Dual monitor issue - 2nd monitor "out of range"

Jan 22, 2019
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I’m trying to do a dual monitor setup for my PC using a 4K TV and a 720p monitor (at least I think it’s a 720p).

The Operating System is Windows 10 Pro. The graphics card being used is an Asus Nvidia GT 710 2Gb (bought just days ago).

The connection for the main monitor (the 4K TV) is HDMI. And the connection for the second monitor is VGA.

Problem is when I connect the second (720p) monitor, I am shown an “out of range” error. To make things worse, the PC “extends the display” to the second “non-operational” screen, thus disallowing me to access the display settings even on the first monitor. It basically sends every additional screen I open over to the second “inactive display”. If I could at least get those to show up on the first monitor, I would presumably be able to make the necessary corrections to get them both working.

On the troubleshooting front, I did try lowering the resolution to 1024 x 768 on the graphics card and even did a VGA reboot through Windows to no avail. The only thing that did work (temporarily) is “uninstalling the graphics card”. This allows me to boot into Windows successfully just as long as I refrain from connecting the 4K TV to the graphics card. As soon I as do, it goes straight back displaying to the “out of range” error again.

BTW, I have done a “dual monitor” configuration before using the same 2 screens and the same graphics card before with no issues BUT for a different PC. When I did that, I didn’t see the “out of range” error even once. So, this is all new to me.
I also read all the other posts on the forum with the similar (but unidentical) issues before posting this question.

Greatly appreciate your help.

PS #1:
Managed to access the second monitor using the Windows button + P. But it still doesn't let me change the "adapter display" settings of the second monitor to something other than 3840 x 2160. When I do, I am told "The display panel is unable to change the display settings. You may not have appropriate administrative privileges to change these settings". As far as I'm aware, I have full administrative privileges to the PC.

PS #2:
I am now able to “duplicate the display” across both monitors provided I stick with the “same resolution” on both. But that’s not realistic since one of them is 4K and the other is 1280 x 1024. As soon as I try to extend the display, the VGA monitor goes black and starts flashing the same error as before.
 
MERGED QUESTION
Question from angel220 : "Dual monitor issue - Windows using same resolution for both displays"

I’m trying to setup a dual monitor configuration for my PC using a 4K TV and a 720p VGA monitor.

The OS being used for the configuration is Windows 10 Pro.
The graphics card is an Asus Nvidia GT 710 2Gb.
But I’m unable to get both monitors to work together at the same time without the lower resolution (VGA) monitor going “out of range” every time.

I can get the VGA monitor to work temporarily if I do a safe mode reboot or when I get both monitors to run at an identical low resolution. But the second the OS detects and resets the resolution of my 4K TV, the VGA monitor goes out of range again.

The funny thing is I have the same dual monitor configuration running on another PC (same OS, identical graphics card and OS) without any issues. When I connect my 4K TV and VGA monitor to that PC, I have both monitors running at their optimum resolutions with no conflicts. I even have a dual display settings dashboard detailing the settings for each individual display.

I don’t have any of that on the second PC where the configuration failed. On the second PC, when I try to change the display settings for the individual displays on the second PC, I am told "The display panel is unable to change the display settings. You may not have appropriate administrative privileges to change these settings” (even though I’m the only user/administrator for the PC).

Come to think of it, there is one very monitor difference between the two configurations. The PC with the successful configuration was upgraded to Win 10 from a full retail version of Windows 8 Pro, whereas the other one got upgraded to Win10 Pro from an OEM copy of Win 7 Pro. Don’t know how that makes a difference though.

Thanks in advance.