Trouble with new display and Device Manager

I had trouble getting the right drivers installed for my Viewsonic LCD.
Essentially I ended up booting up the machine with no drivers and Windows
installed a Default Monitor. After finally getting the correct drivers
installed on my computer the correct drivers where installed but the
computer still thinks there's an unknown monitor attached to the machine and
keeps recreating the Default Monitor at start-up.

How do I fix this false detection of an unknown monitor ?

The way the monitor is listed is not important...
as long as your colors and resolution are OK, that's all you need to worry
about.

The settings for your *video card *are what you need to set...especially if
it's a wide screen

Allow it to install the default monitor, then go into Device Manager and
mark it as disabled.

Nvidia video card? They alway have "defaul monitor" listed. No big
deal, leave it alone.

Unfortunately when I search for a file"VS080114_I19.inf" it cannot be found
on my hard drive. I think I successfuly converted to a Viewsonic monitor by
pointing to "%VCDTS21367-1%" , the driver being used for my VP930b monitor
but I still end up with two monitors, which I don't want.

(1) Boot to Safe Mode
(Hold F5 as you boot or CTRL for the Startup Menu)
(2) "START, Settings, Control Panel, System, Device Manager tab"
(3) Open the Monitors branch, & Remove all entries.

Perhaps, FIRST, even in Normal Mode, note what is
currently installed. That is...
(a) D-Clk the monitor there for Properties, Driver tab.
(b) Click the Update Driver button, then "Next".
(c) Bolt "Display a list...", & click "Next".
(d) Bolt "Show all hardware".
Examine the two panes to see what is currently installed.
That is likely what you wish to end up with, after step (4).

(4) Boot to Normal Mode.

Hopefully, the correct monitor will be rediscovered & installed & the
other will be gone.

That's what I was looking for, but I couldn't remember. I've seen
technicians clear all devices and let the system rebuild from scratch.

There were a lot of Plug & Play entries in Safe Mode view of Device Manager
that were cleaned up but unfortuately that Default monitor is still being
redetected.

Perhaps the Display Adapter is the problem, maybe it remembers it has two
monitors ? Should I remove it in the Device Manager first, and let the
system rebuild before trying to remove the Default monitor ?

Just to complicate things for you, here is my registry entry (non-PnP
monitor):

======================================================
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\MONITOR]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\MONITOR\DEFAULT_MONITOR]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\MONITOR\DEFAULT_MONITOR\0001]
"Capabilities"=hex:14,00,00,00
"InitMonitorPowerState"="0f"
"HardwareID"="Monitor\\API761E"
"ClassGUID"="{4D36E96E-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
"Class"="Monitor"
"Driver"="Monitor\\0000"
"Mfg"="MEA"
"DeviceDesc"="Diamond View DV152"
"ConfigFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00
======================================================

I have a 15" LCD monitor attached to a PCI graphics card. Device
Manager does not show a Default Monitor, only a "Diamond View DV152".

FWIW, the DDC pins, which are required for PnP, are not present in my
VGA cable. This is because I'm going through a KVM box and I have used
an extension cable from an old non-DDC monitor. DDC allows the monitor
to communicate its capabilities to the graphics card, thus providing
PnP support. By disabling DDC, I effectively have a non-PnP monitor.

Alright, then. That was all done right. I still am studying the stuff
you posted earlier. I see nothing especially wrong yet, except for the
gobbledygook in your Update Driver requestor & the fact this Default
Monitor won't go.

Have you tried deleting just the Default Monitor in the Registry...?...

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\MONITOR\DEFAULT_MONITOR

(a) "START button, Run, RegEdit".
(b) Click the plus sign to left of "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE".
(c) Click the plus sign left of "Enum".
(d) Click the plus sign left of "MONITOR"
(e) Click "DEFAULT_MONITOR" in the left pane.
(f) Select "Export Registry File" in the "Registry" menu.

Have it create a ".reg" file. It will contain all the information
of the Default Monitor. This can be used to restore it, if the
need may arise.

(g) R-Clk "DEFAULT_MONITOR" in the left pane, & select
to delete it.

Reboot-- are you rid of it?

By default, when a ".reg" is clicked, it will Merge into the Registry.
To alter the default behavior...

(a) "START button, Settings, Folder Options, File Types tab".
(b) Scroll to & click (highlight) "Registration Entries".
(c) Click the "Edit" button.
(d) Select (highlight) "Edit" in the window.
(e) Click the "Set Default" button.

Now, when you click a ".reg" file, it will open in Notepad for
examination. To merge it into the Registry, R-Clk it & select "Merge".

