Replacing Monitors - Cannot display video mode

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around troubleshooting a monitor replacement issue, specifically the error message "Cannot display video mode" encountered when switching from a CRT monitor to a Dell flat screen monitor. Participants explore potential resolutions related to display settings, drivers, and hardware compatibility.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant mentions their previous display settings of 1024x768 pixels at 85 Hertz with 32-bit color and attempts to adjust to lower resolutions without success.
  • Another suggests trying a resolution of 1280x720 at 60Hz with 32-bit color, but this did not resolve the issue for the original poster.
  • Several participants emphasize the importance of checking the monitor's name-plate for model information and suggest downloading appropriate drivers.
  • There is discussion about the nature of monitor drivers, with one participant clarifying that they are information files for the graphics card rather than traditional drivers.
  • Participants propose various resolutions, including 1280x800 and 1280x1024 at 60Hz with 32-bit color, based on the monitor's aspect ratio.
  • One participant raises the possibility that the VGA cable might be the issue, questioning its capacity and previous usage.
  • A strategy of "divide and conquer" is suggested to troubleshoot by testing the monitor and cable with different computers to isolate the problem.
  • Another participant suggests starting the computer in safe mode to determine if the issue lies with the monitor or cable.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various troubleshooting approaches, but there is no consensus on the exact cause of the issue or a definitive solution. Multiple competing views on potential resolutions remain present throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note the unusual limitation of the VGA cable's maximum resolution and the original poster's previous successful settings with a different monitor, indicating potential compatibility issues that are not fully resolved.

vanmaiden
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Replacing Monitors - "Cannot display video mode"

I'm switching out my old CRT Compaq FS7600 monitor (for specifications: see the link below) for a dell flat screen monitor. Unfortunately, this monitor says nothing about the model type, and I don't have the box as I got this from a friend. The VGA cord I have can connect a computer to a monitor with video resolution of up to 640x480. Instead of a regular graphics card, my computer uses an Intel(R) G33/G31 Express Chipset Family.

The display settings I normally use for the Compaq FS7600 monitor are 1024x768 pixels at 85 Hertz with 32-bit color, but I can get these settings down to at least 640x480 pixels at 59 Hertz with 256 colors (less than 16-bit I assume). I've tried the latter setting, but I still got the same message as before- "Cannot display video mode."

I'm hoping someone could help me find a solution to this problem! Thank you in advance! :smile:

Compaq FS7600 monitor specifications: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?pocname=c00215200&tmp_task=prodinfoCategory&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&product=430529
 
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Try 1280x720 60hz, with 32 bit color.
 


Time to look at name-plates and download appropriate drivers...
 


rcgldr said:
Try 1280x720 60hz, with 32 bit color.

I saw this on another site and tired this, but it didn't work. Thank you for the advice though! :smile:

turbo said:
Time to look at name-plates and download appropriate drivers...

True, but I've looked at the plate at the back of the monitor and typed the prominent numbers into google, but it yielded nothing. However, I haven't tried to install anything. What drivers should I go about installing?
 


turbo said:
Time to look at name-plates and download appropriate drivers...

Ah, I just tried installing new graphics drivers, and a prompt told me my computer was up-to-date.
 


vanmaiden said:
What drivers should I go about installing?
Monitor "drivers" aren't really drivers, they're information files used by your graphics card driver to know what the monitor parameters are. I don't understand why your monitor is not displaying anything at the resolutions you've tried. You're stating you get no image at all, just an error message? What is the size of the monitor screen the width and the height (in cm or inches)?

If the ratio is 16 x 10, try 1280x800 60hz 32 bit color.

vanmaiden said:
The VGA cord I have can connect a computer to a monitor with video resolution of up to 640x480.
It seems unusual that a VGA cord has a maximum limit of 640x480. You stated that you're running 1024x768 @85hz, which is already a higher resolution than that. Is that with a different VGA cord?
 


rcgldr said:
Monitor "drivers" aren't really drivers, they're information files used by your graphics card driver to know what the monitor parameters are. I don't understand why your monitor is not displaying anything at the resolutions you've tried. You're stating you get no image at all, just an error message? What is the size of the monitor screen the width and the height (in cm or inches)?

If the ratio is 16 x 10, try 1280x800 60hz 32 bit color.

It seems unusual that a VGA cord has a maximum limit of 640x480. You stated that you're running 1024x768 @85hz, which is already a higher resolution than that. Is that with a different VGA cord?

First part: Unfortunately, yes. I get only an error message when I try out the other monitor. The Compaq FS7600 monitor has a width of 13in and a height of 9.75in. The Dell has a width of 13.375in and a height of 10.625. I'll try that setting and see reply with the outcome.

Second part: Yes, the Compaq FS7600 has a built in VGA cord (one end is wired into the monitor while the other end can be plugged into the tower).
 


vanmaiden said:
The Dell has a width of 13.375in and a height of 10.625.
If you measured correctly, that's a 5:4 ratio, the most common resolution for this ratio is 1280x1024 so try that, 1280x1024 60hz, 32 bit color.

vanmaiden said:
crt monitor has it's own cable ... vga cable ... 640x480
The vga cable could be the problem then. Have you ever used this cable before?
 


rcgldr said:
If you measured correctly, that's a 5:4 ratio, the most common resolution for this ratio is 1280x1024 so try that, 1280x1024 60hz, 32 bit color.

The vga cable could be the problem then. Have you ever used this cable before?

I just bought the VGA cable with 640x480 capacity, so it got its first use out of this project.
 
  • #10


rcgldr said:
If you measured correctly, that's a 5:4 ratio, the most common resolution for this ratio is 1280x1024 so try that, 1280x1024 60hz, 32 bit color.

The vga cable could be the problem then. Have you ever used this cable before?

I just tried 1280x1024 60hz, 32 bit color, and I still received the same error message. I think this might be primarily the VGA cable.
 
  • #11


A good strategy when your skill at X is perhaps less than you would want it to be,

"divide and conquer."

In this example, try the monitor on another computer, try the cable on a different monitor and computer, try a different monitor and cable on this computer... Use that to see if you can eliminate some components as the failure. Just be very very careful to not possibly break anything while swapping and carrying so that you don't compound the problem.
 
  • #12


Bill Simpson said:
A good strategy when your skill at X is perhaps less than you would want it to be,

"divide and conquer."

In this example, try the monitor on another computer, try the cable on a different monitor and computer, try a different monitor and cable on this computer... Use that to see if you can eliminate some components as the failure. Just be very very careful to not possibly break anything while swapping and carrying so that you don't compound the problem.

That's certainly a good application of the process of elimination, but I have only one computer! Lol.
 
  • #13


vanmaiden said:
That's certainly a good application of the process of elimination, but I have only one computer! Lol.

I do not know what country you live in, but all the rest of the countries in the world have thousands or hundreds of millions of computers and you can't visit your next door neighbor without tripping over at least one or two.
 
  • #14


vanmaiden said:
That's certainly a good application of the process of elimination, but I have only one computer! Lol.

Did you try putting your computer in safe mode on startup to see if you get anything on the Dell display? It might rule out a monitor or cable problem.
 
  • #15


256bits said:
Did you try putting your computer in safe mode on startup to see if you get anything on the Dell display? It might rule out a monitor or cable problem.

Thank you! I have yet to try that.
 
  • #16


Bill Simpson said:
I do not know what country you live in, but all the rest of the countries in the world have thousands or hundreds of millions of computers and you can't visit your next door neighbor without tripping over at least one or two.

Yes, there are an exorbitant amount of computers in the world.
 

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