Laptop w/ External Monitor

[Ctwizzy]

Hi there!

Dont know if this is the best Forum for this question, I was debating between this and Hardware... if im in the wrong one can a mod please move this?

Anyways. I recently got a VAIO laptop, won it in a competition. Its way better than my current desktop which is approaching year 6, it still runs flawlessly though. Anyways Im wanting to start migrating more towards using my laptop as my main device, I have a 22" WS Monitor with best res at 1680x1050.

I connect my monitor to the external VGA slot on the laptop. So vista gives me 3 options:

1. Mirror displays

2. Extend

3. External Only.

I actually get a lot of control, more than I thought I would. My only problem is this:

When using extend or external only and I choose 1680x1050 as the resolution for my monitor the image is not aligned on the screen, its way over to the right, so much that im missing about 30% and have a black bar on the left.

Is this a vista error or a hardware/driver error? I recently upgraded the intel graphics driver as before this driver I couldnt even get higher than 1280x800...

Thanks in advance!

[Idontwantspam]

My advice - though I haven't ever used two monitors on Vista, it works fine for me on XP - is to forget the stinkin' windows monitor management stuff. See if there's software that came with your computer for changing the graphics properties. For example my Dell laptop has an Intel program for configuring the displays. Works way better than windows'. Right-click on the desktop and see if you find anything like Graphics Properties. Also, look on the monitor isteld for buttons. Some monitors you can move the image around on the screen using certain arrows and menus. It differs by monitor. Test the monitor with the other modes. Does it work? Test it with another computer. Does it work then? By seeing if it works elsewhere you can maybe figure out the issue and see if it's hardware or software. It sounds like maybe funky video card drivers.

[DonDamm]

That's a driver problem and it also sounds like a typical problem with an analog monitor. I presume your monitor has a digital and an analog connector. It is not uncommon for the field to be shifted with an analog signal, but not as much as you describe. I, too , use an Intel Graphics Accelerator chip in my HP 510, but I don't seem to have the problem you describe with any monitor.

You mention the problem with external and extend, so I presume it looks okay with Mirror? If it does, then you can probably fix it as the signal is there and will display. Your onscreen controls should work to help correct this. part of the problem nmay the difference in the native resolution of your screens. If your laptop screen is 1280x800 and your screen is 1680x1050 then that may be part of the reason for the shift. How does it respond when you set the res to 1280?

Edited April 20, 2007 by DonDamm

[Ctwizzy]

Mirror mode works because it fores the res of the laptop, which is 1280, 1280 looks fine, as does any res besides 1680x1050.