Right click MyComputer.
Click "Properties" in the popup menu.
Click the "Device Manager" tab.
Expand "Monitors".
Double click on the "Default Monitor" device listed to open its properties.
Click the "Driver" tab > "Update Driver" button.
Click "Next".
Select "Display a list of all drivers in a specific location,......" and click
"Next".
Click the "Have Disk" Button.
Click the "Browse" button and navigate to the Directory\Folder\VS080114_I19.inf file
you found earlier.
Select the VS080114_I19.inf file in the Left pane and click Ok > Ok > Next.
Follow the prompts to finish installing the driver.

Hi Warren, glad to hear that you are using hunches and that they are
working out. It is a toss up as to which should be done first,
removing items from the Device Mangler or nuking entire registry
strings. Probably the best way would be to do the Device Mangler
first and then wipe up what ever is left behind in the registry.

OK we now may have a "ghost inf" situation. Particularly with modem
inf files, Windows likes to keep a copy of the installed device at
Windows\INF\Other folder and if a device's inf file is to be found in
there - Windows will automatically install it as a matter of fact with
no (normal) options allowed to the user. So double check your Other
folder for monitor files and delete them if you want to force Windows
to go looking for installation files anew. And it's my opinion that
you still do - this time make sure the ICM file is in the same folder
as the monitor's inf file where ever that may be.

Of course now what I'm asking that you do is everything you have
learned so far, remove items from the Device Mangler, then delete
entire monitor registry strings, delete INF\Other files that pertain
to your monitor and then Reboot to allow Windows to find and install
everything correctly.

The reason the registry did not build back the key in question is
because it did not need to. Somewhere else in the registry was the
old information anyway and Windows just used it as is. I do not know
how this happens exactly but it may also be tied to the "Default"
monitor that won't go away and/or that is not being removed from the
Device Mangler and/or perhaps with the Enum monitor branch of the
registry. When EVERYTHING is removed properly then you get your
devices reinstalled anew and the registry written with that instance
of reinstalled information - if there is no reinstallation then it
should not be a surprise that the registry doesn't get written to.

Yes I have made some progress.

There was a copy of the VP930 Series.inf in the Windows\Inf\Other folder
which I removed. I really have no idea where Windows finds the appropriate
inf & icm files for my Viewsonic monitor, but it seems to install nicely
since I installed the appropriate driver package from Viewsonic.

Removing the Default Monitor & the VP930Series Monitor in Device Manager,
cleaned out the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\Monitor &
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Monitor keys for
both monitors.

Unfortunately upon reboot the Default Monitor came back.

Your comments about a clean install intrigue me, but I'm a little confused
as to how far I should go. To clarify this question I have posted all
occurences of Default_Monitor & VSCE41B below. Clearly there are more
occurences than simply the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\Monitor &
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Monitor areas of
the Registry. Perhaps I still don't have a clean install ?

glad to hear that you are using hunches and that they are
working out. It is a toss up as to which should be done first,
removing items from the Device Mangler or nuking entire registry
strings. Probably the best way would be to do the Device Mangler
first and then wipe up what ever is left behind in the registry.

OK we now may have a "ghost inf" situation. Particularly with modem
inf files, Windows likes to keep a copy of the installed device at
Windows\INF\Other folder and if a device's inf file is to be found in
there - Windows will automatically install it as a matter of fact with
no (normal) options allowed to the user. So double check your Other
folder for monitor files and delete them if you want to force Windows
to go looking for installation files anew. And it's my opinion that
you still do - this time make sure the ICM file is in the same folder
as the monitor's inf file where ever that may be.

Of course now what I'm asking that you do is everything you have
learned so far, remove items from the Device Mangler, then delete
entire monitor registry strings, delete INF\Other files that pertain
to your monitor and then Reboot to allow Windows to find and install
everything correctly.

The reason the registry did not build back the key in question is
because it did not need to. Somewhere else in the registry was the
old information anyway and Windows just used it as is. I do not know
how this happens exactly but it may also be tied to the "Default"
monitor that won't go away and/or that is not being removed from the
Device Mangler and/or perhaps with the Enum monitor branch of the
registry. When EVERYTHING is removed properly then you get your
devices reinstalled anew and the registry written with that instance
of reinstalled information - if there is no reinstallation then it
should not be a surprise that the registry doesn't get written to.

That's okay guys, I'm going in armed with the big guns. First, I've backed
up my hard drive with Norton Ghost, so I have a mirror image of my hard
drive on a separate disconnected hard drive as baskup. Second I'm going to
run Roxio Go Back, which allows me to undo any changes made to my active
hard drive, 99.9999999% of the time.

