dual monitors, phantom third

[bkelly13]

Windows XP, SP 3, dual monitors.

Two monitors work well. The cursor will bump up to the top, bottom, and right sides and stop there. But on the left side it keeps on going. There appears to be an undisplayed area on the left side. Sometimes Word or something will start and I have no display on the screen. The item is in the task bar a the botom of the screen, but I cannot see it. This often happens when I use ctl-F to find text within Microsoft Word. The find window is off screen.

I have discovered that sometimes I can click on the task bar, select Move from the popup list, then without moving the mouse, left click and drag to the right. Then the window will come into view from the left side.

I did not have this problem until I did a reload of Windows XP. Dual monitors were working well before that. Now, after several re-loads, the problem persists.

The video board is an NVIDIA GeForce MX 4000. Right now the primary monitor is connected to the video controller on board the motherboard. The second monitor, to the right, is connected to the VGA connector on the NVIDIA board.

When the Display Properties window is up and monitor 1 is selected, the Display field shows:
1. Default Monitor on NVIDIA GeForce 4 MX 4000 (Microsoft Corporation)
When the second monitor is selected the field displays:
2. Plug and Play Monitor NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 4000 (Microsoft Corporation)

The monitors are Hanns-G, both set to 1280 x 1024 and look very good.

Has anyone seen this problem or know how to resolve it?

 

[linney]

Does your Video Card have both a VGA and a DVI connection rather than you connecting to the On-board Motherboard connection?

Expand your workspace with multiple monitors

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/hwandprograms/monitors.mspx

 

[bkelly13]

The mother board connection has the standard 15 pin D connector. The add in video board has the same and one S video connector. There is an S to VGA adapter that I have used in the past, but am not using now. There are no DVI connectors on this computer.

Is there anything else I can provide to help diagnose this problem.

 

[linney]

Some people can do what you are doing with your setup, some cannot, that is why I queried the two different Video uses.

Dual monitors using card and internal

http://www.eggheadcafe.com/software/aspnet/35363336/dual-monitors-using-card.aspx

graphics card, and motherboard dual monitor setup...?

http://club.myce.com/f7/graphics-card-motherboard-dual-monitor-setup-102220/

Use this inexpensive utility, UltraMon:

http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/

There is a free trial, see if it can help you.

Hardware Requirements for Multiple-Display Support in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;296538&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Description of DualView in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283674/EN-US/

List of Supported Display Adapters for Multiple Monitors and Dualview in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307397/EN-US/

307873 - HOW TO: Configure and Use Multiple Monitors in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307873&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[bkelly13]

Hello Linney,
My dual monitors are working so most of the links are repeats of general knowledge. None have any relevance to video areas that are not displayed.
But I do thank you for taking the time to reply.

 

[linney]

1. Default Monitor on NVIDIA GeForce 4 MX 4000 (Microsoft Corporation)When the second monitor is selected the field displays:2. Plug and Play Monitor NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 4000 (Microsoft Corporation)"

Why is there no mention of the Onboard Video? Is that giving you the third monitor or invisible window?

Lots of people like the UltraMon tool. It is free to try.

The only reference I have seen to anything similar to what (I think) you are experiencing involved Laptops and using an additional Monitor.

Do your Nvidia drivers have an option to center all windows when they're opened? That and some other suggestions are canvassed in this thread. Sorry if it is irrelevant.

Moving offscreen windows
thread779-1040396

 

[bkelly13]

Problem resolved. Fetching and loading the latest drivers resolved the problem.
My appologies about taking so long to mark this resolved.