T61P: Closing Lid + Extended Display

Hi

I did a search on this, but could not find an answer. I am using lenovo's Quadro FX 570M Driver 6.14.11.5685 drivers, and 2.10 bios.

I have an external monitor plugged into my Thinkpad via VGA. I'm running an extended display. I have set the thinkpad to "Do Nothing" when I close the lid via power options.

My question is: How do I stop the thinkpad from switching to a single display mode (on the external monitor) when I close the lid? When I close the lid, I don't want the thinkpad to do anything at all in regards to display.

Thanks!

 

The Do Nothing option is only regarding to power options. There's an option to manage multiple displays in the NVIDIA Control Panel. Have you looked in there? I think there is an option to set the laptop LCD to be turned off while you're outputting to an external display.

 

I don't know that what you want to do is possible..... From the way my Thinkpad behaves I believe (I don't know this for sure, so I could very well be wrong and if I am, so be it) that when you shut the display the actual display hardware turns off and Windows no longer sees that there is an LCD panel out there. I think you can verify this by using your external display. Set the Thinkpad to use only that display (the external), then close your Thinkpad. If I recall correctly you will not be able to show the Thinkpad LCD even as an option at that point in the multi monitor section because Windows can no longer see it (because it's disabled). My guess would be that this is how the BIOS handles closing the screen (it simply turns it all off). I don't know that this behavior can be modified.

If what I said is true then anytime you close your display, if you were running an extended display Windows would switch to a single display.

 

Yes, I have looked in the nVidia control panel.. but no options in regards to what I'm looking for...

I just tried only using external, and no, both monitors still show up.. but hmmmm.. I believe you're correct about the BIOS handling this. Because Lenovo released an BIOS update which addresses this for INTEL graphics: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-68451 (under BIOS 1.26):

(Old) The extended display mode is canceled and video output is switched to the external display only, so icons on the desktop will be moved.
(New) The extended display mode is kept and video output is not switched, so icons on the desktop are not moved.

Can anyone with a T61 with INTEL graphics confirm?

Thanks...!

 

Hmm, interesting, I thought I remembered mine disappearing. I'll have to try it again at some point. I'm going off memory so I may very well be wrong

Looks like you found a clue that it is BIOS controlled though. I have Nvidia graphics so I can't try that. If I plug my laptop into my external monitor I'll post back on whether my LCD stayed or not.