Windows 10 - 2nd monitor go black.

[Bakis]

Hello

My 2nd monitor go black after 1-2 seconds while its power button LED still show green and it stay that way regardless what I do, moving the mouse cursor to it, alt tabbing to a program I know is up on it etc.

Here is what I have tested so far.
Tested both monitors individually - works fine
Swapped my main monitors cable to be plugged into the second DVI slot on the GFXcard and set the 2nd monitor as main in Nvidia settings - still the same problem.
Swapped cables - no difference.
Disabled the on-board Intel graphics chip.

I ran out of ideas but I'm almost certain there are no hardware explanations, same setup ran just fine on Windows 8/8.1.
It is a pain in the ass to do some stuff like programming among things without it working.

Any ideas?

[Evildeffy]

Random questions:

Did Windows perhaps install an update with new graphics drivers?
Check in your update history.

Are you sure your 2nd monitor is enabled in desktop properties?
Right click anywhere on the desktop that isn't an icon, click properties and make sure both screens are there and activated.
Along with checking that the 2nd monitor you have there is "set to "Extend".

[Bakis]

Random questions:

Did Windows perhaps install an update with new graphics drivers?
Check in your update history.

Are you sure your 2nd monitor is enabled in desktop properties?
Right click anywhere on the desktop that isn't an icon, click properties and make sure both screens are there and activated.
Along with checking that the 2nd monitor you have there is "set to "Extend".

Nvidia's latest is running.


Came to think of something, Windows 10's virtual desktops screwing it up?

[Evildeffy]

Nvidia's latest is running.

Not the question I asked, did Windows Updates (check your update history list) install the GFX driver?

Came to think of something, Windows 10's virtual desktops screwing it up?

I don't read Swedish but the question still stands because from the picture you're showing me the 2nd screen is disabled.

[Bakis]

Not the question I asked, did Windows Updates (check your update history list) install the GFX driver?


I don't read Swedish but the question still stands because from the picture you're showing me the 2nd screen is disabled.

Hms dont know how I can search the history given the non-telling names of them apart from the defender files but I reinstalled the latest drivers again using Nvidia's own files so in a sense it is not the windows installation running.

Regarding the picture, did not see its faded color but it tells me it is reflecting the error that screw it up

[Evildeffy]

Hms dont know how I can search the history given the non-telling names of them apart from the defender files but I reinstalled the latest drivers again using Nvidia's own files so in a sense it is not the windows installation running.

If windows updated the graphics drivers, it would clearly show it updated nVidia drivers in the history list sorted with date.
So if you cannot see it there, it did not update via Windows Update

Regarding the picture, did not see its faded color but it tells me it is reflecting the error that screw it up

Well can you do as I stated and right click anywhere on the desktop.
Go to "Screen Resolution" and check if monitor 2 is extending the desktop?

Because it being grayed out on very limited screenshot you posted so far tells me it may be disabled, thus why it will not work.

[Bakis]

If windows updated the graphics drivers, it would clearly show it updated nVidia drivers in the history list sorted with date.
So if you cannot see it there, it did not update via Windows Update


Well can you do as I stated and right click anywhere on the desktop.
Go to "Screen Resolution" and check if monitor 2 is extending the desktop?

Because it being grayed out on very limited screenshot you posted so far tells me it may be disabled, thus why it will not work.

Actually now it is not faded, but still goes black (with LED showing green).
The resolution I checked before and it is how it should be.
I am however unable to pick extend.
It is grayed out and only clone available which does nothing, it does not even show up for 1-2 seconds (LED green as always).

[Evildeffy]

Just out of curiosity can you go to device manager and open the monitors tab and show me a screenshot of that?

[Bakis]

Just out of curiosity can you go to device manager and open the monitors tab and show me a screenshot of that?

Both show as generic PnP monitor and in settings, using either Nvidia or Control panel app detected with their proper model names.
Thank you for the help so far

try pressing windows key + P then extend?

I get up the supposed panel but same results.

[Evildeffy]

Have you possibly tried to enable Eyefinity (AMD) / Display Surround (nVidia) in their respective control panels?

If so remove it.

