Using two monitors...

[mcseguy9]

I wasn't sure which forum to put this in so I hope it's in the right one. I have a friend who has a HP dx2200 desktop computer. It has a built-in VGA card. He wanted to use two monitors so he put in a PCI (or PCI Express card, can't remember which) but it's not working. The only card the system sees is the built-in card. He's not getting any error messages or anything. Going into Device Manager shows that the system sees only the built-in graphics card and nothing else. He's done this on several other computer's, though none of them have been dx2200's, and hasn't had this problem so this is a new one. Any thoughts?

[Steve R Jones]

PCI (or PCI Express card, can't remember which)

This would be important info....PCI - real OLD technology.

Normally when you add a video card, the bios either automatically turns off the build in vid card or you do it manually. And you get a video card with two ports.

[mcseguy9]

Thanks for the reply, Steve. I know that's how it normally works, but this guy bought an add-in card with only one VGA connector. This means he has to use the built-in card and the add-in card for dual monitor functionality. I know it's possible because he has 6 other computer's doing it (just not dx2200's). Any ideas?

[mcseguy9]

So someone at another forum thinks that the newer mobo on this dx2200 (it's the newest model computer he has) is the problem. He thinks that perhaps it only supports using either the built-in vid card or an add-in card, not both like his older computer's. Unless you think it might be something else I'm going with that assumption.

[SuperSparks]

I'd say it's pretty unusual to be able to run dual-monitors with one of them using onboard graphics - you normally can only run onboard or a separate card, but not both together. He'll need to get a graphics card with dual outputs.