Laptop and external monitor: 1680 x 1050 with 1280 x 1024 Dell Insprion 8500 with Samsung 710T

[integramodder]

Alright, just got my Samsung LCD today. Deffinetly a nice LCD with very bright and vivid colors.

Anyway, I have a Dell Inspiron 8500 with the NVIDIA GeForce4 4200 Go Video Card. The laptop runs on its native 1680 x 1050 resolution while the LCD is on its native 1280 x 1024. The problem occurs if I do the "Extend my windows desktop onto this monitor" option. Windows just doubles the same output and results in the LCD having only about 4/5 of what it should. The left side of the screen gets chopped off on the desktop and while playing movies in Windows Media Player and Divx Player.

Does anyone know of any solutions to this problem?


I justed downloaded Nvidia nView Multi-Display Software and Ill see if I can get anywhere with that...

 

[integramodder]

I installed the new Nvidia drivers but im not getting the same options as they get on the screen shots...


Is this because the video card just sucks and doesnt support the nvidia software?

 

[Peter]

It is because notebooks need customized drivers, as provided from your OEM (Dell), to get the output configuration right. Too many design options there which generic drivers cannot detect ...

 

[integramodder]

Originally posted by: Peter
It is because notebooks need customized drivers, as provided from your OEM (Dell), to get the output configuration right. Too many design options there which generic drivers cannot detect ...

Currently the card on the laptop is running fine.
Should I uninstall the current nvidia drivers and install the Dell supplied drivers?


is there any way to get the nVidia Multi screen software to work?

 

[Steve]

Originally posted by: integramodder

Originally posted by: Peter
It is because notebooks need customized drivers, as provided from your OEM (Dell), to get the output configuration right. Too many design options there which generic drivers cannot detect ...

Currently the card on the laptop is running fine.
Should I uninstall the current nvidia drivers and install the Dell supplied drivers?

Yes you should, that's what Peter said.

is there any way to get the nVidia Multi screen software to work?

Once you get those drivers installed, you should be able to find that option in Display Settings.

 

[integramodder]

The thing is that the multi display option is currently working on the new nVidia drivers.

The problem is I want to make windows think my screen is now just wider rather than two seperate screens.

 

[integramodder]

Also, is there a way to extend the Start bar to the second monitor?

 

[Steve]

What version of Windows is this?


You'll have to see if the driver provides an option of horizontal span. If so, it will extend your taskbar across the two screens.

 

[integramodder]

Version is XP.


I also cant figure out why windows allows me to make my S-Video output my primary monitor but wont allow that option on the VGA output.

 

[integramodder]

Display Properties


nView Display Properties


These are my current settings and options.

 

[Steve]

Under "Multiple Desktops" I think that "Enable desktop explorer shell extension" might do what you want, but honestly I'm not holding out much hope at this point. I think the laptop's VGA only wants to output 1680x1050-style signal, so you'd need a suitably-sized screen. Try Dell's laptop-specific drivers if you haven't already, and if it works then the VGA is not hardcoded as such.

 

[integramodder]

The "Enable desktop explorer shell extension" is for the multiple desktop option. It just adds it into the Windows Explorer folder tree.

 

[integramodder]

anyone have any ideas?

 

[integramodder]

ttt

 

[Peter]

Your "Display Properties" says "(1) multiple monitors on ..." which means that NView controls all monitors, combining them to look like one to Windows. This is not what you want. You want the NVidia driver to keep them separate, so you can handle them separately from Windows's own controls.

 

[integramodder]

Originally posted by: Peter
Your "Display Properties" says "(1) multiple monitors on ..." which means that NView controls all monitors, combining them to look like one to Windows. This is not what you want. You want the NVidia driver to keep them separate, so you can handle them separately from Windows's own controls.

It says "1. (Multiple Monitors) on NVIDIA GeForce4 4200 Go".

This is because the laptop screen is selected. If you select the second screen (black box at right), it now says "2. SyncMaster 710T....on NVIDIA GeForce4 4200 Go".