No DVI output from T61p in Advanced Dock

I mounted my T61p into an Advanced Dock with output to a a Dell 24" 2407WFP-HC monitor. VGA works great but I can get no DVI output. I tried more then one cable without success. I have Windows Vista Ultimate on the T61p. My T40p with XP Pro on a Dock II works great with DVI to a Dell 21". I have looked at Lenovo Support and the forums but still cannot figure out what to do to get DVI output. When I toggle the monitor to DVI mode, it shows no signal. Did anyone else initially have this problem. Any help you could give me would certainly be appreciated.

 

It sounds like you have done good trouble-shooting and narrowed it down to a bad dock port. I would send it back and use VGA until you get a new one.

Greg.

 

I dont think it can handle that widescreen monitor. Try connectiong it through DVI and reboot to BIOS by using the F1 at the thinkpad screen. In the BIOS change the monitor to boot to external (config->display->change setting->F10) and see if you get anything on the external during POST or in the BIOS.

 

In the Bios you can chose DVI as the primary Boot-Display.

If that doesn't work you should get a new dock.
My T61 works great with the Dell 2407.

Greetings from Germany,
NavMan

 

Bill,

What drivers are you using for your vid card? Have you tried a clean install of the drivers. When you go to the display wiz for your monitors, is it no listed in the drop down at all?

 

I highly doubt that you would have to go as far as changing something in the bios to get it to work. I would first download the latest driver associated with your video processor and then restart the machine. Shut that bad boy down and then plug your monitor in right before you power it back on.

 

Check the tabook (in the sticky) and see if your laptop has "DVI passthrough"; some T61's don't.

 

The T61p's all have DVI passthrough. But you are correct on the T61's.

 

Thanks to all for the replies. Still trying to figure out the problem. Tried an Eizo monitor via DVI connection and did not work similar to the Dell 24". I am thinking it is maybe a problem with the dock. All my T4xp series laptops worked fine using the DVI port on the Dock II. Guess I just ran out of luck with the Advanced Dock. Probably time to give Lenovo/IBM support a call.

 

Called IBM support and they are going to ship me another Advanced Dock. I hope the problem is in the Dock and not the T61p.

 

Did you try what I wrote? Did tech support have you try that?

 

I did try what you suggested with no success. Tech support said my T61p model should work no problem just by connecting the DVI cable between the Dock and monitor and doing nothing else to configure. They called it a simple pass through as long as the monitor was set to receive DVI which it is. I connected the same monitor to a T40p in a Dock II and it worked just fine via DVI. All my T4xp series laptops in the Dock II were always just a simple pass through no matter how many ports were connected at the same time to the monitor (VGA, S video, DVI). Nothing had to be configured. It was just plug and play. I think it is an actual hardware problem somewhere.

 

Just an FYI, my laptop (T61 with 140M) does not display through the DVI unless I explicitly set it to do so unless I use the Nvidia Control Panel or Desktop Manger Profiles.

Send it back if you want, but you might want to verify first.

 

Very interesting. How do you go about reconfiguring for DVI? I went to both the Nvidia Control Panel and Desktop Manager and did not see anywhere to reconfigure to DVI. What tab should I use in either to change the display to DVI. I saw no mention of DVI anywhere under Display or Nvidia on my T61p and I have spent hours searching. Thanks.

 

bill, go to the control panel, click view, change to advanced, go to either "run multiple display wizard" (2nd from bottom on the display sub menu) or setup multiple displays (bottom link on the display sub menu).

 

Thanks for the information. I followed your directions and did not see a choice for DVI. When I go to the Nvidea help on my laptop, it gives instructions for a control panel totally different then the somewhat simplistic Nvidea control panel presently on my 14.1" T61p.

 

It's not really a choice of DVI for me either. I just have the following:


As you can see, there is no real mention of DVI, the icons are different though. There is what appears to be an LCD and a CRT







The last picture is how I have to load my profiles between docks. Otherwise, I need to bring up the control panel, select dual view, select the second monitor (DVI) as my main, apply, and then go into display properties and retrain my secondary monitor into the primary position.


Anyhow, I never get output through DVI unless I explicitly set it the control panel or through the profiles.

-ryan

 

I think you guys are talking about different things. There is no way to set it explicitly to "DVI." But you do have to enable the external monitor using the sequence above. If you happen to be using DVI it'll find the monitor.

I go through the multiple display wizard to set mine up.

1. Nvidia control panel / Display / Run Multiple Display Wizard.
2. Next / Custom setup (Next)
3. Primary display: Laptop (Next)
4. Dualview (Next)
5. Resolution: laptop 1440x900 / ViewSonic Q20wb 1680x1050 (Next)
6. Hit Preview. The external display comes on.

The external ViewSonic is connected by DVI to the advanced dock. If you're plugged by DVI and your laptop doesn't even see the external monitor then you probably have a hardware problem, either the cable or the dock, or the monitor itself.

Some external monitors also have a selector, to choose between multiple inputs. It could be expecting input via the VGA input instead of DVI for example.

 

I posted this earlier, but using hacked INF's from LV2G, I was unable to detect my DVI attached monitor. I had to completely clean out the drivers and have been using the more recently released drivers posted on the lenovo site.

 

Many thanks for the screen shots. I updated the Vista drivers for the Dell 2407 monitor along with other Lenovo recommended updates and the Lenovo Nvidea drivers for the T61p and now I have a blank external monitor even with a VGA connection. When I work through that problem, I will try going through the process of what you have illustrated above. Thanks again.