Problem with Catalyst-Driver on T40

[dridde]

Hi,

I just got a T40 with a crack in the Display (the owner closed it while earphones where lying inside, the display broke horizontal in the middle :( ) and i wanted to use it via dockingstation as a Desktop replacement with an external monitor attached to the DVI port. So I set it to use DVI as first display and put a Windows XP SP2 on it. During the installation everything was ok, the external monitor worked well. But after finishing the install and setting up the graphic card drivers the external display had no signal and the internal only showed black (the upper 2/3 of the display are still functional and show everything alright). After booting with the lid closed the external showed only a blank screen as well (but at least getting a signal). So I thought the broken display may prevent the correct function of the card and i disconnected the whole LCD assembly and tried again... with the same result.
If I press F8 during boot and start winxp in vga-mode, I at least get 640x480 with 8bit on the external screen and after deinstallin the catalyst driver and forcing windows to use its build in vga-driver (i guess it's a vesa driver?) I can switch to 1280x1024 with 32bit depth... the resolution of the external LCD... it works but only with vga out and it's horribly slow :/ As soon as i try with the catalyst again nothing works... I've also tried a SuSE 10.1, a (K)ubuntu and a gentoo Linux to test... there everything works fine, but I only used the open source ati-driver, not the fglrx. So i guess there is a problem with catalyst... or not only the display is broken and the graphic card has a malfunction as well... :(

I wonder if there is anything I can do to find out... at least I tinker with the idea to replace the broken display... but if the graphics card is broken as well it would be too bad about the T40.

Ah... i just booted Barts Windows PE ... which seems to use the Omega 2.5.90 drivers - modified catalyst drivers.... and somehow it works... unless I do not play around with the Display settings :/
Somehow this whole situation is strage....

Btw, is there any way to force the thinkpad NOT trying to use it's internal display?

The Thinkpad is a T40 Type 2373-92G if you need more info about the Thinkpad itself

Thx in advance, dridde