Tech Support Forum - View Single Post - Monitors not working as external display w/ laptop.

chiefsfan17 · 09-26-2008, 03:12 AM

Okay here is my situation: My house got struck by lightning 2 days ago, my desktop went busto but it's in the shop getting fixed. I had two monitors in the same surge protector as the desktop, and now they're not getting a display - but I don't think they're broken...here's why: Instead of using my desktop for now I am just using my laptop, but I tried to hook my monitors up to it (I have had this setup in the past for a few months - the laptop and the same exact 2 monitors). The monitors both turn on and show pictures on the screen (the default dell floating stuff when the monitor is not actually showing windows or something). The laptop also reads the monitors when I plug them in and it says they are working properly. I've tried DVI and VGA cables for both of them and neither works, but I'm pretty sure the cables are working because the laptop knows when the external monitor is hooked up or isn't hooked up. The laptop was not plugged in anywhere during the storm, so it's fine. Tomorrow I'm going to try these monitors with another laptop, I just don't have one to try them with right now. Any ideas?

Also my laptop is a Dell Inspiron E1705.

09-26-2008, 03:12 AM	#1 (permalink)
chiefsfan17 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 3 OS: Vista	Monitors not working as external display w/ laptop. Okay here is my situation: My house got struck by lightning 2 days ago, my desktop went busto but it's in the shop getting fixed. I had two monitors in the same surge protector as the desktop, and now they're not getting a display - but I don't think they're broken...here's why: Instead of using my desktop for now I am just using my laptop, but I tried to hook my monitors up to it (I have had this setup in the past for a few months - the laptop and the same exact 2 monitors). The monitors both turn on and show pictures on the screen (the default dell floating stuff when the monitor is not actually showing windows or something). The laptop also reads the monitors when I plug them in and it says they are working properly. I've tried DVI and VGA cables for both of them and neither works, but I'm pretty sure the cables are working because the laptop knows when the external monitor is hooked up or isn't hooked up. The laptop was not plugged in anywhere during the storm, so it's fine. Tomorrow I'm going to try these monitors with another laptop, I just don't have one to try them with right now. Any ideas? Also my laptop is a Dell Inspiron E1705.