[Solved] getting Laptop to drive an External MONITOR screen via a cable

[vinceASPECT]

HEllo fORUm,

Please ( if after reading this below you know any answers) can you inform me.

There is a Laptop here with broken screen.  It's running win64 fine by using it's socket on the rear  VGA OUT .....into a spare 17 inch TFT PANEL SCREEN....

However , as a precaution i  also require that this Laptop will boot to TINYCORE 64. (or 32)

Upon starting the Laptop....... there isn't any SCREEN to observe.....
It's a simple twist of Fait that i am aware WHAT THE SCREEN WOULD LOOK LIKE from past........ so i know which key to press so that win64 boots up.....
......Finally the win64 (win 10) Desktop  screen appears for LOGIN..... & the computer works right........

If i reboot the Laptop again it will begin boot WITHOUT ANY SCREEN TO OBSERVE again.....(broken screen)

When , from my memory , i tell Laptop to boot from Tinycore 64 CD disc
 bios screen option ......it certainly boots right up into Tinycore.....
( but it does NOT actually drive any external VGA (flat panel screen) WHY?
and how do i make tinycore 64 do so?   

.....i believe the first screen TINYCORE 64 would present is the BLUE BOOT UP options menu screen right ?........where you just press enter to boot?





Forum, could this be that Tinycore 64 does NOT find a VGA driver to feed an external FLAT PANEL screen because TCL is coded for Framebuffer graphics boot?

......i actually tried to imagine the BLUE TINYCORE BOOT OPTIONS screen appearing at boot.......i pressed TAB to try to edit the boot parameters
so i pressed

1) TAB
2) SPACE
3) vga=788
4) enter......( to try it's boot)

but while i know TCL is certainly booting to it's desktop........it's still not driving an EXTERNALLY connected VGA FLAT PANEL moniter......

ARE THOSE THE EXACT CORRECT key entries and the correct sequence to make a boot edit?........?

Also forum, do you happen to know any of the following? 
( please answer if you do)

----------------------------------------------------------------------
....... if a LAPTOP is entered into it's BIOS settings....

and then (while in bios)  you simply Press and hold down the power button until it powers off the Laptop...

When you next power up the Laptop, it won't be locked into it's.... "bios
editing state" will it.........?

.....it will just do a regular attempt to boot the Laptop again..... right?

Also, do you know if Laptops are still using a bios battery anymore?.....if so....is it true that the battery simply supplies the CLOCK power and without the battery the Laptop would still attempt all regular boots but would STOP at some point telling you the TIME is incorrect and please do something
about it......right?   (usually mentions that Upon an OS being booted)

many thanks for any help you offer

V

[gadget42]

what is the make/model/version of the broken-screen laptop?
have-you/are-you-able to try any other *nix-live-distros?

we got rid of dozens of old laptops including some with broken and/or missing screens but *most* desktops/laptops/tablets/smartphones that have external screen capabilities will activate them automatically as a backstop against primary screen difficulties/failures.

[vinceASPECT]

Sir,

it's a HP Laptop   11 years old


Elitebook 8470p

it is a nice machine

[core-user]

Most laptops will have a key combination to set an external monitor to work, these are usually found above the function keys.

[vinceASPECT]

you press it at boot?

hmm......

thx

[gadget42]

for reference...

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c03374369

looks like it might have "switchable" graphics

[aus9]

+1 gadget42

hold down Function key FN and press F4
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03483121.pdf
this is the English manual page 26

Hot key combination Description
fn+f4 Switches the screen image among display devices connected to the system. For example, if a
monitor is connected to the computer, fn+f4 alternates the screen image from computer display to
monitor display to simultaneous display on both the computer and the monitor.
Most external monitors receive video information from the computer using the external VGA video
standard. The fn+f4 hot key can also alternate images among other devices that are receiving video
information from the computer.

[vinceASPECT]

Hello  JR  +  gdget etc  & forum,

Right, 

.........you know that phrase "if it ain't broke don't fix it" has started in my attitude

You see, the machine hasn't got the greatest basic keyboard features
 (just what you need) 

Of course, it's NOT possible to see BIOS settings and so if it Locked ......
......there could be real problems........

