Dual Monitor Dilemma

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   Can VGA and DVI-I to HDMI be mixed on the same card for a dual monitor set-up?

Currently running a GTX 285 2 GB into a DVI-I HDMI adapter into a Samsung HDTV as my main monitor... 

I bought a cheap little monitor that has a DVI-D and a VGA.... and unknowingly bought a DVI cable (not a DVI-D)...

The monitor has a VGA (and cable) input and DS included a DVI-I to VGA adapter...

So I checked a few places online and found no posted problems or conflicts in any forums....

Anyway....

I went ahead and tried it, mixing a VGA (set-up above) and a DVI-I (HDMI cable and input to HDTV)....

The results were disastrous!

The two monitors got so confused with each other that it's even to difficult to describe in any intelligible detail....

Basically, the cheap little monitor with the VGA input somehow became the main monitor with the task bar, etc., leaving my desktop icons on what was once the main, but is now the # 2 monitor... not allowing me change back and all my display settings on both monitors were also somehow changed... It was actually even weirder than that, but I can't even figure out how to describe it...

The wireless connection also got messed up somehow too.... My download speeds literally dropped from MBs to KBs...

Somehow I got everything back to normal and did a system restore to an earlier date, just to make sure...

Is it the cheap little monitor or that I mixed a DVI with a VGA?

I also noticed that, even with the second monitor completely disconnected, my current (main) monitor is still named as # 2 in the display settings....

I physically switched which DVI-I output are being used and it's still showing as # 2.... Is it because it's a HDTV?

Can you not have dual monitors with an HDTV (with the digital sound going to it via DVI-I to HDMI also)?

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JoeVideo Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 06 Aug 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 47	Quote Reply Topic: Dual Monitor Dilemma Posted: 29 Aug 2009 at 7:10am
	Can VGA and DVI-I to HDMI be mixed on the same card for a dual monitor set-up? Currently running a GTX 285 2 GB into a DVI-I HDMI adapter into a Samsung HDTV as my main monitor... I bought a cheap little monitor that has a DVI-D and a VGA.... and unknowingly bought a DVI cable (not a DVI-D)... The monitor has a VGA (and cable) input and DS included a DVI-I to VGA adapter... So I checked a few places online and found no posted problems or conflicts in any forums.... Anyway.... I went ahead and tried it, mixing a VGA (set-up above) and a DVI-I (HDMI cable and input to HDTV).... The results were disastrous! The two monitors got so confused with each other that it's even to difficult to describe in any intelligible detail.... Basically, the cheap little monitor with the VGA input somehow became the main monitor with the task bar, etc., leaving my desktop icons on what was once the main, but is now the # 2 monitor... not allowing me change back and all my display settings on both monitors were also somehow changed... It was actually even weirder than that, but I can't even figure out how to describe it... The wireless connection also got messed up somehow too.... My download speeds literally dropped from MBs to KBs... Somehow I got everything back to normal and did a system restore to an earlier date, just to make sure... Is it the cheap little monitor or that I mixed a DVI with a VGA? I also noticed that, even with the second monitor completely disconnected, my current (main) monitor is still named as # 2 in the display settings.... I physically switched which DVI-I output are being used and it's still showing as # 2.... Is it because it's a HDTV? Can you not have dual monitors with an HDTV (with the digital sound going to it via DVI-I to HDMI also)?
	I earn what I own and I own what I earn, Some days I teach and some days I learn. Brief Specs: i7 920 OC'd to 3.3GHz 6GB DDR3 1600MHz 300GB VelociRaptor + 2 7200RPM 1TBs 1 GTX 285 2 GB

relman Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 18 Jul 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 17	Quote Reply Posted: 29 Aug 2009 at 9:29am
	JoeVideo, I'm not sure whether you tried this already, but you can go to Nvidia Control Panel (right click and choose from menu) and go to 'Setup multiple displays' and assign which monitor you want to be primary(1)/secondary(2) and set their resolutions as well. Did you try that ? BTW, I remember from an earlier post you had, you were trying to setup your HDTV as your monitor and wanting to get the sound from the hdmi cable by connecting the MB's digital sound output to the video card and sending it out through the DVI-I -> DVI-2-HDMI convertor ..etc. Did that work out for you ...? Did you get the sound out from your hdtv?

JoeVideo Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 06 Aug 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 47	Quote Reply Posted: 02 Sep 2009 at 2:16am
	Sorry for the delay in replying........ > I'm not sure whether.......... Nvidia Control Panel.......... Setup multiple displays' and assign which monitor.......... Did you try that ? Yes, it doesn't stay configured, but I'm thinking that you might be referring to the updated version: http://www.nvidia.com/object/win7_winvista_64bit_190.62_whql.html > BTW...... trying to setup your HDTV as your monitor......... get the sound from the hdmi cable by connecting the MB's digital sound output to the video card and sending it out through the DVI-I -> DVI-2-HDMI convertor ..etc. Did that work out for you ...? Did you get the sound out from your hdtv? Thanks, yes! DS just set the audio to digital and ran the SPDIF: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/600 Anyway, I'm going to drop DS Tech a quick e-mail to see if they think that the Nvidia software/driver update might offer a solution to get dual monitors going... The Vista release notes: http://us.download.nvidia.com/Windows/190.62/190.62_WinVista_Desktop_Release_Notes.pdf ...Under - Windows Vista 64-bit Issues (Pg. 11) state that there's "issues" with dual monitors... Although, that may not pertain to keeping the settings with one 285.... I'll keep you posted..........
	I earn what I own and I own what I earn, Some days I teach and some days I learn. Brief Specs: i7 920 OC'd to 3.3GHz 6GB DDR3 1600MHz 300GB VelociRaptor + 2 7200RPM 1TBs 1 GTX 285 2 GB

Dual Monitor Dilemma

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