Monitor signal out of range on POST

[wpeng]

So I get a signal out of range when booting up my computer and past the initial black windows loading screen. When windows actually loads, though, the screen comes back on. Why would there be a signal out of range on bootup when the resolution and refresh are standard, but not with Windows XP where you can change refresh and resolution?

I can see the startup screen when I plug in an analog cable though. I have a geforce 7900gs with two dvi plugs and an integrated video that is turned off via BIOS. I use a D-SUB to DVI adapter to plug in the analog cable.

 

[Peter]

It appears that your monitor isn't reporting its resolution support /quite/ correctly. In analog mode, the standard modes will be done with standard timings, ignoring the monitor's PnP "EDID" record - but in DVI mode, the graphics card produces what the monitor says it wants.

Plenty of monitors get that right for their native resolutions, but other resolutions are often described wrong. Often enough, standard resolutions like the 720x400 required for DOS/bootloader text mode are omitted in EDID records - and then you'll get nothing at that stage of boot.

 

[wpeng]

Any way to fix this, or is it just the monitor's fault? It's annoying not being able to go into the BIOS without rehooking up the monitor to analog.

 

[Peter]

A monitor firmware update, if available, might help. Contact its vendor.

 

[wpeng]

What are the chances that this is a video card problem?

 

[wpeng]

Well, it's not the video card since I tested it on another monitor and it worked. What are the chances it is the motherboard? Any way to set the BIOS to a lower resolution/refresh rate?

 

[IamDavid]

mine has always done this. ever lcd i've owned. never bother me.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: Peter
It appears that your monitor isn't reporting its resolution support /quite/ correctly. In analog mode, the standard modes will be done with standard timings, ignoring the monitor's PnP "EDID" record - but in DVI mode, the graphics card produces what the monitor says it wants.

Plenty of monitors get that right for their native resolutions, but other resolutions are often described wrong. Often enough, standard resolutions like the 720x400 required for DOS/bootloader text mode are omitted in EDID records - and then you'll get nothing at that stage of boot.

WOW. Just wow. Talk about broken LCD firmware. Don't people even test these things?

 

[Peter]

You don't really want to know. Whenever a technology becomes mainstream, hardware manufacturers stop trying. Halfbakery is the norm - and as long as we, the computer buying public, put up with that, it'll stay that way.

Anyhow ... wpeng, no, the resolutions used for POST and initial OS boot are standardized, no way to change them, else you'd break many more things than you'd fix.

Other than prodding your monitor maker to get that fixed, there's nothing you can do.