After doing web citation searches,  this thread topic is mentioned as regards Laptops  (international machines)  .......people have not got the best conclusions

It's difficult since it's not  clear whether or not Tcl even supports extra video out's or multi screens.

i'd assumed any computer OS will drive all peripheral connections......as default standard.  (common sense ........but it doesn't seem the case)

Perhaps the Laptops of web citations like me........they are also really stuck without display.....so they can't Load in particular OS's to SET stuff about multiple screens

there are not any other Linux's here .....for experiment....

The function key doesn't work right on this Laptop................
and there are other issues too, such as  fingerprint scan doesn't work....etc et c etc
(hardware related issues again.......with the bios)  issues.......

....it's perhaps a pretty poor idea trying anything related to Bios (and key
presses) when there isn't anyway to Actually SEE BIOS screens

Summary  the Laptop is pretty important indeed here......
.......so it's actually  worth keeping what's working....... working........

......it was pretty Lucky to even rescue the Laptop AT ALL......& it's now at full working order with win64 .........(win 10)

many thx
C

[gadget42]

one or more of these might help:

https://www.howtogeek.com/856514/how-to-disable-fast-startup-on-windows-10/

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Boot-and-Lockup/Laptop-has-fast-boot-enabled-There-is-no-way-to-disable-it/td-p/7621851

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Boot-and-Lockup/EliteBook-stuck-on-HP-logo/td-p/7956584

sharing is caring

[Juanito]

It's difficult since it's not  clear whether or not Tcl even supports extra video out's or multi screens.

TinyCorePure64 uses Xfbdev by default - I don't know about video out, but it doesn't support multiple screens.

[vinceASPECT]

hELLO again Forum members,  (Juanto + others)


May i offer my sincere thanks for all concerned and the
pointers and views regarding multi screens and this thread about
"VGA connected external monitors".......

Being honest, there is another desktop winXP pc here   (forum).......
.............a PC for when this Laptop impending hardware failures happen..
.............gosh, that would be a Dinosaur move.... but the desktop PC machine will supply a "World Wide web" service here.

many thanks
C

[vinceASPECT]

Forum hello,

You were all very helpful and i was (am) able to conclude

Yes, most machines *would* automatically offer the VGA out
as always available in ALL SCENARIOS.....so you can use VGA whether or NOT the primary--Laptop screen is OK or busted or OFF

but not this Laptop here.........as many kind forum members have pointed out, this Laptop here (brand) requires that you press the FN + f4 key at boot to switch into  AUXILLARY connected external VGA Flat panel screen...

the FN key is BROKEN here..... and has not functioned in  a long while...

....That's in addition to various other bios related issues like broken fingerprint scanner etc.etc...

...i believe the ONLY way to actually  get the Tinycore system to fire up this Laptop into externally connected FLAT panel screen on the VGA socket of this LAptop.........is to....... actually electronically disconnect the primary LAPTOP SCREEN .....thus forcing the system to electronically choose the VGA out 17 inch flat panel screen.
 

many thanks
C

[NewUser]

Attach an external keyboard/mouse, connect the monitor then powerup the laptop - if possible with display closed. That should send display to external monitor.

Esc or F10 after power on should get you into Setup.

[vinceASPECT]

Hello Forum members,

This last post on the thread has Solved the problem for me. (SO  THANKS)

it never occurred to me to "Close the Laptop Lid" because it's
keyboard was needed......

It's a great help now that Tinycore Runs because , in essence , the machine is a nice machine for running Tinycore 64  (& TCL does not require the SSD)
since the  SSD  is always warning of impending failure.....(win 10 SSD)

quite honestly , i would likely have taken me AGES  to figure
out about "closing the lid" and having an external keyboard  so as to drive an external monitor.......(IF EVER figured out )

many thanks......it's always a great shame to waste a fully functional computer  (minus it's primary screen)

C

pls mark as "solved" thread  (thanks)

[Leee]

Well I'm feeling kind of silly now... I have an old laptop with a bad screen on which I -did- physically disconnect the built-in screen to get it to default to an external monitor.  I've since  attached an external wireless keyboard and mouse just so I could close the lid for the sake of convenience (so I could pile stuff on top of it, of course).  Now I wonder if it would have worked this way without disconnecting the built-in screen.
But I'm not going to fool with it to find out... "If it aint broke, don't fix it"... even it that saying doesn't exactly apply here!