot about it. Then I discovered last night that I couldn't project
my PowerPoint presentation onto a screen! I survived the presentation
without any visuals, but I don't want that to happen again. I've tried to
change the display setting, but both the options are the same: dual
monitors. How can I fix this? Thanks.

 

[Ron Sommer]

Fn key + F9 cycles through the display options.
External + LCD, External only, LCD only.

 

[Andrea]

Fn key + F9 cycles through the display options.
External + LCD, External only, LCD only.

Thank you, but Fn/F9 doesn't bring up any options on this laptop. Fn/F7 is
what I use to toggle between my laptop display and the projected image, but
in this case that didn't apply. I _was_ projecting an image from my
wallpaper. The problem was that I wasn't projecting the PowerPoint
display--and I think this is because of the multiple monitor setting, which
I don't know how to change.

 

[Bob I]

Control Panel, Display settings. make the changes there.

 

[Andrea]

Control Panel, Display settings. make the changes there.

I can't do that. As I've said, the settings tab does not give me any other
options. I just checked Device Manager and see that there are two default
monitors listed and enabled, although when I click on them, they are exactly
the same. Could this be the problem? I don't want to delete one and then
find out I shouldn't have.

 

[Bob I]

You said "I set my display settings to use dual monitors". I would
suggest you look at the Display adapter in Device manager and see if you
can Roll Back to the correct video drivers as something has been
changed.

 

[Lem]

I can't do that. As I've said, the settings tab does not give me any other
options. I just checked Device Manager and see that there are two default
monitors listed and enabled, although when I click on them, they are exactly
the same. Could this be the problem? I don't want to delete one and then
find out I shouldn't have.

Your video driver may be corrupt.
Make a system restore point.
Then go to http://www.ibm.com/products/finder/us/en/finders?pg=ddfinder and find
and download the correct video driver for your Thinkpad. If you go to that
website with the Thinkpad itself, it will automatically detect the system and
present links to the download page. Otherwise, go to the "driver matrix" page:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=TPAD-MATRIX

Follow the directions and install the driver. That should give you the options
in Display Settings to fix things up. If things get really messed up with the
new driver (and there is no reason that this should happen), you can always
"roll back driver" or restore to the system restore point you made.

 

[Lem]

Your video driver may be corrupt.
Make a system restore point.
Then go to http://www.ibm.com/products/finder/us/en/finders?pg=ddfinder and find
and download the correct video driver for your Thinkpad. If you go to that
website with the Thinkpad itself, it will automatically detect the system and
present links to the download page. Otherwise, go to the "driver matrix" page:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=TPAD-MATRIX

Follow the directions and install the driver. That should give you the options
in Display Settings to fix things up. If things get really messed up with the
new driver (and there is no reason that this should happen), you can always
"roll back driver" or restore to the system restore point you made.

Also, in PowerPoint help, search on the phrase "dual monitors" for additional
information on setting up and using dual monitors in PowerPoint. Once you get this
working -- it may take some fooling around, but it WILL work with a Thinkpad (at
least one less than 5 years old) -- you will be able to have the slides on the
projector and "Presenter view" -- which shows your notes and has other features --
on the laptop screen.

 

[Andrea]

Your video driver may be corrupt.
Make a system restore point.
Then go to http://www.ibm.com/products/finder/us/en/finders?pg=ddfinder
and find and download the correct video driver for your Thinkpad. If you
go to that website with the Thinkpad itself, it will automatically detect
the system and present links to the download page. Otherwise, go to the
"driver matrix" page:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=TPAD-MATRIX

Follow the directions and install the driver. That should give you the
options in Display Settings to fix things up. If things get really
messed up with the new driver (and there is no reason that this should
happen), you can always "roll back driver" or restore to the system
restore point you made.

I updated the driver, but the only option I have is still multiple drivers
in Display, Settings, and the box to extend Windows desktop is checked off
and grayed out. I remembered that the laptop is still on warantee, so I
spent a lot of wasted time talking to tech support from IBM today. He said
that this would remain grayed out until I connected to an LCD projector. I
don't think that's true, and I won't have access to a projector for another
week. I know that I made that change originally when I was not connected to
a projector.

 

[Andrea]

I updated the driver, but the only option I have is still multiple drivers
in Display, Settings, and the box to extend Windows desktop is checked off
and grayed out. I remembered that the laptop is still on warantee, so I
spent a lot of wasted time talking to tech support from IBM today. He said
that this would remain grayed out until I connected to an LCD projector. I
don't think that's true, and I won't have access to a projector for
another week. I know that I made that change originally when I was not
connected to a projector.

This was first posted awhile ago, but I've just found the solution, and it
may help someone else with the same problem. The IT folks at my job found
the solution, and it is in the Display settings but not the grayed out
Extend Windows Desktop box. Even when I connected my laptop to a projector,
that box remained gray. However, when the primary monitor was highlighted
and I clicked on the advanced tab, it opened up a window with more tabs. I'd
seen this before but didn't know what to do. When I click on the Displays
tab, there are three sections: Monitor, Panel, and TV. TV was already marked
as not connected. However, the Monitor (picture of a monitor) had a red
corner. When I clicked on that, the red corner disappeared and it changed
that section to Not Connected--so the Panel section (picture of a laptop)
was the only display selected. Now my laptop projects properly. Problem
solved. (The Extend box is still checked off.)

I appreciate your efforts to help--and I'm relieved that the problem is
fixed, and that it only took a few seconds!

 

[Bob I]

Thank you for posting back the resolution of the problem.