Thinkpads Forum

I thought I would just see if anyone had a solution to a problem that has been driving me mad for 3 years!
My ThinkPad 600X with the NeoMagic MagicMedia 256ZX display adapter is not allowing Dual Display under Windows 2000 or XP. I know this is possible under Windows 98 so my question is: has anyone found a driver (non-IBM) that will allow this feature under Windows 2000 or XP?
I read someone here that someone found a solution, but they didn't provide any details...

When I upgraded to XP I had that problem too. I couldn't switch to dual display with the Fn+F7 keys. It would only do external monitor only or lcd only, not both. So the way I got around it was using the Thinkpad Configuration Utility that I got from IBM's website. It had a button at the top for dual display on it. (I had version 1.35 and I don't know if the new 1.40b (came out this month) does the same thing or not). Using 1.35 always worked for me. Now for some reason I don't even have to do that anymore. Over time (maybe SP2 fixed it??) the Fn+F7 keys will now switch my display to dual mode again like it did in Windows 98. Don't know if that helps you or not, but at least you're not the only one that has had that problem.

By the way, do your Fn+F3 keys still turn off the screen in Windows XP? When I upgraded from 98 to XP that function quit working. I used to use that a lot when I had 98 on my Thinkpad.

I can get an image to display on both the thinkpad screen and external monitor by using FN+F7, however it is just cloning ie: what you see on the thinkpad screen is the same as on the monitor.
I am talking about dual display where your desktop is actually stretched across the two screens so you can drag windows from one screen to another.
This is really handy for example to have internet explorer open on one monitor and have Word on the other.

PS: I also found that the F2, F3, F11 and F12 keys do not function under Windows XP too, but from what I have read there is nothing you can do about that unfortunately.

Its strange how the laptop actually downgrades in features when you upgrade to a newer operating system!

No, you can't have two different displays on a 600x. The video card does not support this. You can only have clones. The NeoMagic card is not a dual head card so it can't operate like two different display cards (like you see in the new laptops). One thing you can do is buy a pcmcia video card. The best one you can get is a VTBook made by Village Tronic (www.vtbook.com). It is absolutely the best one out there. This is what I use on my 600x to get two different displays. I don't know how bad you are wanting two displays. This card is kind of expensive, but it's worth it if you really need to be able to have two different outputs. I think I paid over $250 for mine.

In the BIOS on the 600X you can select one or two displays.

The Win98 driver does allow for an extended desktop on an external monitor. The hardware most certainly does allow it.

Oh, I remember seeing that in the bios. I didn't realize that option was for two different displays. I'll try that out some time.