Member Avatar for mahela007

I have an acer X233H monitor which I can connect via HDMI or VGA.
When I connect it with HDMI I don't see the windows XP loading screen or the BIOS screen.. But with VGA I do.
There's absolutely no difference between the two cables when running the operating system. What could cause this discrepancy?

Furthermore, I also notice that the monitor takes a little longer to start displaying images (that is identify a signal) when it is connected to the HDMI cable.

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Dani AI

Generated

As observed by and confirmed by ’s test, it’s common for a system to show text-mode/BIOS boot screens on one connector (often analog/VGA or a primary DVI) while the HDMI input only becomes active once the OS driver initializes the card. The technical reason is that early boot uses the GPU’s built‑in firmware (VBIOS) and a minimal set of outputs, and digital HDMI needs a DDC/EDID handshake and a powered digital link — which can add delay or be skipped until the full driver takes over.

Practical checks and fixes:

  • Test HDMI alone: disconnect VGA and cold‑boot with the HDMI cable already connected and the monitor powered on so the monitor presents EDID immediately.
  • Force the monitor’s input: disable “auto‑select” in the Acer X233H OSD and set the input manually to HDMI so the display won’t stick to VGA.
  • Use the primary GPU port: if a discrete card is installed, plug the HDMI into the card (not the motherboard) and set BIOS “Primary Display/Init Display First” to PEG/PCI‑E so the card’s VBIOS is used at boot.
  • Try a DVI→HDMI connection from the GPU (if available): many cards initialize DVI outputs early and a passive DVI→HDMI lead can make the monitor receive a digital signal during boot.
  • Last resort: an EDID/DDC emulator (monitor emulator) keeps the digital handshake alive during boot — useful for headless or picky set‑ups.
  • Note: device drivers update only affect post‑boot behavior; pre‑OS visibility depends on VBIOS/motherboard settings or adapters.

Summary: the behavior seen in this thread is normal on many older systems and is usually cosmetic — Windows will drive HDMI fine once drivers load. If seeing BIOS/boot messages on HDMI is required, the steps above (input selection, connecting to the primary GPU, or using a DVI→HDMI lead/EDID emulator) are the most effective approaches.

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Member Avatar for Suspishio

There is a straightforward reason. When you boot, default VGA video drivers based on the BIOS of your graphics card are used. That is because there is nothing else from Windows loaded at boot up.

When Windows comes in, the real drivers take over and your HDMI display lights up.

Simples (if you know).

Member Avatar for mahela007

thanks for the reply. This is the first time I've come across an HDMI monitor so I have another similar question (Which may seem stupid). Do I have to connect more than just the single HDMI cable? Should I also connect the VGA cable as well as the HDMI cable?

Member Avatar for Suspishio

Try it. I can see what you want to achieve.

I could try it but (sorry) can't be bothered. No harm will result. My guess is that the VGA port will be acquired first and will be retained.

Let us know.

Member Avatar for mahela007

well.. I just bought this 23 inch monitor and at the moment I'm not very comfortable with playing around with it... Is there anything else I can do?

Edited by mahela007 because: n/a
Member Avatar for Suspishio

well.. I just bought this 23 inch monitor and at the moment I'm not very comfortable with playing around with it... Is there anything else I can do?

You can either wait for me to try it some time this week (when I eventually re-boot)- no harm will result but I can report behaviour and which cable becomes the active one after booting.

Or you can do it yourself. There is nothing else you can do other than to ignore the condition which is harmeless.

Member Avatar for mahela007

thanks for your help.

Member Avatar for Suspishio

Well, I tried it this morning.

I put both cables into a Viewsonic 2265 - that's VGA & HDMI. This is what happened:

1/
On boot, the signal definitely came through VGA because I could see the boot process up to and including the Windows logon screen.

2/
After logon, the screen stayed black.

3/
Immediately on removing the VGA cable, the screen came to life on HDMI.

So there's your final answer, I rather think.

Member Avatar for mahela007

thanks for going through the trouble to do it your self... That solves my question.

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