After reading Tommy's laptop screen problem, I decided I needed
some more info from the "brain trust".

My ACER Aspire 5680 laptop as I mentioned has an all but dead screen, so I have plugged
a desktop Dell monitor into it. Because the lappy screen is black, I can only
access the Dell desktop via F8 and Enable VGA Mode.

But the VGA Mode will not allow a resolution higher than 640 X 480. Any attempt to change the
settings, blacks the desktop and returns to a black laptop screen.

Is there a way to change the resolution of the desktop without losing the picture????
I'm not averse to digging in the registry if need be.

Thanks to all who enter here -

Ian

Well, you are enabling VGA mode, which is only 640x480. The Fn button and F5 should toggle between the two displays. Once you get the second monitor up and running, you should be able to change the resolution from inside of Windows.

The problem is, I don't know when the Hotkeys become active during the start up sequence.

Gary

Hi Gary

My thinking was that if I could get to VGA, I could use Rt-click on destop, then Settings etc. But not so.

Laptops are not my forte but I couldn't pass up a camera for Skyping four adult kids on the West Coast.

F2 will get me into setup, but there are no adjustments there to "bypass" the default monitor in the boot process. OS is XP-SP3 Media edition. The lappy has a User-name for me - I've seen it - but I seldom see it due to the black.

What are the different ways to bypass the default monitor "software-wise"?

Ian

Try this.Go into the device manager and disable the lappy monitor.Then reboot and do nothing.It should pick up the other monitor as default.You might end up with 2 black screens.

John, Gary:

The news is something worked and the monitor now has 1024x768.

For others:

John - I removed the Default monitor from Device Manager. The desktop is plug 'n play.
I "restarted" the lappy and I heard all of the pretty OS tunes, and then nothing but black.
So I sat and waited and waited, got impatient then

as Gary suggested I did Fn F5 and held it for about 5 sec solid, and nothing . . .
then pop and up came 1024x768!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow

I'll see if this is permanent once I try to re-boot . . . which won't be until midnight tonight.
No way I'm wasting this resolution.

John, Gary - muchos gracias - I've been trying to solve this problem since Christmas.
As they say in local French . . . mercy buckets!!!

Ian

Cool!

Ian,
It most likely won't 'stick', you're going to have to use the Fn-F5 every time you start. I don't know of a way to make that the default.

I'm assuming the computer isn't under warranty any more. This is probably about a four year old computer. I hate to say it, but my best suggestion is to replace it completely. That's about all I can say.

I personally like HP laptops. I've always had good luck with mine.

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/ca/en/ho/...1521.html?dnr=1

Gary

Hey guys

I rebooted the black screen laptop without using F8 and VGA Enable.
The boot process rolled through directly to the added monitor.
I was surprised when it went to the added Desktop screen @ 1024x768 WITHOUT having to use the Fn F5 key combo.

I checked Device Manager and discovered that the Default monitor was still "X"d but another
Plug and Play had been added . . . I'm thinking in place of the cancelled Default entry.

Anyway - I got joy - so far she's holdin' fast.

Thanks - Ian

I told Ya!

Good!

Gary

Quote:

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I told Ya!

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I am honoured (Canucky) to know such a modest man.