Strange problem.

Please be patient with me:

A while back, I tried to use an external monitor(TV) through trial and error connections(not very smart, I confess). I was not successful and I ended up losing both PC monitor and external monitor viewings. The PC screen went blank. I could not retrace the connections I did to try hook up with TV... or to get back to the PC monitor.

That was XP. So I just bought a new PC with Vista(which I very recently ruined, dunno exactly how. So I bought another PC with windows 8).

Now my nephew wants the old blank-screened laptop. I know it is still working, except I cannot get it to show its screen(stuck on external monitor mode, I suppose).

I am hoping some techie out there can help me. Is there a keyboard keys shortcut combo to press(and hold) to toggle between built-in and external monitors?

When you go to Control Panel\Monitors, what is shown?

I never had XP so excuse my ignorance. If you right click on the desktop, do you get a Personalize option. If so, you should have Display Settings. You can select the monitor in use there.

Out of curiousity, what do you mean that you ruined the Vista PC?

My screen is BLANK. I think it is stuck on external monitor mode...which also does not show anything(my TV screen says no signal and snowy)

The video card was damaged. (it's possible by the tv tuner express card that really really overheats.)

My response was kind of a big duh! You can't see anything. Does it show anything during the POST?

Sounds like an easy fix for the Vista PC. Get a new card and dump the tuner.

OK...I'm sorry my thread was confusing.

Clarification:

(1) I have an 8 yr old Dell laptop with XP that is stuck on external monitor mode (TV-monitor number 2). Its screen is blank. I cannot get back to its own screen(monitor number 1).

(2) I have a 5 yr old HP laptop whose video card is damaged. Its screen is also blank.

My thread was more about how to get my 8 yr old Dell laptop which I think is stuck on external monitor mode to get back from external monitor(#2) mode to its own monitor(#1). Right now its screen is blank although I can hear it working at the background behind a blank screen.

Specifically, are there keyboard shortcuts in XP to enable quick toggling between two monitors?

PS....The 5 yr old HP laptop with Vista with damaged video card is already replaced by a brand new HP Envy with W8. That's why I am no longer asking about its video card problems.

Since you can't see anything, I don't know what you can do. If you had the recovery disc, you could run it but it's kind of tough without being able to see what you're doing.

If you can open the case, you could try removing the hard drive and connecting it to a computer that has a monitor. Then, you could try reinstalling the OS or doing something to recover the monitor 1 setting. I don't have time this morning to giving it more thought. Just some ideas.

I don't know if removing the cmos battery and reseating it would help.

Oh no...I am not that skilled to open and extract components from laptop. Although I was able to replace keyboard on another laptop...without a hitch.

Thanks for your attention.

I wonder if you could connect that laptop to another computer using a USB connection and boot it as a secondary drive. In that way, you could probably get it into safe mode and reset it.

Have you tried fn f4 or f5?

It switches video sources.

fn + combo shortcuts from f1 to f12 does not work. Sometimes I hear very active HD activities with some fn + f1 to f12 combos...but no screen. Same with Dell logo + some keys. I am still hoping one of these days I will hit the right combo shortcuts.

I was actually tempted to use the Dell as monitor #2 with my brand new Envy W8 but I am afraid I might do to it the same thing I did to Dell. However, I am a bit PC smarter now than the day I killed Dell 7 yrs ago. I will wait till I baby sit again my 6 yr old grandson. He is much PC smarter than I am.

You can't use the dell as a monitor unfortunately, you can only output from it.

When you power up, do you see anything? Even if it's stuck on external, it first boots with the laptop panel.

Have you tried shining a light at an angle and seeing if you can see anything on the screen? Might be a blown light.

Why are you using fn? Those combinations cause different things than just using the function keys without it.

Exactly.... fn f5 on laptops typically switch the output mode.

Hi,

If I remember correctly the F? button has three options: -

1. Laptop internal screen only.
2. Both internal & external screen.
3. External screen only.

So, you should only need to press the button a couple of times to get the internal to work!

The initial minute or so after cold boot, I can see vaguely Dell and Windows logo and then screen goes dark gray blank while lots of familiar sounds are audible. I did try to see at different angles and can't see anything...not even the arrow....just to sign in with my password, but no can do.

Okay. You need to get a hold of a Linux live cd and try booting to it.

It may be your power inverter, but to fix it means ripping apart your laptop.