Laptop not detecting its screen as primary monitor
Discussion
I have a Dell Alienware 17 laptop, Windows 8, purchased in Jan 2014.
We often use it to output to our HDTV via HDMI, we've done this hundreds of times without issue.
Today when plugging in the HDMI, the laptop screen went blank (as it does when projecting to screen 2 - the TV). However, it failed to project the signal to the TV after several replugs and after restarting the laptop. Throughout all of this the laptop's screen stayed blank, even when the HDMI was unplugged, as if it had failed to detect its own screen.
During one of the restarts the laptop's screen functioned normally, until the HDMI was plugged in again and since then the screen has not come on once despite infinite fiddling.
We eventually managed to get the laptop to project onto the TV so we could view the desktop. After right-clicking the desktop and bringing up the 'Screen resolution' options window, we still failed to get get anything onto the laptop screen, we tried:
-Extend screen
-Duplicate screen
-Display only screen 1
-Display only screen 2
It shows a '1' and a '2' display under the 'Change the appearance of your display'. However when selecting what it thinks is the laptop screen named 'Digital Flatpanel' it won't allow me to check the 'make this my main display' or 'Advanced settings' box, so it clearly clocks that the screen is there but not available somehow. It also locks the laptop screen resolution in the drop-down menu to 1024x768 despite it recognising its recommended full res as 1920x1080.
Even more strangely, even when displaying on the TV it still uses the LAPTOP for sound, which it never does.
The laptop screen obviously isn't broken but has somehow removed itself from being used as an output.
After spending the last couple of hours with no luck I'm throwing this out there in hope.
Thank you to anyone who can help
We often use it to output to our HDTV via HDMI, we've done this hundreds of times without issue.
Today when plugging in the HDMI, the laptop screen went blank (as it does when projecting to screen 2 - the TV). However, it failed to project the signal to the TV after several replugs and after restarting the laptop. Throughout all of this the laptop's screen stayed blank, even when the HDMI was unplugged, as if it had failed to detect its own screen.
During one of the restarts the laptop's screen functioned normally, until the HDMI was plugged in again and since then the screen has not come on once despite infinite fiddling.
We eventually managed to get the laptop to project onto the TV so we could view the desktop. After right-clicking the desktop and bringing up the 'Screen resolution' options window, we still failed to get get anything onto the laptop screen, we tried:
-Extend screen
-Duplicate screen
-Display only screen 1
-Display only screen 2
It shows a '1' and a '2' display under the 'Change the appearance of your display'. However when selecting what it thinks is the laptop screen named 'Digital Flatpanel' it won't allow me to check the 'make this my main display' or 'Advanced settings' box, so it clearly clocks that the screen is there but not available somehow. It also locks the laptop screen resolution in the drop-down menu to 1024x768 despite it recognising its recommended full res as 1920x1080.
Even more strangely, even when displaying on the TV it still uses the LAPTOP for sound, which it never does.
The laptop screen obviously isn't broken but has somehow removed itself from being used as an output.
After spending the last couple of hours with no luck I'm throwing this out there in hope.
Thank you to anyone who can help
The laptop isn't duel card, I've outputted to this TV/others in duel screen/extended screen before without issue.
I have tried the Fn screen switch along with the windows key shortcut and also tried it manually through the settings.
I've attached a screenshot of the screen settings page.
That is with the TV connected, screen 2 is the TV (working perfectly), screen 1 is the laptop's screen. As you can see, it is locked to the lower 1024x768 res and the 'make this my main display' is blanked out, which it shouldn't be. When functioning normally I should have full control over these settings like I currently do for the TV resolution/advanced settings.
It's as if the laptop screen threw a panic for no reason when being plugged into the TV last night and has reverted to some strange setting that makes it unusable.
-Edit to say that I have tried another HDMI lead, it still won't trigger the laptop screen.
Just to clarify, when I say the TV is 'working perfectly' I mean I am currently outputting the laptop to the TV without issue, I used the TV to take that screenshot, it's the laptop screen that refuses to turn on under any situation.
Thank you for your suggestions though.
I have tried the Fn screen switch along with the windows key shortcut and also tried it manually through the settings.
I've attached a screenshot of the screen settings page.
That is with the TV connected, screen 2 is the TV (working perfectly), screen 1 is the laptop's screen. As you can see, it is locked to the lower 1024x768 res and the 'make this my main display' is blanked out, which it shouldn't be. When functioning normally I should have full control over these settings like I currently do for the TV resolution/advanced settings.
It's as if the laptop screen threw a panic for no reason when being plugged into the TV last night and has reverted to some strange setting that makes it unusable.
-Edit to say that I have tried another HDMI lead, it still won't trigger the laptop screen.
Just to clarify, when I say the TV is 'working perfectly' I mean I am currently outputting the laptop to the TV without issue, I used the TV to take that screenshot, it's the laptop screen that refuses to turn on under any situation.
Thank you for your suggestions though.
Edited by Complex on Saturday 19th April 17:20
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