Laptop Screen Broken, Cant Use External Without Safe Mode.

Ok so someone dropped my laptop, and the screen is cracked inside. I have an external monitor that I am now using, but cant seem to get it to work without being in safe mode. I have tried the Fn key and F5 but to no avail.

I have an Acer, and Windows Vista. If anyone has any advice it would be much appreciated. I have been looking for an excuse to change monitors anyway, but it has to work outside of safe mode.

Peace, NRE.

reply to post by NoRegretsEverdownload ultramon...go into settings, select screen 2 on startup,that got me out the s#$t .

reply to post by NoRegretsEver


It never gives you option to skip safe mode?

You may find this link helpful: Advanced Startup features - MS

Hopefully that helps?

g'luck.

It's hard to be certain where the problem is, but I believe that it may be that the laptop was set to a display resolution (before the display was broken) that the external monitor cannot manage. (It sets it to a manageable resolution in Safe Mode.)

While in Safe Mode, go to the Device Manager and uninstall both "Display adapter" and "Monitor." Then restart in non-Safe mode. Don't fret; when you restart it will reinstall the drivers and shift to a display mode that it can manage. At that point you can re-set the resolution to something to your liking.

If you can't set the resolution to the correct aspect-ratio (in other words, if your laptop display was 16:9 and your external display is 16:10), you may need to do a search for the .inf files for that particular monitor (you won't always find them on the manufacturer's site, but a Google search should turn them up).

If none of this makes sense or if it doesn't work, send me a private message and I'll see if I'll try to walk you through it.

reply to post by Ex_CT2


The external monitor works fine. I just cant make it my ONLY choice for working on my laptop without being in safe mode. As far as I can see with options, some things cannot be performed in safe mode.

Right now I am writing this from my laptop keyboard and Im using my 2nd monitor from my old PC.

But only in safe mode, when I turn it on it gives me the option for safe mode, or normal start. If I choose normal my laptop tries to take over, and it will load, but I can barely see the screen.

If I restart and go into safe mode its like everything is fine... except Im in safe mode.

BTW, thank you all for the replies. NRE.

If your laptop loads a program for your video card, such as 'catalyst control center', I would try starting in safe mode and see if it is there, then go in and set up your external monitor correctly. Maybe when you restart those settings will make you able to detect the external monitor.

reply to post by el1jah

Yes, I see. But after some thought, I still believe that in Standard mode your resolution is still at a setting your display cannot manage. It may be something as simple but obscure as the refresh rate being too high in Standard Mode, but it drops back to the correct resolution but a lower refresh rate in Safe Mode. I'd still try what I suggested earlier; it may be the simplest way out.

I have no dog in this fight. It's entirely up to you....

If it is just the resolution that is the problem then while in safe mode go into display properties and change it to 1024x768. All monitors within the last 10-15 years can handle that.

reply to post by NoRegretsEver


Hi NoRegretsEver , the correct way to trouble shoot this problem would be to use Vista's Advanced bootup options'

- You get to this by continuously tapping F8 during bootup.

- Then from the menu choose the option :

- Enable low resolution video (640 × 480)

Choosing this option starts Windows using your current video driver and using low resolution and refresh rate settings. You can use this mode to reset your display settings. So once the system has loaded in 640 × 480 mode you should be able to find a good display setting that works with your monitor using this method. That setting will then stick when you reboot your system.

Safe mode uses minimal drivers so its using a different video driver than the one you normally use. So if you cant get the display working correctly using the "Enable low resolution video (640 × 480)" then you have a driver that is incompatible with your monitor. This could a video driver problem or you may have to go and find a monitor driver that fits the monitor that you are using. Or it could even be a problem with the video driver and the monitor driver.

If the Enable low resolution video (640 × 480) doesnt work for you i would try to find a monitor driver that fits you monitor first.

-Phoenix OD (MCP)