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Connecting second monitor causes lockup.
Howdy folks,
Scenario: I have an old TV right next to my monitor (which is a new smart TV) so I can be entertained while I work at home. Recently, I decided to cut the cord and ditch cable. In its place, I wanted to connect the old TV to my computer and use it to watch media of my choosing as I work.
So, I bought an iMeshbean HDMI to 3RCA AV CVBS Composite & S-Video R-L Audio Converter Adapter Upscaler. I unboxed it and plugged it in and it worked from the get-go with no hassles. No drivers supplied or required. The1080 only has one HDMI out, so I used a DVI to HDMI adapter to make the connection to the converter.
A few weeks later, I had some issues with my USB controllers acting up and, after following many suggested fixes, I had changed a lot of registry settings, Windows settings, device settings, BIOS settings, etc, etc, etc.
At some point, my system began failing to boot. It would just hang after POST, black screen forever as the HD light flickered occasionally. After much gnashing of teeth, I eventually tried disconnecting the second monitor and everything booted up fine. So I began testing.
When there's no source plugged into the converter, it displays color bars with a "No Signal" message on the old TV. If the old TV has no source, it just displays a black screen.
I'll boot up with the main monitor connected. After Windows has fully finished loading, I try plugging in the second monitor by way of the converter. My main monitor always goes to a blank screen with a "No Signal" message. The second monitor doesn't change, still displaying the color bars.
The HD light blinks furiously for several minutes but then slows down to about a slow heartbeat fairly shortly. Neither video signal ever comes back. If I wait another 5 minutes or so, the second monitor goes gray, not black, so it's getting a signal.
If I wait another 5 minutes, the lights on my mouse and keyboard go out. Another 5 minutes and they come back on. Another 5 minutes and the color bars return. And that's the end of the show. No other feedback after that series of events. Before the problems, the second monitor would always snap into shape within a second of being plugged in.
During limbo, I've tried typing various things to provoke a response. Ctrl-ALt-Del, Alt-F4, Alt-Tab, etc. Nothing seems to have an effect. I have my power button configured to trigger a soft shutdown. On rare occasions, if I press it early, the system will shut itself down. Most of the time, it doesn't.
So, I tried booting up with nothing but the second monitor plugged in. Works fine. When I go to add my main monitor, the same sequence occurs. Each monitor works fine on its own, but when both are connected, the system chokes.
I figured some dev config file or reg entry got corrupted, so I went to the Device Manager, enabled Hidden Device view, and uninstalled the grayed-out PnP Monitor entries and the HDMI to AV-0 audio device entries in the hopes that Windows would attempt to reacquire clean device info. Didn't work.
Things I've tried so far...
Power cycle the PC and the converter.
Switched out HDMI cables with newer, higher rated ones (NAXA HDMI 1.4 compliant cable).
Uninstalled unused, but still listed, monitor drivers.
Cleared CMOS.
Reviewed BIOS settings.
Ran Windows Update and updated Video Card drivers.
Checked that I had the latest BIOS update.
Any thoughts?
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