My laptop no longer supports external monitor properly

[dave.rado]

I have a Sony Vaio laptop running XP, and recently the external monitor feature has stopped working. If I press Fn+F7, the computer beeps but the menuthat normally allows one to switch between internal and external monitors isn't displayed any more. If I right-click the Desktop and select Properties, and then choose the Settings tab, under Display it lists "1. Sony notebook LCD, 2.
Default monitor" - but in the image above that list, "2" is greyed out, andif I select "2. Default monitor" from the list and click OK, the laptop doesn't switch to external display.

In the Desktop/Properties/Settings tab, if I select "2. Default monitor", the checkbox labelled "use this device as my primary monitor" is greyed out.On the same tab, if I select "2. Default monitor" and then select "Extendmy Windows desktop onto this monitor", then the desktop *is* extended and displayed on my external monitor (although my applications are not displayed on it). This proves that there is no problem with my monitor port as such- the laptop is still capable of displaying on the external monitor when it wants to, but it's just being awkward!

Is there any way of getting to the bottom of why I can't use an external monitor any more, and of fixing the problem?

Dave

 

[JD]

I have a Sony Vaio laptop running XP, and recently the external monitor feature has

stopped working. If I press Fn+F7, the computer beeps but the menu that
normally allows

one to switch between internal and external monitors isn't displayed any
more. If I

right-click the Desktop and select Properties, and then choose the
Settings tab, under

Display it lists "1. Sony notebook LCD, 2.

Default monitor" - but in the image above that list, "2" is greyed out, and if I

select "2. Default monitor" from the list and click OK, the laptop
doesn't switch to

external display.

In the Desktop/Properties/Settings tab, if I select "2. Default monitor", the checkbox

labelled "use this device as my primary monitor" is greyed out. On the
same tab, if I

select "2. Default monitor" and then select "Extend my Windows desktop
onto this monitor",

then the desktop *is* extended and displayed on my external monitor
(although my applications

are not displayed on it). This proves that there is no problem with my
monitor port as such

- the laptop is still capable of displaying on the external monitor
when it wants to, but

it's just being awkward!

Is there any way of getting to the bottom of why I can't use an external monitor any more,

and of fixing the problem?

Dave

My condolences Dave,

Something similar hit me and my Advent computer recently. The VGA route
for the video to the monitor went through the motherboard and it went
belly up after about 16 months. The motherboard is a Foxconn and
obviously a fragile one.

I have been struggling to get a new route for the video at a reasonable
cost - a PCI or similar card installed. Then, when I get the driver
installed, I should be able to bypass the dead route. I'm still
struggling for that.

Good luck!