3 monitors?! Can't set up 2nd monitor correctly

[dhinged]

I plugged in the Lenovo ThinkVision L1711p monitor and went to Desktop > right-click > Properties (Windows XP), then Settings, and there are three monitors showing there. I clicked Identify and it showed 1 as the laptop's monitor. After failing to configure it properly on several attempts, the only thing I could do to get it to work was to assign the 2nd monitor to monitor 3 (which showed as widescreen until after I applied settings). What is the 2nd monitor? Why does it show 2 monitors when there's no 2nd monitor plugged in and 3 when there is?

[RealBlackStuff]

The GPU has two outputs, one digital for the internal LCD, and one analog for an external monitor.
That's why you see 2 monitors in Device Manager (and other places) when no external is connected.

[basketb]

I plugged in the Lenovo ThinkVision L1711p monitor and went to Desktop > right-click > Properties (Windows XP), then Settings, and there are three monitors showing there. I clicked Identify and it showed 1 as the laptop's monitor. After failing to configure it properly on several attempts, the only thing I could do to get it to work was to assign the 2nd monitor to monitor 3 (which showed as widescreen until after I applied settings). What is the 2nd monitor? Why does it show 2 monitors when there's no 2nd monitor plugged in and 3 when there is?

What's your Thinkpad model? I've used a T60p and a T61p and never seen three monitors in the control panel unless I used the Advanced Dock with an extra graphics card.

[dhinged]

I'm using the T60p ThinkPad. Before I hooked up the 2nd monitor, there were 2 monitors in Settings. When I connected the 2nd monitor, there were 3. Why? How do I get it to understand there's only one monitor (the laptop's) when the 2nd monitor is disconnected and only 2 when the 2nd monitor is connected?

[RealBlackStuff]

Did you actually READ my above post?

[dhinged]

Did you actually READ my above post?

Yes, and you didn't read my original post well enough.

WITHOUT the 2nd monitor (analog VGA port) plugged in, with NOTHING ELSE plugged in, it shows two monitors. Nothing I do allows me to do anything with the 2nd monitor in Settings. When I plug in an actual monitor into the analog (VGA) port, it shows 3 monitors, and that monitor becomes the 3rd monitor and the 2nd monitor is still unsettable for anything. When I click Identify, it shows "1" as the LCD monitor and "3" as the analog VGA monitor. Nothing I do allows me to do anything with the monitor "2".

RealBlackStuff, please don't respond to this post anymore because you have nothing to offer or you would have already.

Anyone else, please offer any indication as to why this is happening (if you know) and how to fix it (if you know). Otherwise, please don't reply.

[basketb]

...

Yes, and you didn't read my original post well enough.

WITHOUT the 2nd monitor (analog VGA port) plugged in, with NOTHING ELSE plugged in, it shows two monitors. Nothing I do allows me to do anything with the 2nd monitor in Settings. When I plug in an actual monitor into the analog (VGA) port, it shows 3 monitors, and that monitor becomes the 3rd monitor and the 2nd monitor is still unsettable for anything. When I click Identify, it shows "1" as the LCD monitor and "3" as the analog VGA monitor. Nothing I do allows me to do anything with the monitor "2".

RealBlackStuff, please don't respond to this post anymore because you have nothing to offer or you would have already.

Anyone else, please offer any indication as to why this is happening (if you know) and how to fix it (if you know). Otherwise, please don't reply.

I can understand the frustration you are experiencing with your "problem". However, your post is way out of line here.

[dhinged]

I can understand the frustration you are experiencing with your "problem". However, your post is way out of line here.

No it's not, it's exactly in line with his comment. I don't appreciate rude comments from people who accuse me of not reading their post when they didn't fully read mine.

Anyways, apparently nobody else has run into this, but I did discover it probably has something to do with ATI's Catalyst panel, which is probably conflicting with Windows XP or Lenovo's version of it, which has it's own modified software installed with it that can't be avoided on initial install, so I blame Lenovo for this.

For anyone who runs into this problem, I will post what I do to fix it if I can, and for everyone else who's offended by what I've said which is not in the slightest bit offensive, feel free to move along to something relevant to what you're searching for.

[RealBlackStuff]

I suggest YOU move on to other venues, rather than claim to be the all-knowing oh-so-right...