Thinkpads Forum

Today I rigged up my A31 to an external monitor, and although the appearence of Windows XP is - "odd" (:D) - I think it is actually really not bad at all...

Looks very nice!

I also like your mouse, looks like a futuristic Audi model...

Tasurinchi wrote:Looks very nice!

I also like your mouse, looks like a futuristic Audi model...

Cheers!!
The mouse is a StreetMouse if you want one...mine cost £5.00 off Amazon UK.

It was interesting just seeing what an external monitor is like... And actually suprisingly easy to do.

Set it up with dualview - each screen shows something diffrent. It's amazing.

you have a high-res screen in the A31? It seems to be dissapearing off the external monitor.

craigmountHunter wrote:you have a high-res screen in the A31? It seems to be dissapearing off the external monitor.

thats why Windows XP looks odd, I don't the screen res is very high

craigmontHunter wrote:you have a high-res screen in the A31? It seems to be dissapearing off the external monitor.

Judging from the number of icons and the thickness of the taskbar, this A31 has 1400x1050. The 17" external should be 1280x1024, just like all other 5:4 17" LCDs.

A31, go to "Display Properties" and activate the option "extend desktop" onto the external monitor. Right now you are simply mirroring the A31 screen.

pianowizard wrote:A31, go to "Display Properties" and activate the option "extend desktop" onto the external monitor. Right now you are simply mirroring the A31 screen.

Will do when or if I connect my desktop monitor to the A31 again... thanks pianowizard for the advice!

Is that a Lady Gaga birthday card ?

paul*robertson wrote:Is that a Lady Gaga birthday card ?

Yes... I'm a big fan of her!!!

Note that soon the A31 may be connected to this monitor again via a Docking Station and a KVM Switch which will allow me to operate my A31 from my desk using my mouse and keyboard that are on my desk!! I'll post pictures if it happens! It will be a little while yet though as for the first time ever I am away from home with the A31 over the weekend and next week so won't probably be until February 20th that I will get to do this. I previously used my PS/2 KVM switch with my ThinkCentre A50, but I think it is dead now (I killed it ) and I have parted it out for spares, which is how my KVM is free again.

Love the setup! Seems like you love tinkering with things almost as much as I do!

Sorry about the Thinkcentre- I remember seeing a thread about it. You're lucky you have several backup units!

emeraldgirl08 wrote:You're lucky you have several backup units!

Yes, very lucky! It wasn't a huge loss - only lost Win XP, Office XP and some other programs, I had no files or anything on there. I have learnt a lot however taking it all to pieces

A31 wrote: I have learnt a lot however taking it all to pieces

That's the way I learn too!

Well, I tried again today, this time, I think it is permanent!

The A31 is sitting on the port replicator that I bought with a KVm switch plugged into it. If you don't know what that is, it is a switch that allows you to have control over two computers at once, but using the same monitor, mouse and keyboard. Sadly, the KVM switch that I have is a PS/2 one, so I needed to get a PS/2 mouse and keyboard and the A31 has to sit on the port replicator for it to work. There are some issues, I have to switch display resolutions a lot and auto-adjust the BenQ screen, reason being is the A31 has a higher screen res than the BenQ has, and the mouse freezes after use, I have to unplug it and then plug it back in again to get it to work. The TrackPoint on the A31 also freezes, so I just reboot the machine and it works fine!!!

The pictures!

I put a VLC media player window over the number plate on the Mini, so I don't have to waste time editing it on photobucket!

Office 2007 Pro Plus running, on TWO screens, but on ONE computer (the A31)!

Like I said, the A31 needs to be docked for this to work.

The PS/2, AC adapter and monitor wires plugged into the A31's dock.

This is the actual KVM switch itself. It has two wires, one going to the back of my HP and one going to the dock of the A31. Each wire then splits into three seperate strands - a Mouse PS/2, a Keyboard PS/2 and a Monitor. Plug them into the correct ports on both computers and away you go. To get both screens working, you press the Scroll Lock key twice, very quickly and then press the 'up' arrow key.

So, what do you think? Better than before? And oh, I've had a new shelf put in, which isw why it looks much tidier!!
A31

Right now, you are just mirroring the screens. "extend" the desktop, and both screens can run at native resolution, and you get more dekstop area, since both screens are displaying diffrent data.

craigmontHunter wrote:Right now, you are just mirroring the screens. "extend" the desktop, and both screens can run at native resolution, and you get more dekstop area, since both screens are displaying diffrent data.

The option to "extend the desktop onto the screen" is all ready activated and I cannot un-check it. The problem is, like I said earlier, is that my A31 has a higher screen resolution than my BenQ monitor does, there isn't anything I can do about it other than mess about with resolutions and see which comes out best.