Well I deleted all Registry keys with references to Default_Monitor and
VSCE41B (my Viewsonic monitor)

The process cleaned out a few, seemingly unimportant items in the Registry
with regard to monitors, namely:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\cfgmgr32\Phantom\3A\,
HardWareKey,
MONITOR\DEFAULT_MONITOR\PCI_VEN_1002&DEV_5961&SUBSYS_280117EE&REV_01_000800_
1

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Doc Find Spec MRU\,
g, vsce41b*.*

otherwise everything regenerated, including the Default_Monitor. Here's the
list of regenerated keys currently on my system now:

Data fields are: Key, Entry's name, Value

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Monitor\0001\,
MatchingDeviceId, Monitor\Default_Monitor

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ASD\Prob\{CF2524C0-29AE-11CF-97EA-00AA
0034319D}\,
MONITOR\DEFAULT_MONITOR\PCI_VEN_1002&DEV_5961&SUBSYS_280117EE&REV_01_000800_
1, N/A

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ASD\Prob\{9B4E7760-3196-11CF-97EA-00AA
0034319D}\,
MONITOR\DEFAULT_MONITOR\PCI_VEN_1002&DEV_5961&SUBSYS_280117EE&REV_01_000800_
1, N/A

HKLM\Enum\MONITOR\DEFAULT_MONITOR\, {KEY}, {KEY}
HKLM\Enum\MONITOR\DEFAULT_MONITOR\PCI_VEN_1002&DEV_5961&SUBSYS_280117EE&REV_
01_000800_1\, {KEY}, {KEY}
HKLM\Enum\MONITOR\DEFAULT_MONITOR\PCI_VEN_1002&DEV_5961&SUBSYS_280117EE&REV_
01_000800_1\, HardwareID, MONITOR\DEFAULT_MONITOR

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Monitor\0000\,
MatchingDeviceId, Monitor\VSCE41B

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ASD\Prob\{CF2524C0-29AE-11CF-97EA-00AA
0034319D}\,
MONITOR\VSCE41B\PCI_VEN_1002&DEV_5961&SUBSYS_280117EE&REV_01_000800, N/A

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ASD\Prob\{9B4E7760-3196-11CF-97EA-00AA
0034319D}\,
MONITOR\VSCE41B\PCI_VEN_1002&DEV_5961&SUBSYS_280117EE&REV_01_000800, N/A

HKLM\Enum\MONITOR\VSCE41B\, {KEY}, {KEY}
HKLM\Enum\MONITOR\VSCE41B\PCI_VEN_1002&DEV_5961&SUBSYS_280117EE&REV_01_00080
0\, {KEY}, {KEY}
HKLM\Enum\MONITOR\VSCE41B\PCI_VEN_1002&DEV_5961&SUBSYS_280117EE&REV_01_00080
0\, HardwareID, MONITOR\VSCE41B

The terminology "clean install" is used elsewhere so your attempt at
kidnapping it for your own use will be frowned upon, kinda like saying
"reverting your hard drive" when you should have mentioned re-imaging
your hard drive with Go Back program instead. It makes you sound a
bit off in the head is all - we know you are not...?

I would not call a bogus Default monitor reinstalling itself a clean
install, so no, not a good thing at all.

How far should you go? As far as the road takes you, kinda like the
length of your legs, certainly far enough to reach the ground. The
really nice thing about all this is - it doesn't matter how far you
take the removal of devices from the Device Mangler. Please remove
them all just for kicks. It really doesn't matter, as it doesn't hurt
a thing. At reboot Windows will spend some time reinstalling all that
stuff and you might be right back where you are now - unless this
drastic measure actually fixes the Default Monitor problem in and of
itself. Which is very real possibility!!!

I won't tell you to do it right now because you are probably sweating
real bullets, but at least think it over some. Coincidently, the
deletion of the entire ENUM key just prior to shutdown is one quick
and dirty way to install Windows onto any machine by simply swapping
out the booting hard drive to the new machine. At boot up, in the new
machine, Windows will detect all the "new" hardware and install the
correct drivers and poof you got Windows - neat method, if the
legalities are a separate issue.

I have done this and it works just fine. Both via the registry and
the Device Mangler just to be sure both methods did pretty much the
same thing - they do. I would certainly remove all instances of the
Default Monitor found in the registry. Your ICM file is most likely
in the Windows\INF folder now if Windows is not asking for it's
location, and that's just fine - it's supposed to be there if it's not
too big along with the inf file. It's just nice to know exactly where
stuff like that is actually at for a possible future "clean" Windows
reinstallation. Clean Install is usually in reference to a Windows
installation denoting a blank hard drive prior to the actual
installation as in opposition to an "over the top" reinstallation of
Windows to a hard drive that already has a working or not working
Windows installed on it.

