Question Extremely weird Graphics Card/Multiple Monitors/Windows bug

[johnmalloc]

Hey guys, I'm creating this topic hoping that someone can help me.

First of all, my PC is an oldie, I use it more for indie games and work really, which means almost everyday.

The Specs are:
CPU: Intel i5 750 with Cooler Master V8
Mobo: Asus P7P55D-E Deluxe
RAM: 8GB Corsair XMS3
Graphics Card: Zotac GTX 1050 2GB
PSU: Corsair TX850

So, I have 2 super old monitors (Samsung T220 and Samsung 931BW) which are DVI and VGA only and a full HD TV that were all connected to my GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card (T220 over DVI, 931BW over DP with a DVI/DP adapter and the TV over HDMI).

I've been using this setup for quite a few years now without a single problem, with both monitors and the TV all connected and working at the same time.

Yesterday I went to fiddle with the DVI cables behind the monitors (I ended up disconnecting and reconnecting the DVIs on both monitors) and I lost image completely on both monitors, nothing made them stop being only black screens. Only the HDMI TV continued to work. A simple thing like that was the beginning of this whole saga.

First, I tested the graphics card inputs / monitors to see if they were defective for some reason. I could tell it wasn't a hardware problem, the only input that I can't get to work is DP, but I believe it is a Windows bug and not hardware. The explanation of these conclusions are as follows:

The problem that happens, after a lot of digging, is this: my monitors don't show up on Windows Device Manager as they should. When plugged into the DVI or DP inputs of the graphics card, the monitor does not display an image nor is recognized in Windows. There is no PnP Monitor in Device Manager to be seen. It even gives the noise as if it recognizes the PnP connection, but windows does not detect it. But, connecting to the HDMI input of the GTX 1050 I can use a HDMI to DVI adapter and both monitors work normally and are recognized, just as the TV via HDMI continues to work normally.

Regarding NVIDIA drivers, I tested multiple ones ranging from 375.76 to 445.75, both from guru3d and nvidia website, always using DDU before to clean the installations properly and the conclusion is: When there is no NVIDIA driver on the PC, the monitor that is on the DVI port will work as a generic monitor with buggy resolution. HDMI also works, but it is one or the other, basically the one that is connected first when you boot the PC. The DP port doesn't work, it just makes plug and play noises and nothing. Now, with the NVIDIA driver installed (again, multiple versions of it), only the HDMI port works, and so both monitors and the TV work correctly, in the right resolution. But only one display at a time, as it is only an HDMI input. The funny thing is that even the DVI works if you plug one monitor in it with nothing plugged in the HDMI right when you turn on the PC. But it only keeps showing image until the Windows boot screen, then the screen goes black and I have to plug something in HDMI to use the PC.

I've been going crazy for 24 hours trying to fix this ... Things I've already done: I spent hours digging through Device Manager, NVIDIA Control Panel and Windows Display Settings to see if I can force the recognition of the other monitors again but no go, I tested several DVI cables I have here that all worked before and now none does the trick, I formatted the PC and did a new installation of windows 10 and performed all the windows updates until the latest version, I tested multiple NVIDIA drivers, I changed the graphics card PCI-E port on the motherboard, I cleaned the graphics card, motherboard and all the connectors, did clear cmos, sfc scan, chkdsk, DIMS...

Can anyone please help me?

Sorry for the long text, but I'm very tired and alone right now with all that has been happening, would really appreciate your help, thank you for reading all of this.

 

[kerberos_20]

hi
plug and play monitors are pretty simple
on cable there are few wires for connection
there is 1 wire, when populated, GPU will know something got plugged in (pin presence detect)
on another wire, 3.3/5V gets sent to monitor which powers up little tiny chip on your monitor (EDID eeprom)
once its powered, montor sends it through cable back to GPU
at this point GPU will know two things:

1. monitor was connected
2. it knows monitor available resolution, and all display timings to run your monitor at its best

this happens before monitor even powers up, only 3 wires are needed for this

since u have issue with this basic, then either your cable needs to be replaced or your GPU port is damaged, or cable doesnt sit properly inside gpu port

 

[johnmalloc]

hi
plug and play monitors are pretty simple
on cable there are few wires for connection
there is 1 wire, when populated, GPU will know something got plugged in (pin presence detect)
on another wire, 3.3/5V gets sent to monitor which powers up little tiny chip on your monitor (EDID eeprom)
once its powered, montor sends it through cable back to GPU
at this point GPU will know two things:

1. monitor was connected
2. it knows monitor available resolution, and all display timings to run your monitor at its best

this happens before monitor even powers up, only 3 wires are needed for this

since u have issue with this basic, then either your cable needs to be replaced or your GPU port is damaged, or cable doesnt sit properly inside gpu port

Hi there!

Yeah, that would be the case, but I already tested multiple cabes that were functioning before all this and none of them is now, except when I'm not using NVIDIA drivers, then they work and so does the DVI port.

That would imply that neither the cables nor the ports are damaged, because they work either outside of Windows (on boot screen) or without NVIDIA drivers.

I'm thinking it is some sort of Windows/NVIDIA bug, or something along side that.

It is really a strange problem and I can't seem to fix it.

Please continue to help if possible.

Thank you.

EDIT: Just an additional piece of information, right now on my Windows 10 fully updated with the latests NVIDIA drivers installed I can tell that my second monitor hooked on the graphics card DVI port is somewhat being recognized because it goes from a NO SIGNAL screen to a full black screen whenever I plug it it. The problem remains that windows isn't detecting anything nor is NVIDIA control panel.