This is what I see at the moment, as you can see - the "extend" desktop option is all ready activated for me by default.

Also, when I unplugged the KVM cables from the A31 and rebooted, it still thought that I was displaying the screen on two different monitors, so I cannot set it back to the 1400x1050 resolution which it should be at, but I am stuck with 1280x1050 which seems a little fuzzy. Is there anything I can do? Thanks!

That is extending the display to the laptop LCD. what you need to do is click the little screen labeled "2", and then choose the option to extend you desktop onto that.

craigmountHunter wrote:what you need to do is click the little screen labeled "2", and then choose the option to extend you desktop onto that.

I will try this! Thank you!

Well, I just tried it and it really didn't work!! I also messed around with resolutions and it still doesn't show the taskbar or even on the mouse on the BenQ monitor. I will have another look later though.

A31 wrote: . . . and the mouse freezes after use, I have to unplug it and then plug it back in again to get it to work.
<snip>
This is the actual KVM switch itself. It has two wires, one going to the back of my HP and one going to the dock of the A31. Each wire then splits into three seperate strands - a Mouse PS/2, a Keyboard PS/2 and a Monitor. Plug them into the correct ports on both computers and away you go. To get both screens working, you press the Scroll Lock key twice, very quickly and then press the 'up' arrow key.
A31

I have that KVM and hated it. Incredibly unreliable with a Model M13 keyboard... half the time the mouse/keyboard would freeze up and I would have to go through the process of unplugging it and plugging it back in. My father in law had the same one.. seemed to work fine for him.

From my experiences with KVM switches, unless they are powered from and external source, they are totally unreliable and a real pain in the neck. If one computer or monitor is in 'sleep' it can't wake it up and the whole thing becomes unresponsive. The stuff sold for real data centers never have that problem. Here again, you get what you pay for.

Not saying that's the problem here, but I can extend my desktop from any of my A31p's to my home TV or any other monitor I have with no problem using a powered KVM device or direct input.

Just my .02 worth.

A31 wrote: This is what I see at the moment, as you can see - the "extend" desktop option is all ready activated for me by default.

Also, when I unplugged the KVM cables from the A31 and rebooted, it still thought that I was displaying the screen on two different monitors, so I cannot set it back to the 1400x1050 resolution which it should be at, but I am stuck with 1280x1050 which seems a little fuzzy. Is there anything I can do? Thanks!

Click on the second monitor icon in that window, then make sure the "extend" box is checked. you should then be able to independently adjust resolutions on each.

gb_ibmguy wrote:From my experiences with KVM switches, unless they are powered from and external source, they are totally unreliable and a real pain in the neck. If one computer or monitor is in 'sleep' it can't wake it up and the whole thing becomes unresponsive. The stuff sold for real data centers never have that problem. Here again, you get what you pay for.

I think part of my problem was that the old mechanical keyboards used a little more than the KVM was expecting so that threw it off... what brand/model of KVM do you recommend?

virge wrote:Click on the second monitor icon in that window, then make sure the "extend" box is checked. you should then be able to independently adjust resolutions on each.

I can only change it on the A31 by using the TrackPoint, there isn't a mouse displaying on the BenQ. The problem is is that my A31 screen has a higher resolution than the BenQ does, so of course it won't work perfectly.

gb_ibmguy wrote:From my experiences with KVM switches, unless they are powered from and external source, they are totally unreliable and a real pain in the neck

The A31 isn't connected to my mouse, monitor & keyboard with a KVM anymore - I'm not using it anymore, it is currently sitting rolled up on top of the new carry case for my A31, but yes - they are a pain. Remember what I said about the mouse freezing and having to unplug it and plug it back in again to get it to work? Well, the same thing happens on the TrackPoint, it freezes - have to press the power on button to restart the machine, incredibly annoying. I remember I used to operate the ThinkCentre, when I still had it, from this KVM and I thought it was pretty good, but the mouse just freezing is so annoying. I use a SWEEX PS/2 mouse for this KVM (and always anyway) and when it kept on freezing, I was tempted to try and get another PS/2 mouse, but clearly I didn't need to as other people have had the same problems as well.

virge wrote: what brand/model of KVM do you recommend?

I cannot recommend any particular brand or model, as I have only ever used this PS/2 Belkin one, but I'd say don't go for a PS/2 KVM, try to get a USB - I think it would work better and be more reliable. PS/2's are always a bit unreliable at times - if you plug a PS/2 mouse into your computer whilist it is still running, you have to reboot your machine for it to work, whereas if you plug a USB mouse into your computer whilist it is still running, you shouldn't have to reboot.

PS/2 devices are not hot-pluggable. You can damage the machine by doing this.