Dual Monitor - One Doesn't Wake Up From Sleep

[goombawaho]

Ok - on my last nerve here.

HP Compaq Elite 8000 SFF Desktop - windows 7 Pro
Added a second monitor to the built-in Intel Graphics card using one VGA connection and one Display Port to VGA adapter
Monitors set to sleep after 15 minutes
2nd Monitor (without the START button) will go to sleep and NOT wake up. Have to reboot the PC
Updated the BIOS, set the BIOS setting and updated the video driver per this document Link
No change!!!!
I do see other people complaining about this specific computer and dual monitors but no real solutions.

So, I installed an Nvidia Quadro NVS 290 card thinking it was the video card. Same thing still happening!!!!
So, it's NOT the video card.

Even stranger - Two of the same model computers exhibit this behavior and one does not.
Thinking of using the "HP Replicated BIOS setup utility" to compare BIOS settings across computers. Any other ideas?

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[cdogg]

Yes, I know exactly what it is. Blame the DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter. Some brands out there do a piss-poor job in manufacturing those. Where I work, we had problems with SIIG and StarTech especially (though I must say, I do like StarTech's KVMs, so this isn't a knock on the entire brand).

If you want to make sure you purchase a reliable replacement, order the HP brand, which often comes labeled as "BizLink". I have yet to see one fail.



-Carl
"The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's twice as big as it needs to be."

[tab][navy]For this site's posting policies, click [/navy]here.

 

[goombawaho]

Not the issue!!! With the new video card I installed - NO adapter is needed. It has a DMS-59 to two VGA plugs.

And the one computer that isn't having the problem is still using the DisplayPort to VGA adapter with no sleep problems.

KG748AA - NVIDIA Quadro NVS 290 256MB PCIe x16 VGA

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[cdogg]

Ahh, missed that part. I'm at a loss now that I see you mentioned two same-model workstations are having the issue. Looks like comparing BIOS settings is your last hope.

 

[cdogg]

After thinking about this more, are all the monitors the same model as well? If not, what models are we dealing with, and which PC are they connected to (working vs non-working).

Also wouldn't hurt to reset the BIOS settings to their default settings.

 

[goombawaho]

I ran the BIOS utility that exports all the settings into a text file on both PCs then I compared them. There are basically NO differences in settings. Same BIOS version / same settings, so I don't think the BIOS is the root cause.

This gets weirder all the time. One of the computers that was having the problem has stopped with the new video card!! The other PC that got the same new video card is still having the issue.

The monitors are all over the place - Dell, Viewsonic - some are pawn shop specials, not kidding. But it shouldn't be rocket science to have a working monitor wake up. I did reverse the two monitors today - changing the VGA plug they were connected to to see if the problem follows the monitor or not.

By the way - it is always the monitor that does NOT have the START button on it that won't wake up. If I don't fix this soon, I may end up in a river with the fishes.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[cdogg]

This is a long shot, but I'd hate to see you swimming with the fishes:
[ol 1]
[li]Go to "Device Manager --> Display Adapters"[/li]
[li]Disable all video adapters[/li]
[li]Enable all video adapters[/li]
[/ol]

Courtesy:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...o/33317171-12c6-4705-ae35-157a9a1aa13f?page=2

Apparently that worked for quite a few peeps, so why not? Also saw some threads suggesting disabling Hybrid Sleep in power options, and another that said to turn off sleep for displays, reboot, then turn it back on. Last but not least, might be worth running Windows Update on it.

Good luck!

 

[goombawaho]

I could try that on Monday. Hybrid sleep has been disabled from the start + the computer is set to NOT sleep at all - only the monitor.

I'm getting to the point where I may use a BLANK screen saver with NO sleep to simulate proper sleeping of the monitor. Kind of "dishonest" but................

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.