Display settings big issue please help!

Hello folks I have a big issue with my display settings and I can't figure it out, help would be greatly appreciated!

I recently had to get a new hard drive installed on my desktop and the shop installed Windows 10 whereas I was used to 7. My video card only supports a single monitor so when I would watch movies I would just unplug my monitor and plug in my tv and things would instantly be perfect on the tv. Since the new hard drive was installed when I plug in the tv my desktop shows like normal, however none of the open programs will show up, it's as if they are opened off the screen and I have to go back to the monitor to be able to do anything.

In messing with the display settings I chose the option to display on screen 2 only, the monitor went blank and it didn't change anything when I plugged the tv back into the computer. Now however I'm faced with not just the original issue but the fact that I can't bring the settings window up to choose to go back to screen 1!

I'm absolutely lost with this and Google hasn't been any help at all!

a reply to: Armadall

I would suggest booting into safe mode.

The ways to do that vary depending on the machine.

When in doubt, make sure the system is completely turned off, press the power and then repeatedly mash CTRL, F2, F8, DEL, and F12. One of those will eventually launch the boot menu where you can choose, boot into safe mode or boot into safe mode with networking.

Once in safe mode, the primary display adapter is selected and you can go into settings and set whichever display you want.

You'll have to tweak your settings, but if you run into the problem again, this method will at least give you control over your desktop and settings again.

a reply to: Armadall

I don't have Windows 10 but in Windows 7 the menu option is "Duplicate these displays". It puts one single desktop on all output screens. Good luck.

Right click on your desktop and should see the graphic card control panel

At least on win 7

a reply to: wtfatta

Thank you! I have rebooted into safe mode and it works on my monitor again, however the display settings don't give me the option to select screen 1 only while it's in safe mode.

Will a system restore wipe the display setting to the original defaults or any other way of doing that?

a reply to: neo96

He has Windows 10. I don't think they still have a Desktop in Windows 10. Windows 8 was enough to scare me away from upgrading. But, yes, however you invoke it, display properties and look for an option to put the desktop on all screens rather than extending it.

a reply to: Armadall

System restore sounds like overkill. Reboot into normal mode and then try changing the settings.


ETA Safemode cannot give all options by design and that's where you just were.
And hopefully reactivated the correct display adaptor.

originally posted by: LightSpeedDriver
He has Windows 10. I don't think they still have a Desktop in Windows 10.

They have.

But, yes, however you invoke it, display properties and look for an option to put the desktop on all screens rather than extending it.

The problem in this case is that many graphics card vendors include their specific versions of the display properties menu, so it may show something like an AMD, Intel or Nvidia menu.

So I bit the bullet and did a system restore (it's only been a few days with Windows 10 so there wasn't much to revert) and I'm back to being able to use my monitor again!

I chose both "duplicate these displays" and "extend these displays" options however the issue is still the same as before, when the tv is connected the desktop icons don't show and the programs open off screen. This really has me stumped!

ETA I have an old AMD video card but this issue only started happening when I upgraded from Windows 7 to 10 (NOT by my own choice, I was ROTTED with the shop...)

a reply to: Armadall

Try going into device manager and remove the graphics card driver. Windows will revert to the basic driver and may ask you to install an updated version.

a reply to: ArMaP

I remember the good old days. Graphics drivers used to crash at installation time, freezing the whole machine.

Hold windows flag, press P key. Use up and down arrows one at a time and press enter.

a reply to: Armadall

Glad to hear that it at least works again. A new machine, I didn't realise. System restore is easier then.

a reply to: LightSpeedDriver

Yea, it's a desktop that I built about 8 years ago, 16gb RAM, top video card (at the time) Windows 7 professional 64bit, Intel I7 processor. My hard drive failed a week ago and i couldn't find the original boot discs, so when I got a new hard drive the shop upgraded the machine to Windows 10 instead of 7. I was not happy with it as I love 7 but went with it in the spirit of "trying something new", and it was only today that I hooked up the tv to it for the first time since the new hard drive.

I'm thinking about it now, this may be a good excuse to finally upgrade to a new video card capable of a dual monitor set up lol

I hate doing IT support for the avaerage person as it can make a simple repair into a nightmare, people who half know that they are talking about etc, there was an old IT thing where if a person thought you was taking the proverbial give them a multimeter and get the funeral home warned,

a reply to: Armadall

buy a "y" splitter, and choose which one or the other

a reply to: Armadall

Did you get it figured out yet buddy?

originally posted by: Maxatoria
I hate doing IT support for the avaerage person as it can make a simple repair into a nightmare, people who half know that they are talking about etc, there was an old IT thing where if a person thought you was taking the proverbial give them a multimeter and get the funeral home warned,

Tell me about it. My ex called me up with a computer problem. I said click on the start menu. She said "What's the start menu?" It took an hour of talking to solve a minor problem concerning a flat battery in her cord-less mouse...

a reply to: Allaroundyou

Nope, I gave up on it for the night, I'll go back at it tomorrow when I have more patience lol.

Thank you all for your help with this, it's really appreciated!!

originally posted by: Armadall
a reply to: Allaroundyou

Nope, I gave up on it for the night, I'll go back at it tomorrow when I have more patience lol.

Thank you all for your help with this, it's really appreciated!!

I had the same problem after switching to win10. I changed my TV aspect ratio and opened my graphics card setting and played around a little. I had duplicate display turned on so help me know what I was doing. I hope that helps some On my pc I have Nvidia so I can’t help too much but on mine if I right click I get my graphic card setting option. I imagine that is the same for you.