Solved Display headache! My external monitor is labelled as default, 1, and primary.

Hi I'm using Window Vista Home Edition. I've been using an external CRT monitor with my laptop for several months without problems. To connect to the external monitor, all I do is tick the 'extend to this monitor' button then 'apply'. I can then move windows to the external monitor and watch movies.

However, since yesterday my laptop does not display images. I put on the external monitor and noticed that my desktop, icons, etc were all on the external monitor. Even worse I when I go to the display settings, I see that the external monitor is labelled 'default monitor'. On the Nvidia control panel it is shown as 'primary monitor' and has the number 1. When I try to set my laptop as primary on the Nvidia control panel it brings up a dialogue box to stop me from changing it.

To my surprise, I now have to tick the 'extend to this monitor' button to view images on my laptop, which is a blank desktop with blurred image and colour. Also I have to move the mouse to the left of the CRT monitor to get to my laptop screen, the complete reverse. When I click on 'identify monitors' it shows my CRT as 1 and my laptop as 2!

This is crazy! I need my laptop to remain as the default monitor, number 1, and primary. But it now seems the CRT has taken over as my main display.

When I power off, disconnect the CRT, and power on, the display returns to my laptop. But as soon as I connect the CRT to my laptop, my laptop display goes blank and the CRT takes over.

I would really appreciate assistance from a computer guru or from someone who has had a similar problem but has overcome it.

Many thanks.

Well, i do it by first clicking extend on the lappy screen, then click, make this my primary screen. Try that out.

I also use win dows control panel instead of nvidias software.

Welcome to TF

HI. I use Nvidia and have them to be problematic at times.
what I suggest it that you visit Nvidia at there site and download there latest driver, as when I had the wrong driver, vista would not save setting with Nvidia on power off.

then go into Nvidia control panel and then enter the 'set up multiple displays'. then you should both you displays, right click your laptops display and click 'set this as my primary display'.
if that doesn't work, I don't know

Thanks Patonb,

I tried your suggestions but they didn't work.

As soon as I extended to my laptop, the images on my laptop screen went from blank to blurred faded-out colour.

And then I clicked the make this my primary monitor. But this too didn't work.

Where exactly in control panel can I set my laptop monitor to primary?

Thanks for your input!

I get to it by right clicking the desktop and clicking properties. then clicking display properties.

Its under the monitor selector.

Guys, thanks a lot for your inputs.

I tried many suggestions from system restore through to driver updates, control panel/Nvidia settings, BIOS settings, etc but none worked.

Fortunately, I’ve found a way of mitigating the problem by selecting my laptop as the main monitor and moving my laptop monitor back to the right. Upon clicking apply, my laptop screen showed normal display at last. But my laptop still shows as monitor 2 and external as monitor 1; guess I have to live with this.

With regards when I first noticed the problem, it happened one evening when I opened my laptop from sleep mode. Even now the problem comes back from time to time, when I open up my laptop from sleep.

Anyway many thanks to everyone!