X220 on windows 10 - no external monitor detected

[RC90]

Hi,

After updating my X220 to Windows 10, I can no longer duplicate my screen to show up on an external monitor. (I know Windows button+P--> duplicate, that's not the problem )
I have tried a couple of monitors and both the hdmi port of the laptop and the docking station; both do not work.
If I plug in the cable, my monitor shows the message 'no input detected' but if I want to set the screen to 'duplicate', the laptop just does not seem to be able to detect the monitor.

I suppose it has something to do with the fact that windows 10 may not be entirely compatible with the X220 and some drivers 'went wrong'? I am willing to downgrade to windows 8 (or 8.1) if necessary but am not sure how to do that either

[Puppy]

There is no Windows 10 Intel driver support for this CPU and GPU generation, X230 and later are supported only. The video driver is a Microsoft generic one without any advanced features. Solution - rollback to previous Windows version.

[pianowizard]

There is no Windows 10 Intel driver support for this CPU and GPU generation, X230 and later are supported only.

Someone I know is running Windows 10 on his X201 flawlessly. The built-in VGA port is driving an external monitor at its full 2560x1440 resolution.

[TPFanatic]

Try and find a Windows 8 driver, from Dell perhaps?

[RC90]

Hmm,

So there are mixed opinions... I seem to remember that, initally, the external monitor did work but then (maybe after some Win10 updates) it didn't work anymore...

How would I know which Dell driver to install?

[hhhd1]

I seem to remember that, initally, the external monitor did work but then (maybe after some Win10 updates) it didn't work anymore...

That is likely, windows 10 automatically update hardware drivers through windows update, there maybe ways to block some of those updates.

[RC90]

So what would be the best thing to do? Can anyone help me find a proper driver or is it probably easiest to go back to windows 8.1? Is it guaranteed that going back to 8.1 will also revert all drivers back to the proper ones?

[RC90]

I seemed to have solved it by reinstalling an older driver for Win7 from the Lenovo website
http://support.lenovo.com/be/nl/downloads/migr-77038

Any tips on how to prevent Windows 10 of upgrading this in the future?

[pianowizard]

Any tips on how to prevent Windows 10 of upgrading this in the future?

You can only "discourage" Windows 10 from updating your drivers, not completely preventing it; this is one of the things I hate most about Windows 10. Do the following:

1) Right-click on the Start menu and select "System".
2) Click "Advanced system settings".
3) Click the "Hardware" tab, then "Device Installation Settings".
4) Click "No" and "Save Changes".

Your graphics driver was most likely updated when you updated to Windows 10 version 1607. After the next major Windows 10 update, it will probably be messed up again. Next time, do the following:

1) Go to Device Manager.
2) Click "Display adapters", then the graphics card.
3) Click the "Driver" tab, then "Update Driver".
4) Click "Browse my computer for driver software".
5) Click "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer".
6) Multiple drivers are listed. Pick the one that works, which isn't necessarily the most recent one, and then "Next".

[RC90]

Awesome explanation, thanks a bunch!

[ansible212]

FYI, I've never had any problems running two monitors connected to my X220 via the Series 3 docking station (one via DisplayPort, the other via DVI) on Windows 10 (currently clean install, but previously updated over Win 7) using the Microsoft provided drivers (9.17.10.4229 installed).

[pianowizard]

using the Microsoft provided drivers (9.17.10.4229 installed).

On my primary computers (the HP 8300 Elite minitower and Dell OptiPlex 9010 SFF in my signature), 9.17.10.3517 and 9.17.10.4229 are both good drivers that enable the DisplayPort output to drive 3840x2160. But whenever there is a major Windows 10 update, it automatically updates the driver to version 10.*, which limits the max res to 2560x1440 or even 1920x1080.

Windows 10's automatically messing up video and touchpad drivers has been a major headache. This issue still hasn't been resolved, nearly 14 months after this OS came out. On my EliteBook 8740w, Windows 10 keeps giving me an incompatible touchpad driver that causes the mouse pointer to jump around. Thus, I have disabled the touchpad and use an external mouse instead. (Actually, I no longer use this laptop, because I've loaned it to a student.)

[ansible212]

Weird. Windows update hasn't updated the display driver on my X220.