Hmm. I thought you meant you were about to delete the entire ENUM key or
otherwise decimate all manner of devices listed in Device Manager--
which is a far more perilous affair! I don't want it on my head-- even
if you do have two full backups. Of the two, Norton Ghost sounds to be
independent of Windows. Does Roxio Go Back require a boot to Windows for
it to work? (I use neither of those two.) Therefore... let it be on
Lee's head, or even on Terhune's or glee's, who also have posted of such
things in the past!

If using Device Manager, I know you must remove the child devices,
before you may remove the parents. Also, it may be advisable to set the
display adapter to "Standard Display Adapter (VGA)" first, if you intend
to remove that one. Finally, I've read you may expect multiple reboots
for some of them to come back. And I hope you won't be requested to
insert the Windows Installation CD or any other CD-- especially if
that's one of the devices you've removed!

Help us help you...

What is your particular problem?

Please supply OS, computer manufacturer, display manufacturer, statement of
your particular issue, and anything else which might be related to help
localize the issue.

Is it VISTA or XP? Sounds like XP, but why?

If VISTA, depending upon when you purchased the laptop you may be able to
contact Lenovo for an install disk [may take some prodding].

As for the multiple extra monitors in XP,, the only time I had that occur
was when I installed newer drivers without uninstalling the prior, leaving
the system with two distinct driver versions [both providing multiple
monitor support = 4 monitors-2 screens/2TV-projector outs {2 disabled/not
functioning}] and a default [=5].

[b3l]

What happened with this? I have a similar problem. Was there any resolution?

I have a Lenovo ThinkPad x61s. I tried to do a clean XP Pro install and ended up with 5 default monitors (none of them the correct one) in Device Manager. When I was using Vista it listed only one monitor... the right one! I didn't install extra monitors, the whole install went really smoothly. I have tried deleting in Safe Mode but they keep coming back.

I figured it would be easy to reinstall Vista to see what the settings were by using the blue ThinkVantage button to install the original factory OS. Wrong! It would not work at all. Error messages saying it couldn't find the files (though the partition was left untouched by me). So I thought fine, I have the original CD's. Installed and it was XP Pro and not Vista!!! Looks like I have no way of putting Vista back on again. Anyhow, I checked in Device Manager and I still have the 5 monitors listed along with 2 video drivers (although that is perhaps okay because it can run dual monitors???)

I am trying so hard to get a clean install so I can back up a perfect image. Blah, I'm sick of it all... and soooo boring to install. Can anyone tell me how to deal with the extra monitors?

I'm sorry, I don't understand how this is being sent to a win98 news group. I don't understand how this website works. I will try another place.

ps. to Meb: I want XP but not if I can't get devices installed correctly. I have tried everything I know to get rid of the extra monitors with no success. It was on a clean install and when I installed the video display drivers is when I ended up with 5 monitors. Previous to that there were none listed so I don't don't know how it can be a problem with installing over other drivers.

Oh wait, I see where I went wrong with my posting. Sorry Everyone. I will move my questions elsewhere.

I have tried installing with the oem discs from Lenovo and I have also tried reinstalling with the ThinkVantage button (disc image) and also with a clean xp pro disc. I got the same result for each installation. I would think that the OEM disc would give me a perfect install without any input on my part, but it didn't.

The monitors do not show in Device Manager until I install the video adapter drivers. Then all five show. When I install the correct monitor driver by updating the driver, all the other ones remain or are reinstalled after rebooting... Even when they are uninstalled in Safe Mode.

Your message has ended up in a Microsoft Windows 98 news group, where there
are not many people who know anything about XP or Vista. You should advise
Techarena that they are forwarding your messages to the wrong newsgroup. Or,
perhaps you have selected the wrong Techarena forum.

Better still, use a newsreader such as Outlook Express and subscribe
directly to a Microsoft newsgroup related to XP installation or video issues
and avoid all the problems of a web interface. You will find the MS
newsgroups at msnews.microsoft.com.

Here are the potential Microsoft Support Forums that might be of present
interest to you:

news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsof...indowsxp.video
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsof...owsxp.hardware
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsof...dowsxp.general

As for the display I mentioned:

XP had already installed a set of default/generic [Microsoft supplied]
drivers (which did not appear in Add/Remove ;}). When I installed the new
manufacturer's drivers, instead of removing and replacing the default, the
installer created a second distinct set of drivers. Upon reboot, both the
original defaults and the new manufacturer driver were then both shown as
installed. I should note this was shortly after XP came out [and I was still
learning about the OS, hence I made all the usual errors], and drivers were
still being modified [it was an integrated {IGP} ATI IIRC, might have been a
NVidia though].

Did you perhaps use the manufacturer's driver disk?

Instead of installing the drivers {running the setup file}, did you try
*updating* the listed driver already installed? (check AFTER XP has fully
set itself up and you have rebooted at least twice)
Don't forget XP has Restore Points....