[ale] [OT] need help xp internal mon broken, ext mon inop

Wed Mar 20 22:58:36 EDT 2013

You may not know how to do this on Linux, but I bet you know where to ask.

...John
On Mar 20, 2013 10:35 PM, "Ron Frazier (ALE)" <
atllinuxenthinfo at techstarship.com> wrote:

> **
> PS - I'd have no earthly idea how to do this on Linux dealing with the X
> system.
>
> Ron
>
> On 3/20/2013 10:11 PM, Ron Frazier (ALE) wrote:
>
> YES.  I want to thank you all for your suggestions.  Sometimes, just
> talking things through is helpful.  I think I've got it back now.
>
> I went into the bios and set the display to activate the external port and
> lcd panel.
>
> I went into safe mode.  I could then see the display.  I restored a system
> restore point to yesterday.  I went into device manager and disabled the
> internal panel.  I rebooted and I could see the screen, but it was the
> wrong resolution.  This may be due to the kvm.  I went into advanced
> settings and told the system not to hide modes the monitor couldn't
> display.  I was then able to set it to 1280 x 1024 (normal for this pc).  I
> went back into device manager and disabled a 2nd pnp monitor that it thinks
> is attached.  I have no idea what it is, perhaps a port on the internal
> video controller that doesn't have an external port.  I think I'm back up
> and running now.  I still have to reinstall the patches, etc., this time
> with the monitor attached.
>
> Thanks for the suggestions guys.  I just needed that little extra outside
> perspective to kickstart my brain.  Had this not worked, I was prepared to
> try more radical measures that you had suggested.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Ron
>
>
> On 3/20/2013 8:34 PM, Greg Clifton wrote:
>
> Ron,
>
>  Well, if you have the disc and the license code, you can
> always re-install (guaranteed cure for all Windows problems ;-) But then
> that will probably want to use the primary display so probably won't work.
> But, if you had a current backup you might try restoring that.
>
>  If you see the BIOS screen, you should be able to go into the BIOS and
> set it to boot from a CD or USB stick so maybe UBCD4W would help?
>
>  Now if you had a delay set for how long the computer waits to actually
> start loading Windows, you might be able to catch it and go into safe mode
> and MAYBE you'd get your external monitor back in safe mode, but I doubt
> it. If that did work and you knew which setting to change, which I don't
> off the top of my head. The external monitor was probably auto-disabled
> when the system booted and didn't find it.
>
>  Maybe a serial console, but probably that would have needed to have been
> configured beforehand?
>
>  Best,
> Greg
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 20, 2013 at 6:15 PM, Ron Frazier (ALE) <
> atllinuxenthinfo at techstarship.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Please don't flame me, but I need XP help.  I KNOW it's getting obsolete
>> (per other threads), but there's something cool about keeping a vintage
>> computer running as long as I can.  You guys are the geekiest people I know
>> and I don't hang out on Windows forums.
>>
>> I have a vintage 2002 laptop.  It's still very capable.  2.4 ghz cpu, 1
>> GB ram, 320 GB hdd.  The laptop hinges broke and the internal monitor is
>> non functional, but the OS THINKS it's functional.  For years, I've been
>> running on an external monitor via a kvm along with other pc's.  Through a
>> series of unfortunate events, including rebooting with the kvm switched to
>> another pc, as far as I can tell, the system now thinks the external
>> monitor is both the extended desktop and is deactivated.
>>
>> So, when I boot the PC, I see the bios requesting my password ON THE
>> EXTERNAL monitor, so I know the monitor and vga port works.  I enter it.  I
>> see the boot menu on my external monitor.  I select Windows XP.  The
>> monitor goes blank and never returns.  I can only assume that the windows
>> login screen is showing up in the internal monitor (as far as the OS is
>> concerned), but I cannot see that.  I know the OS is running, because I can
>> press the power button briefly and, after 5 seconds or so, the system shuts
>> down.
>>
>> I've tried the function button on the keyboard to switch from internal to
>> external monitor.  That does no good.  I tried the VGA mode boot option
>> from the boot menu, and that worked.  Operating in 640 x 480 mode is REALLY
>> fun, not.  However, when I do a normal mode boot, it stays blank again.
>>
>> Does anyone know how I can force the system back into mirror monitor
>> mode, or better yet, permanently disable the internal monitor?  Even if I
>> have to boot Ubuntu and mess with files, etc., that would be OK.
>>
>> It won't kill me if I can't get this back, since I can boot Ubuntu and
>> get to the files.  I just didn't want to retire the unit just yet.
>>
>> Any help is greatly appreciated.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Ron
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Sent from my Android Acer A500 tablet with bluetooth keyboard and K-9
>> Mail.
>> Please excuse my potential brevity if I'm typing on the touch screen.
>>
>> (PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to
>> call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate energy
>> mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new email messages very
>> quickly.)
>>
>> Ron Frazier
>> 770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
>> linuxdude AT techstarship.com
>>
>>
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>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
> --
>
> (To whom it may concern.  My email address has changed.  Replying to former
> messages prior to 03/31/12 with my personal address will go to the wrong
> address.  Please send all personal correspondence to the new address.)
>
> (PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to
> call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate energy
> mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new email messages very quickly.)
>
> Ron Frazier770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
> linuxdude AT techstarship.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing listAle at ale.orghttp://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists athttp://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
>
>
> --
>
> (To whom it may concern.  My email address has changed.  Replying to former
> messages prior to 03/31/12 with my personal address will go to the wrong
> address.  Please send all personal correspondence to the new address.)
>
> (PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to
> call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate energy
> mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new email messages very quickly.)
>
> Ron Frazier770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
> linuxdude AT techstarship.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
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> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
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>
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