Second Monitor no longer works separately

Hi.

I know someone here might be able to help ...

I have been using two monitors on my Win 10 64-bit machine. One is connected by an Aluratek VGA to USB, and worked quite well, allowing me to extend so that both monitors showed different things. I used to move the Excel stuff to the left, so that I could do things on the right. You know the drill.

About a month ago, the PC went belly up - I'm using the Insider Preview from Microsoft - and I had to do a complete reset, saving only my personal data. Kudos to Microsoft for finally making this work so well. Except.

The second monitor no longer works as it has in the past, being only a copy of the primary image. I haven't been able to make it work as it did previously. While the second monitor is also not "identified" by Windows Display in Settings, either. It looks like 1|2 rather than a separate monitor.

Understand, I've done everything I did to make them both work separately, as in the past, to no avail.

Is there anything I can do to make them separate again? Please let me know what other information you need from me about the configuration. WINVER returns Version 2004 (OS Build 19569.1000).

And, of course, thank you for any help you can provide.

-a.

Alex Howard

 

Alex did you run the Drivers for your Aluratek VGA to USB unit after you restored your W10 comp?
Is the unit recognized in Device Manager?

 

It's recognized as "VGA Adapter"
I tried to run the drivers, and even uninstalled them, then removed the device, and let W10 discover it when I restarted the PC. I followed al the directions I could find relating to this issue, and still no joy.
I have a second Aluratek unit, and swapped it out for the first one, thinking that the re was a reason - the first unit was faulty.
Again, no joy.
I just don't get it. It all worked beautifully before.
I have screen shots of this, if you need to see them.
-a.

 

https://support.displaylink.com/knowledgebase/articles/544834
This may not be your brand but I wondered whether the Troubleshoot might help.
I haven't found any Aluratek help/diagnosis info yet.

 

Nope, it doesn't cover the issue I'm having.

But ... thanks very much,
-a.

 

Thanks, Steve.

Would you believe that I've tried every suggestion in those articles - many more than once - and still no joy?

I cannot comprehend how this happened and remains without a fix.

Oddly enough, the CD/DVD that comes with this Aluratek device will not run at all, so I've tried using DisplayLink Graphics' latest, and even earlier, .EXE to install their drivers. That also fails miserably. I mean, it installs but doesn't remedy the problem.

While I can see a duplicate of my primary monitor's image on the monitor to the left, I still get the message that no second monitor is detected, and the "identify" command shows 1|2 in the lower left corner of both monitors.

Something very fishy is going on here, and I am unable to understand what.

If there's anything you want me to take a screen shot of and upload, please let me know and I'll attempt to do that.

Again, my thanks to all who are trying to help me with this. It's just so bizarre ...

And, stay safe and healthy, folks, with the pandemic going around. My monitor problem pales in comparison.

-a.

 

Alex, I just re-read your Thread. You state you are using MS "Insider" W10 version 2004 Build #19569.1000.
Have you asked the Insider Feedback for a suggestion?

 

Actually, many times.

Something very strange happened yesterday. I allowed an upgrade/update to happen while I was out for a while, and returned to a newly updated PC, to Windows 10 Insider Preview 19592.1001.

Everything looked like the second monitor was going to work, including the fact that they were 1 ... 2, rather than 1|2 in the display section. But everything else was wrong. The things I had pinned to the Taskbar were gone, the mouse went to the second monitor and wouldn't come back, and OneDrive was apparently only a memory.

Rather than panic ... more than I already was ... I simply used the keyboard, found the option - in the lower right corner - to either restart or shut down; I chose to shut down.

Soon as I heard the clunk that power was off, I counted thirty seconds and restarted my PC. I was greeted with a message at the bottom of the main monitor, in big black bold letters, something to the effect that the system was undoing the most recent update/upgrade! Without my asking for intervention, it did that, and when next I logged onto my PC, I was again on Build 19587.rs_prerelease.200313-1639. Back where I started before having a cardiac episode, so to speak.

Of course, the second monitor no longer works, just as before.

And of course, even with sending the feedback to them many times, including the recording of steps to repro the problem, I have yet to hear from anyone at Microsoft. I was a alpha and beta tester from 1993 until about 2010 or so, and they always responded to bugs I found. Unlike this Insider stuff, where they so far have never responded to anything.

And that's my saga of eternal torment [with apologies to The Firesign Theater].

Hope all are staying safe and well, from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Peace,
-a.

 

Please do Black for the letters in your post. The Blue is very hard to read for some people. Thanks.

 

Alex, funnily 19592.1001 Failed to install on 26/03/2020 on my Insider comp.
In fact it is now preparing to Download again so I will let you know if it does complete without problem.
As you probably know New Zealand is in Lockdown from Wednesday (25/03/2020) so we are trying to be safe, fingers crossed.

 

Update. Failed to install error code Oxc1900101. Seems like MS are having trouble with the Insider releases.

 

Will do.
Thanks for the reminder.
-a.

 

I have a dear friend who spends a half year in NZ every year, so I guess she's stuck there now.
I pray you all are well, and stay that way.
-a.

 

Whoa!
Thanks for the update, I have to stop it from downloading now.
-a.

 

Alex thanks for your thoughts on safety during this Covid19 Lockdown. My biggest problem is my wife who has vascular dementia (2½ years) and also suffers from claustrophobia.
She needs to get outside and walk around the house several times during the day but fortunately hasn't taken off any further.
Back to the Insider problem, I have not experienced any major hassles with the Insider previously and do not use it as my main comp.
I don't have any data stored on it which is not a worry if the OS goes bellyup. I'll let you know what develops with any updates from MS for the Insider.

 

The 19592.1001 build has finally installed and it seems OK at this point in time.

 

I'm still gun shy on this one, having used the delay feature to put off installs of updates for a week. Unfortunately, I use my primary PC, having not had a second one for a while now.

I bought an external 3Tb HD, but every backup app I have fails in one way or the other. I have to manually copy stuff to the drive, and that means my aging mind has to remember to do so. Gotta set a reminder.

It's no secret that the good backup software is now too expensive for me ...

Maybe the Win built-in backup finally is worth using. Any comments on that, as I think about letting the Insider update download again?

BTW, I only have one working lung, and it has COPD; and I'm a cardiac patient. Fair game for this virus, so I have to be very, very careful where I go and keep my face covered when I do.​

Thanks all, and stay safe.
-a.

 

I have connected 2 monitors to the Graphics card by the DVI and VGA connectors. All works well but I haven't got the Aluratek unit to interface like you have so I don't how that would work.

Sorry to hear about your medical conditions - from a Quintuple heart bypass in 2005 and 2 TKJR's we can thank medical technology for our well-being these days.
Stay safe and well.