updated video driver now monitor doesnt work!

Ive got an alienware m11x running Windows 7. I updated my video driver and now I dont get an image on my monitor. Ive tried my hdmi external monitor and my vga but nothing works. Ive tried to start up in safe mode, I think I got in with safemode on but I have no idea since I still dont have an image.

What should I do?

 

Which exactly the driver did you update??? Also you sure your system is able to update to the right driver?? Are you sure the software is the cause of the problem since you give us no background information about the laptop to start with???

 

My laptop is an alienware m11x r1 with a the broken hinge problem. The ldc cable got cut so I have had to use acer vga monitor and my 40inch tv via hdmi to use my laptop. I cant remember why I was updating the video driver or what way I got to the option(I did this a few monts ago). So I hit update video driver and it did its install and restart thing. When it restarted I could hear the windows boot up noise but it has no image. Ive purchased a replacement m11x lcd cable and ive tried the keyboard shortcuts with my external monitors like I did before the update but nothing is working. Ive tried safemode but im not sure if im actually getting into safe mode since im not getting an image. Not sure what else I can tell you. The issue happend right after the update so I know the issue is related to this.

 

you still havnt told us what graphics you have. do you have optimus with switchable graphics.
also do you have a Nvidia or Ati gpu.

 

When you first power on do you see anything on the screen ? From what I remember the 11X has switchable graphics so if you can get into the BIOS see if there is an option to disable/enable the dedicated video card or the intel graphics.

 

Its an m11x so yes it has a binary gfx key.
its a constant black screen. ill tty to blindly log in and try to use my fn key to switch it.

1gb nivida GeForce graphics
Intel core 2 duo (1.3gh,800 hmz,3mb)
4bg memory
windows 7
its got a binary gfx key on the keyboard

If I plug in an external cd drive (m11x doesn't have one) and put I my windows 7 installation disk will I be able to reinstall windows without having to select anything?

 

i was going to suggest a manual install in safe mode but if the screen is still black as you mentioned in your first post then that wont help as you need to see what you are doing.

its been years since i last done a windows repair so im not even sure how you would repair with the windows disc as far as i know you need to see what to click on screen.
you could try it. put the disc in the drive and boot up and see if it auto repairs. not sure if it would do a totaly clean install or a repair.
it could just be a fluke of a coincidence and the cable gave up just as you updated the driver.

dont know what else to advise, sorry.

 

the problem is so long as you have the dead laptop screen you are in hot water. unfortunately you are now in the area where you will need to fix the system to work properly as a laptop. updating the drivers has most likely lost your default settings of using an external monitor.

Now you did mention purchasing a cable, did you replace it yet?

 

Could resting my bois help? If I remove the cmos battery, press power for 10 seconds and put it back in. However if after that I have to select anything and I still dont have an image than id rather not reset my bios. Should I try it? The only other option I can think of is blindly trying to reinstall windows.

Yes I did buy the m11x r1 lcd/webcam lvds cable and I repaced it. Originally When the broken cable was plugged into the lcd the laptop wouldn't even turn on. But when I unplugged it the laptop would turn on and I could use an external monitor. That was all before the updated video card. With this new cable plugged in the laptop turns on but I still get no image.

 

Reinstalling Windows is almost certainly entirely pointless; there is next to no reason to believe that this would get you anywhere. My recommendation would be to try if you can boot the machine from a bootable USB drive, and get some video out put from there. Even before you try that, can you get any video output at all during booting? Do you see the BIOS prompts? If so, can you get into the BIOS Setup?

If the answer(s) to these last questions are negative, then there is nothing that can be done with software alone. You are looking at a hardware issue, and no amount of fiddling with the software will do you any good.

 

I havnt been able to get any image since the driver update, no windows logo, no image during bois prompts. Can updating a video driver cause hardware issues? Ive had people suggest that something else unrelated might have happened at the exact same time as my update... but that seems ridiculous.
Ive seen a forum where someone updated their alienware desktops video driver and the same thing happened, one of the options they gave was to reset bios. If I do removr the cmos battery for a minute or so and put it back in could that do more harm than good? Does it force you to change the bios settings right after you reset or should windows boot up as normal? I cant find that fourm (currently searching through my history to find it) but after trying a few of the suggestions he got his monitor to work and his situation sounded almost identical to mine.

 

Hard to tell what happened, but it sounds like you installed that driver on hardware that was already half-broken, so who knows what this may or may not have caused. It doesn't really matter much how exactly you got where you are, all that matters is where you can go from here on out. At this point the only viable option I can see is to get your hardware fixed. It is possible that just fixing that broken LCD cable by itself would solve your issue, but I am not sure if those cables can be repaired. However, getting a replacement LCD, possibly off of EBay, may not be that expensive.

 

Removing CMOS battery and re-inserting it after a while will do no harm whatsoever.

Having said that, it's also unlikely to resolve your problem, but you've got nothing to lose by performing the given procedure.

Good luck.

 

did you get external monitor video bios posting previous to the new drivers?

 

Your laptop has the hybrid switchable graphics technology between the nVidia GT 335M and the Intel 4500M HD.
With that said, try resetting the CMOS as you said and connect an external monitor.

If your laptop is plugged in, it should POST on the external monitor when you turn it on.
If it doesn't, try to disassemble and reconnect the display ribbon and if after that still no luck, you need to look elsewhere.