VGA Monitor and Mini Displayport

Got my new Alienware and I have an old VGA monitor that I am looking to replace but right now I am stuck using it. I bought an adapter that is a mini displayport to VGA but when I plug it in it goes into low power standby and of course I can't see anything on it. Was wondering if I was missing some setting or if it's a fault in the monitor not being able to tell that it's plug in because it is going through an adapter.

If anybody can help I would appreciate it.

 

Did you try FN+F1 to redirect the display output already? You probably also need to adjust some things in the NVIDIA Control Panel so your computer knows how you wish to use it.

 

Thank you for the reply Mr. Fox. I did the FN+F1 as recommended and it shows up in the Screen Resolution page as well as in the Nvidia Control Panel and the laptop screen flashes like it is connected but I still can't get a picture on the monitor to display.

So I think I just have to conclude that the monitor is in a power save state with the adapter confusing it into thinking the computer is not on.

 

What make exactly is the adapter? Can you test it on any other displays if only for a moment?

 

It's an adapter made by Rocketfish. I don't currently have an additional monitor to test it with but I might be able to go by a friends house this week and try it out.

Edit: Tried it on another dell monitor that was a bit newer to the one I have and as soon as I plugged it in the monitor went into power save mode. If I could force the monitor im trying to use into not going into power save it probably would work but I couldn't find the option in the monitor settings. A different adapter may work as well but ordering and trying would cause some hassle.

 

Looking at the number of people complaining about the rocketfish adapter on amazon I wouldn't be surprised that the adapter is faulty or incompatible with your setup. I could only suggest you try a different adapter.

 

I have exactly the same issue with my Alienware, the monitor just goes into standby. Connecting to an LG monitor using a min-dp to vga connector (bought from here: Monitor Cable Mini DisplayPort Male to VGA Female | Maplin), it shows up that it exists but can't view anything when I extend. I now have 3 Display's showing in the Screen Resolution page:

1. Laptop
2. Display Device on : VGA
3. M228WD-BZ (this is my monitor)

I can extend from #1 to #3 and my cursor will vanish over to the right but can't get any display on the monitor.

My nVidia Control Panel shows this:
View attachment 111147

I can untick the analogue and when I apply the setting it disappears but I can't select the LG Monitor, as in the tick option just doesn't work.

If I go back to Screen Resolution I'm now back to two displays, Laptop and Monitor. If I try to extend and apply the setting I get a prompt: "The display settings could not be saved. Please try a different combination of display settings".

I really don't understand why this is so difficult, I've used macbooks whereby I plug one of these converters in and it just works.

I've tried altering screen resolutions but this doesn't seem to make any difference.

At the end of my tether with this, any ideas where I'm going wrong? I can't see it being an issue with the cable or the monitor (monitor works fine with other laptops vga-vga) and surely the fact the cable is picking up the fact a monitor exists should be enough to indicate that it is working......to an extent.

Any help/input would be greatly appreciated to help myself and Robert (apologies for highjacking the thread) in getting this sorted.

Laptop specs:
Win 8.1
Alienware M17x (purchased new Jan 2014).
Geforce GTX 780M graphics card.

 

I have some problems hooking up two monitors to my A17 (765m, 2013).
I'm using the HDMI and Displayport, no adaptors. When I plug in both monitors, the one on the Displayport usually just goes to power saving mode.
There's a way to get around this, though.
I close the laptop and unplug the one on the HDMI port.
I plug in only the one on the Displayport. If it doesn't turn on, I unplug and replug it. Sometimes I need to do that a few times. After the Displayport-monitor is working, I plug in the HDMI monitor. Both will then work.

I need to repeat this every morning.

 

When in switchable mode disable the internal screen since you can only run 2 panels (internal is counted in this) at once.

 

I have to more then a few times, replug my mini-DP adapter in to get it to work, and its a mini-DP to DVI-D

 

You ever figure out the mini displayport to work via the vga adaptor yet ?