[Bakis]

Have you possibly tried to enable Eyefinity (AMD) / Display Surround (nVidia) in their respective control panels?

If so remove it.

Yes i tested it before(was off), it shows up with wonky resolutions but he issue is the same.
It (2nd monitor) turns black within seconds.

Interesting, when I power it off then on it shows up but again goes black real quick.
Might also add that I disabled all energy savings, screensavers, hopefully obvious but worth mentioning.

[Evildeffy]

Yes i tested it before(was off), it shows up with wonky resolutions but he issue is the same.
It (2nd monitor) turns black within seconds.

Interesting, when I power it off then on it shows up but again goes black real quick.

If it shows your desktop for a very short time and then turns black it means either refresh rates or resolution is out of spec for that monitor.
Try lowering refresh rates and resolution.

And delete Eyefinity / Display Surround setups from their control panels entirely.

[Bakis]

If it shows your desktop for a very short time and then turns black it means either refresh rates or resolution is out of spec for that monitor.
Try lowering refresh rates and resolution.

And delete Eyefinity / Display Surround setups from their control panels entirely.

Already looked that up both have their proper resolution and refresh rate.
Tried to lower to 1280x1024 and set refresh rate to 75hz, same result though.

Surround is disabled in Nvidia control panel.

[Evildeffy]

Already looked that up both have their proper resolution and refresh rate.
Tried to lower to 1280x1024 and set refresh rate to 75hz, same result though.

Surround is disabled in Nvidia control panel.

Push the refresh rate to 60 or 59 Hz for monitors in their lowest supported resolution, see if that changes anything.

If that doesn't work try reinstalling drivers.

As I said if you see your desktop for a short second then something is driving it out of it's spec range and it cannot keep up.

[Bakis]

Push the refresh rate to 60 or 59 Hz for monitors in their lowest supported resolution, see if that changes anything.

If that doesn't work try reinstalling drivers.

As I said if you see your desktop for a short second then something is driving it out of it's spec range and it cannot keep up.

Now something is seriously goofy. I've set my display to one screen windows way/Nvidia and as soon as even connect the 2nd monitor DVI cable to the GFXcard it shifts to that one (and obviously goes black).
That make zero sense!!
So now I cant even try setting the lowest rate cos my main monitor goes black when I connect the other cable.

Regarding drivers, yes I looked that up but wanted to get some help here first cos the ACER model is so old ACER homepage search doesn't even get a hit so I will have to download from some third party site and that is just a heap of problems in my experience but I might be forced to.

[Evildeffy]

You don't need Acer to download the drivers.

www.nvidia.com

Top left, GeForce drivers.
Select your graphics card.

Download latest drivers and install.

[Bakis]

You don't need Acer to download the drivers.

www.nvidia.com

Top left, GeForce drivers.
Select your graphics card.

Download latest drivers and install.

If that doesn't work try reinstalling drivers

I thought you meant the drivers for the Acer monitor.
As I wrote before the latest Nvidia is istalled, did it again now during you helping me to be sure windows wasn't running its drivers.

Weird thing is dual monitor worked in Win8/8.1 with 60Hz and the max res on the 2nd one :/

[Evildeffy]

I thought you meant the drivers for the Acer monitor.
As I wrote before the latest Nvidia is istalled, did it again now during you helping me to be sure windows wasn't running its drivers.

Weird thing is dual monitor worked in Win8/8.1 with 60Hz and the max res on the 2nd one :/

Apologies I meant it in a different way, I should've explained...

First make sure you have the drivers downloaded in a place you can access and run from.

Next download this: Display Driver Uninstaller

Boot your computer into safe mode and run the DDU exe file.
Tell it to clean and restart, this will remove ANY trace of nVidia drivers including possible software/registry screw-ups.

It will reboot into normal mode Windows, from that point reinstall drivers.

Tell me if that works out.

[Bakis]

Yes I will try that DDU later tonight or tomorrow.
Time for a a few beers and some sport, so bummed out about this annoying issue

Once again, thanks for the help so far.
Also guess I need to read up on how to force a certain refresh rate outside the only available GUI on a generic PnP monitor.