Multiple Monitors - settings won't apply! Please help

Trying to set up the multiple monitors feature, i go into display settings
where my second monitor (#2) appears but shaded out, when i click on it and
check the box that says extend my windows desktop onto this monitor and then
click apply it just undoes itself, i.e. when i click apply [or ok] the box
just unchecks itself and the monitor picture becomes shaded out again.

Why is this? this seems to be the only way to activate this feature. This
has happened on at least 2 other people i knows computers n i have no idea
why it won't just apply the setting, any help would be much appreciated.

RalfG
Mon Mar 24 06:52:40 PDT 2008

It might be better if you were more specific about the type of video card
and drivers being used and what sort of monitor(s) are connected. It could
be that the monitor is not being automatically detected. The extended
display settings might allow you to 'force' the detection of the secondary
display. It could also be that the video card drivers need to be
reinstalled.

"FrUsTrAtEd" <FrUsTrAtEd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:C6CCF164-3AA2-4407-9920-53567C011A7F@microsoft.com...
> Trying to set up the multiple monitors feature, i go into display settings
> where my second monitor (#2) appears but shaded out, when i click on it
> and
> check the box that says extend my windows desktop onto this monitor and
> then
> click apply it just undoes itself, i.e. when i click apply [or ok] the box
> just unchecks itself and the monitor picture becomes shaded out again.
>
> Why is this? this seems to be the only way to activate this feature. This
> has happened on at least 2 other people i knows computers n i have no idea
> why it won't just apply the setting, any help would be much appreciated.

FrUsTrAtEd
Mon Mar 24 07:11:00 PDT 2008

Ok, using Radeon 9200 SE adapters and the monitors are an acer AL1916W and a
compaq fp1706, both digital flat panels...

It may be that the second monitor is not being detected as i cannot access
its properties as theyre greyed out...

How would i go about 'forcing' its detection?
"RalfG" wrote:

> It might be better if you were more specific about the type of video card
> and drivers being used and what sort of monitor(s) are connected. It could
> be that the monitor is not being automatically detected. The extended
> display settings might allow you to 'force' the detection of the secondary
> display. It could also be that the video card drivers need to be
> reinstalled.
>
> "FrUsTrAtEd" <FrUsTrAtEd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:C6CCF164-3AA2-4407-9920-53567C011A7F@microsoft.com...
> > Trying to set up the multiple monitors feature, i go into display settings
> > where my second monitor (#2) appears but shaded out, when i click on it
> > and
> > check the box that says extend my windows desktop onto this monitor and
> > then
> > click apply it just undoes itself, i.e. when i click apply [or ok] the box
> > just unchecks itself and the monitor picture becomes shaded out again.
> >
> > Why is this? this seems to be the only way to activate this feature. This
> > has happened on at least 2 other people i knows computers n i have no idea
> > why it won't just apply the setting, any help would be much appreciated.
>

RalfG
Mon Mar 24 14:17:41 PDT 2008

Open the ATI Catalyst Control Center, set it to Advanced view. Select
Displays Manager from the Graphics settings list and on the right you'll see
a layout similar to the Windows display settings, but with extra options.
There is a Detect Displays button there. At the top is a drop down menu
which allows you to select either monitor and it then displays the current
settings and available options for it. What you can also try on this page is
to select the problem monitor from the drop down list and down below choose
the settings you want to use for it, then click the "Force" button. BE SURE
that you don't pick any values that are out of the specification range for
the monitor. It's best to install monitor drivers made for the Acer and
Compaq rather than rely on generic Windows drivers for them. That way the
settings options you have available should all be within the monitor's
capabilities.

You can go through the other items in the Graphics Settings list to further
tweak each display, 3D and
video modes, and make adjustments to the color reproduction if desired. For
digital panels there is also a section allowing you to force HDTV display
modes if those weren't auto-detected. They are available when connecting
using DVI but I'm not sure if those show up when the monitor is connected
using a VGA connector. Again, don't force any setting unless you know it is
within the monitor's capabilities.


"FrUsTrAtEd" <FrUsTrAtEd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:B3EC634E-DA72-4976-AD4E-6B1A3063A7A5@microsoft.com...
> Ok, using Radeon 9200 SE adapters and the monitors are an acer AL1916W and
> a
> compaq fp1706, both digital flat panels...
>
> It may be that the second monitor is not being detected as i cannot access
> its properties as theyre greyed out...
>
> How would i go about 'forcing' its detection?
> "RalfG" wrote:
>
>> It might be better if you were more specific about the type of video card
>> and drivers being used and what sort of monitor(s) are connected. It
>> could
>> be that the monitor is not being automatically detected. The extended
>> display settings might allow you to 'force' the detection of the
>> secondary
>> display. It could also be that the video card drivers need to be
>> reinstalled.
>>
>> "FrUsTrAtEd" <FrUsTrAtEd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:C6CCF164-3AA2-4407-9920-53567C011A7F@microsoft.com...
>> > Trying to set up the multiple monitors feature, i go into display
>> > settings
>> > where my second monitor (#2) appears but shaded out, when i click on it
>> > and
>> > check the box that says extend my windows desktop onto this monitor and
>> > then
>> > click apply it just undoes itself, i.e. when i click apply [or ok] the
>> > box
>> > just unchecks itself and the monitor picture becomes shaded out again.
>> >
>> > Why is this? this seems to be the only way to activate this feature.
>> > This
>> > has happened on at least 2 other people i knows computers n i have no
>> > idea
>> > why it won't just apply the setting, any help would be much
>> > appreciated.
>>