multiple monitors in XP SP2, setup baffling, is it 'doable'? (BIOSpic posted)

[dave]

hi guys,

can't figure this out. I have a vaio PCV-RX830 desktop running XP home
SP2 with onboard SiS video, hooked to the original sony 17 inch LCD
(which works just fine, and which I'd like to have stay the primary
monitor, with the XP menus, etc).

I've installed a big ol' Dell/Sony 21 inch flat trinnie CRT as my 2nd
monitor, along with an AGP video card to feed it, updated the drivers
for the card, and updated the BIOS for the vaio, but still the
-original- LCD display acts as if it 'gets no signal' (it never 'wakes
up' OR shows an image, and doesn't appear in device manager, either).
somehow the XP desktop 'moved over' to my 'secondary' 21 inch CRT of its
own accord, and the LCD stays in a coma, totally.

I've 'looked through' the BIOS settings ... I'm not sure about:

does installing an AGP video card 'by default' DISable the original
'onboard intel/SIS video' (which is hooked to the LCD)? if it DOES do
that, is there a 'workaround' for it? *please* see the good, clear BIOS
image I've posted at

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/hardwares/bios_vaio.jpg

the newly installed AGP card is an 'ATI rage pro turbo AGP' if it
matters...slots on the vaio, from the top down, are AGP, then PCI with a
SCSI card in it (rarely used), then an 'available' slot, then the bottom
PCI slot (with a modem in it, which I've -never- ever used).

1. does it appear (from my BIOS image) that I can change the way the
AGP/PCI bus loading order (to make both monitors "light up")?
2. how?

3. does the BIOS screen "PCI config" slot 1 IRQ *ALSO* control the AGP
slot 'load order' somehow? the image I've posted shows changes I
'could' make (but haven't yet).

if it helps (like a true card-carrying nerd, give me a hug ;-), I have
about 40 or 50 more spare video cards - they're all old 'single head',
about 1997 and older vintage, none of 'em are dual heads, and about 98
percent of 'em are PCI vidcards...

does 'slot 1 PCI' in the BIOS "also" control the AGP slot? like they're
'shared' or something?

what to do next, guys? toolie is a wittle bit baffled...

thanks

- -
replies by e-mail, if any, should please remove the weirdstuff from my
address before you click 'send' - thanks
- -

 

[dave]

update:

hoping to clarify, I've also posted a "device manager view" of my IRQ's
as assigned, like they are now:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/hardwares/vaio_device_man.jpg

as stated earlier, my actual "physical real" slots, from the top down, are
AGP, with the rage pro turbo card in it
PCI, with the adaptec SCSI card in it
PCI, nothing in it, and
PCI slot@bottom, with unused modem in it

thanks again for all tips and clues, toolie needs one (possibly more
than one ;-)

 

[Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User]

Your board obviously disables onboard graphics if an video card is detected
in the AGP slot.. look around for a dual head video card (not TV out type)..
maybe something like an ATI Radeon 9000 Pro would do you.. discontinued now,
so you may get a good price off eBay or any computer store that sells
pre-used parts..

 

[Loren Pechtel]

hi guys,

can't figure this out. I have a vaio PCV-RX830 desktop running XP home
SP2 with onboard SiS video, hooked to the original sony 17 inch LCD
(which works just fine, and which I'd like to have stay the primary
monitor, with the XP menus, etc).

My experiences: *IF* the drivers will play nice with each other it
works.

I've 'looked through' the BIOS settings ... I'm not sure about:

does installing an AGP video card 'by default' DISable the original
'onboard intel/SIS video' (which is hooked to the LCD)? if it DOES do
that, is there a 'workaround' for it? *please* see the good, clear BIOS
image I've posted at

I have no comment on your board but I have seen motherboard Intel
video get knocked out by the addition of another video card. In that
case the problem could be solved by reinstalling (via the device
manager!) the other video driver.


My general experience:

If you have two cards that work off the same driver then success is
about 100%.

If you have an ATI card and an NVIDIA card, success does not seem
possible at present. (It used to work long ago, however.) They could
fix the problem, though, the situation could change.

The installers for the video drivers will almost certainly not work on
the second video card. The most likely result is simply not seeing it
at all but I've also seen a trashed video driver result. If the
second video card needs a driver installed you should try installing
it via the device manager, not with it's installer. Beware that I've
seen ATI drivers that can't be installed that way.


Weirdnesses I've seen (note that most of these have been with 98SE,
but that's where most of my experience with such configs is.):

Some boards will only work with a particular type of card primary,
setting it the other way results in not booting.

Whether a card is mounted or not can affect the driver install of the
other card.

Many combos care which order the drivers are installed in. I've seen
a situation where the only way to get it to work was to install card
#1. Install it's drivers. Install card #2. Install it's drivers.
Install the drivers for card #1.

I've also seen Install #1, install it's drivers. Remove it, install
#2, install it's drivers. Reinstall #1.

Sometimes messing with what's active will take out windows. Another
situation: Install drivers (MB video.) Install card. Install
drivers. Install MB video drivers. Wait until you're sure the disk
cache is flushed. Enable the second monitor in the drive properties.
The video screen starts to shift, while it's doing so windows hangs
totally. Reboot and see if the second screen is enabled or not--there
was maybe a 40% chance it worked. If it worked, fine, if not, try it
again until it does. Once it nuked Windows instead.

 

[dave]

update:

hoping to clarify, I've also posted a "device manager view" of my IRQ's
as assigned, like they are now:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/hardwares/vaio_device_man.jpg

as stated earlier, my actual "physical real" slots, from the top down, are
AGP, with the rage pro turbo card in it
PCI, with the adaptec SCSI card in it
PCI, nothing in it, and
PCI slot@bottom, with unused modem in it

thanks again for all tips and clues, toolie needs one (possibly more
than one ;-)

additional update: it now appears I've "blown out" the onboard video of
the vaio - I'm getting numerous "out of scan range" dialogs (even after
reboots and other gyrations), and the LCD monitor not lighting up,
meanwhile it's impossible to access any settings IN ORDER TO "change" a
scan range ). there's no useable desktop, no useable video, won't boot
with an emerg CD -with- any useable video of -any- sort "ildly out of
focus and weird" or NOT. so I've replaced onboard video with rage pro
turbo AGP singlehead. working OK for now. but re dualheads, generally:

what ARE the implications if I install, say, an AGP 8X dualhead card in
my 'oldie' (assumed to be agp version 1, since sony makes no mention in
the specs of it being anything OVER that) AGP slot? the 'newer version
of AGP' card will still work? if it will work, what'll I be giving up
(other than 'excessive monies poured into capabilities I can't utilize')?

instead of a radeon 9000, since my machine's such an "AGP antique"
wouldn't like a radeon 7000 be more or less "the same" visually?

or what am I overlooking?

toolie the dontwannabe video card experimenter

ps - thanks much for your earlier radeon 9000/ebay suggestion - looking
there now, and see a huge assortment of older dualheads...(hence the
quest of the moment

ps-I've a sony vaio pcv-rx30, 1 gb ram, XPhome SP2, if it matters...

 

[Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User]

Either remove the on board CMOS battery or locate the jumper pins that reset
BIOS.. hopefully, this should reset the default memory allocation for your
on board video..