Software Support > GroovyMAME

Dual monitor setup questions.

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haynor666:
Sadly this option is not available for HD4xxx cards. But there are plenty cheap HD5xxx on market so it's worth to replace old one.

Milsancho:
So if possible, Calamity, could you please let me know your opinion on this, please? Is there a way I can force a VGA monitor detection with a HD 4xxx series once the monitor 2 is running at 15khz? A couple of posts back there more details if needed.

Milsancho:
I'm still trying, mind. I'm sure I'm missing something elementary as I refuse to believe dual video output is not possible on an HD 4550 with Emudriver, or just to extend the desktop with it. I've found that Video mode maker's video card tab has display1 picked ("enabled") on the Device menu, while display2 is "disabled". Could this be related to my issue of not being able to pick a resolution mode on Windows for the second (VGA) monitor (and therefore, succesfully extend the desktop), as described before? Windows says my 15khz display in use is display2, not 1.


In the case I change my card and reinstall Emudriver, I should use AMD Cleaning utility right after uninstalling it first, right? What should I do when Windows asks me to run Windows Update after it founds itself with no video card driver installed considering it's an offline setup?

buttersoft:
Well, i'm not able to answer all of the technical questions there, is only because it's been too many years since i tried to do anything like this. It's important to remember that this is an edge case in what is already a very niche hobby, so the chances of someone just knowing the answer might be small.

I use a program called display changer 2 to force-change certain monitor configs. Just resolutions in my case, but it might be able to force modes on different monitors. You probably need to be able to set things up first in some way tho, to capture the config you want.

I would simply re-install Windows then install crt_emudriver, that's the cleanest way. And as a rule, it's always better to get your drivers/monitors set up to deliver the video modes you want first, then configure your emulators and controls and frontend after that. Saves doing everything over. First time through everyone makes a lot of mistakes, though :D

Windows update can't do anything if you're not online? Either way i wouldn't let it run. You could use something like winaerotweaker to disable updates, and hopefully that wouldn't have any knock-on effects.

Calamity:
Hi Milsancho,

First of all, please relax.

You've decided to go against all advices and use an HD 4000 generation card for modern Windows (post-XP) so expect troubles.

Monitor detection was a plague for these gpus so back then I decided to patch the drivers in order to FORCE monitor detection in all analog outputs. This is why you'll see a "generic no PnP monitor" even if the output is disconnected. This allows you to go into Windows display manager and extend the desktop whether or not there's a physical monitor connected.

Then you will face a random situation as Windows tries to restore the last known working configuration and may send your desktop to the unwanted monitor until things finally settle. If you just accidentally boot the pc with a different monitor layout (e.g. having unplugged one of the screens) things will turn random again.

Having suffered this myself, I wrote the "algorithm" that you can find in Eiusdemmodi's guide, that works for the most typical configuration (single monitor).

Believe it or not, all this trouble caused by forced detection was less bad than having to physically add resistors to trigger detection.

To make things more interesting, you want to use 15 and 31 kHz monitors at the same time. You can do it, but on this older hardware you can't install different custom modes per output, so all of them will be mixed and available for both outputs.

In your situation, I'd be using a newer card like the ones you posted above. Then use the VGA for 15 kHz with EDID emulation, and a suitable HDMI->VGA adapter for 31 kHz, since you don't need low dotclocks for this (HDMI by design has a lowest dotclock of 25 MHz).

PD: I've used cards with ribbon cable for VGA all the time, no issues here.

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