External monitor problem with resolution

Hey everyone,

Hopefully this is in the right forum. I just purchased a Samsung T220 22" LCD to use as an external monitor to my Inspiron 1720 laptop. Anyways, my laptop screen has a native resolution of 1440x900 and that's the maximum that the display properties show. However my LCD has a native resolution of 1680x1050, but I'm not able to choose that setting in the display options. Anyone know a way around this where I can upgrade the resolution on my external monitor?

Thank you in advance.

 

What are you trying to change the resolution in? I use the nVidia Control panel (right click on your desktop and it should be in the menu). Look for "Change Resolution" under the display tab, select your external monitor and slide the slider all the way to the right; now it should be displaying in its proper resolution.

 

I was just looking in the nVidia panel and even under "change resolution" in that, the maximum is still 1440x900. The bar stop there.

 

There are 3 modes you can use an external monitor
1. Only one display (single)
2. Same output on both displays (clone)
3. Configured independently from each other (Dualview)

You can use both monitors in their own native resolutions under mode 1 or 3. Not in clone mode. Which mode are you using now ?
You can change the resolution from Windows Display settings (Right click on Desktop > Personalize > Display settigs), no need to go to the nVidia control panel, however, you can do it from there too.

 

I've been reading and I should be able to. I must have a setting goofed up somewhere. Anyone have any idea?

 

I'm currently using "only one display" atm. I know how to actually change the resolution, but the problem is the resolution bar's limit is 1440x900, it won't let me slide past that.

 

Try using their driver.

 

Does it recognize the screen properly? What kind of connection are you using?
It should be no problem for you to use the right resolution as you have a nvidia card.


Try updating the driver to the latest, from www.nvidia.com they have mobile gpu drivers nowadays.

 

I just tried uninstalling and reinstalling the monitor driver. Still the same issue.

How do I tell if the screen was recognized properly? The display is connected via VGA to my laptop.

I just updated my video card driver from LaptopVideo2Go, but I'll try doing it from the nVidia website.

 

I just updated the video card driver from nVidia's site and the same problem still persists. The slider's maximum still just doesn't show past 1440x900.

Ahhhh

 

It should say what screen it is where you set the resolution in windows for the monitor.


I think the problem is that you use the screen as "one" screen. Try using dualview just to see if you can get the correct resolution on that screen.

 

Anyone have any idea?

 

Michel, I tried that as well. Still only allowed me to choose 1440x900 on both monitors. Sorry, posting trouble.

 

It may be a limitation problem with the nVidia drivers under Vista.

Try hot plugging the monitor into the laptop while in windows and see what windows new hardware does.

You're only solutions might be to wait for some new drivers, get a lower native resolution monitor, or switch to XP.

 

My Samsung T260 is detected as follows (after installing the monitor driver):



Same text also appears under Monitors in device manager and in nVidia control panel.

If yours is detected properly then I guess you should see something similar as well. Currently I am using HDMI, but that shouldn't matter, because previously I used a 22" monitor @ 1680x1050 with VGA without any problems.

NO, there are no such resolution limitations for nVidia drivers under Vista!

 

As it works for PhoenixFx with the same generation of GPU, it should not be any driver issue as the poster has tryed the latest from nvidias site.


Strange problem, though i think it has to do something with the screen not being properly recognized.

 

Phoenix, yeah I have the exact same thing showing. If it is a problem with the monitor not being properly recognized, how would I go about fixing this issue?

I've been pulling my hair out all night trying to get this thing to work.

 

Exact same thing as it's showing a T260 as PhoenixFx not a T220 as you have?

If it is a problem with the monitor not being recognized properly you could always try to set a custom resolution in nvidias controll panel, you should see an option for this if you have it in advanced mode. Other possible fix is to download the driver for your monitor and just update the driver for it. Try these http://www.samsung.com/us/support/d...pe=DR&vType=R&prd_ia_cd=05020100&disp_nm=T220

After a google search for the samsung T220 monitor it seems like many has this problem when using the stock monitor driver or graphicscard driver

So try installing the newest drivers again and do a reboot several times and it should be fixed.


See http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/258630-15-nvidia-9600gt-samsung-t220

 

I had a problem like this for a while, what I had to do was put everything back to normal (unplug the external monitor and set the display properties up as you would if you were only using the notebook), then plug in the external monitor again, then set it as primary and disable the laptop's screen (if you so desire). Only after I did that would it allow me to use the external monitor correctly.

It might be just the case of playing around with stuff like that until you find what works, I know its painful and annoying but its better than it not working correctly. Hopefully someone will have a permanent solution though.

 

Michel, no I mean it displays the T220 properly. I'm gonna go ahead and try what you and Fitters suggested. I'll be back in a bit after fooling around with it.

Thanks so much guys btw, I really appreciate the responses. This has just been bugging the heck out of me.

 

Still no luck... I think there's something that I'm doing wrong or that I'm just not getting.

 

No luck with custom resolutions (nVidia control panel > Display > manage custom resolutions ) either ?

 

No luck with that either. It won't allow me to making a custom resolution.

 

Use Driver Sweeper and clean out all the traces of the video driver completely. Uninstalling nvidia drivers doesn’t always guarantee that everything will be cleaned, most of the time many dangling registry entries and system files are left behind. That is why those programs are there.

Then download a new driver and install (a different version than what you have now would be better) .

 

Just tried using Driver Sweeper as well. Still no luck.

 

This is very strange...

Now only few options left:
Try booting with a Linux Live CD and see if you can get the external monitor run at 1680x1050. If Linux also fails to detect it then try with a different cable. Maybe the cable is somehow damaged and your graphics card cannot read monitor specs through DDC.

If none of these works then I’m afraid there is nothing much left to do except a Windows reinstall.

 

I'm not sure what a Linux Live CD is, but I'll research that and give that a shot when I get home later today.

Windows reinstall is the last thing I want to do I have so many things on this computer. So hopefully it's one of the other things.

Thank you for all the help so far guys. I appreciate it.

 

OK, try this.

If that monitor is plugged into a power strip, ups or avr, unplug the thing and re-plug it directly into the wall outlet.

Don't ask why, just do it.

.

 

Noterev, just tried it. It still only let the maximum resolution bar to be 1440x900.

 

you have still a picture on the internal screen? haven't read every post in detail.

 

What do you mean the internal screen? The one connected to the laptop?

I have it set right now so the laptop screen is off and the external LCD is primary. I've tried clone and extended as well. No luck with any 3 of the settings.

 

ok ..

 

i believe i have a similar problem
i have a syncmaster 245bw...max res = 1920x1200. when i first got it, it was working perfectly. i just plugged it in and my preferred settings were immediately used (namely my monitor as the primary monitor, and my laptop as the extended desktop on the left). then, one fateful day (a few months ago), it didnt use my settings. my max res became 1024x768. i tried everything, updating drivers, uninstalling and reinstalling drivers etc. then one day out of the blue it worked. next day, it didnt and hasnt since. i recently bought a new hard drive, installed windows, brand new computer basically. nope, still doesnt work. a big .

it seemed to be confused at one point using default monitor driver for the monitor and plug and play for my laptop. i sorta fixed that but to no avail.

i scoured the forums, still nothing.