Member Avatar for animusart

Hello,

I'm running dual monitors (have been for probably close to seven years now) and I recently got a new video card. My old card had dual DVI ports, but this new one has one DVI and one VGA. That alone, kind of caught me off guard, but I figured I'd just buy an adapter and call it a day.

Turns out though, the monitor plugged into the DVI port works fine. The other one flashes as if it's in sleep mode. However, when I unplug the cable (with the adapter in use) it presents the "no signal" error.

Am I correct in assuming the monitor is getting a signal and it's only a matter of some configuration? Or is it something else? What should I do?

Thanks in advance,
Chris

Edit: I have used the control panel > display properties to enable and expand the desktop to the other monitor to no avail.

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Dani AI

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For problems involving a DVI↔VGA adapter and one blank display, the most important fact is whether the DVI socket actually carries an analog signal. Passive DVI-to-VGA adapters only work if the DVI port is DVI‑I (or DVI‑A). A digital‑only DVI‑D output cannot feed a VGA monitor without an active converter. See DVI on Wikipedia for connector diagrams and which pins carry analog.

Practical diagnostic flow:

  • Visually check the DVI socket type on the card (DVI‑I has the four extra analog pins around the flat blade).
  • Swap cables/monitors between ports to isolate whether the monitor, cable, adapter, or graphics port is at fault.
  • Look in the GPU vendor control panel and in Device Manager to see if the second display is detected or listed. If it never appears, the port may not be supplying the expected signal.
  • Inspect connectors for damage and make sure the adapter is fully seated.

If the port is DVI‑D (digital only), the fix is an active converter that does digital→analog conversion (these often require power). Alternately, use a cable/adapter that matches a digital output the card actually provides (for example an active DisplayPort/HDMI→VGA converter if the card has those). Active converters cost more but are the correct solution when analog is absent.

Tying this back to earlier replies: configuration and driver checks matter, but start with the physical signal/adapter compatibility first (what and were pointing toward). If the card truly lacks an analog output, a passive adapter will never produce an image; an active converter or a matching digital cable is required.

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Member Avatar for Suspishio

have you set the adapter to a resolution supported by the monitor at a supported frequency? Like 1280 x 1024 @ 60Hz?

My first instinct would be configuration or bent VGA cable pins.

Member Avatar for comp-noob

Also check if your new will support the dual screen setup

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