RC1 dual monitor - installs on wrong monitor
I originally posted this in the setup form, but was asked to post it here...I have a dual monitor system - the video card is an NVidia GEForce 8800 with two DVI outputs. I use the second monitor sparingly. My BIOS boots to the "primary" monitor, and during the install of RC1, most of the dialog occurred on this monitor. I have set up a dual boot system with Vista and W7 and Vista runs just fine on the primary, and I can turn on the secondary at will. So far so good.However, during the last phase of the install of RC1 (this also occured with the first beta), the final output and startup of RC1 occurred on the secondary (!) monitor. It first seemed as though the install hung - the primary simply showed a black screen even though it had been active thrtought the install.I turned on the secondary, and there was all the final install dialog display. I finished the setup there, and then set my main monitor to be primary and now all is well.The fact that some of the install output displays on the secondary monitor is a problem (especially if I don't happen to have that monitor turned on). The entire install should display on the BIOS boot monitor, I should think...
May 8th, 2009 7:37pm

This happend to me to, and it also happend when I di'd install the Beta so this time I was reddy to turn on my second monitor.
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May 8th, 2009 11:45pm

Drove me nuts the first time with the beta. It appeared like the install just failed. Black screen, no mouse, no response. I had all but given up on the beta when it happened that I had the second monitor powered up and running when I decided to boot up W7 for one more try. And there it was - all on the second screen.So, I was hoping that RC1 had fixed this, but, as you,I was prepared this time when I did the RC1 install and had the monitor powered up...It's still a bug, I think.
May 8th, 2009 11:50pm

Hi JeffI have seen this happen before with the Beta build. I have been advising everyone to simply disconnect the second monitor, during install, unless they are using both monitors full time. I do use dual monitors full time and didn't have any problems with this being automatically configured properly during all of the installs with W7. Hope this helps.Thank You for testing Windows 7 Ronnie Vernon MVP
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May 9th, 2009 12:49am

While I appreciate that there is a suitable workaround - either disconnect the second monitor or turn them both on, I still think this is a bug. The fact is that the setup proceeds mostly on the primary monitor, but towards the end mysteriously switches to the secondary, and this is disconcerting at best, and at worst may lead users to believe the setup has failed, when in fact it is just, sort of, invisible...I believe the entire setup process should proceed and display only on the monitor that is active when the system boots, i.e. the one the BIOS writes to when the system is booting or running system BIOS setup. Then I should enable and rearrange monitors via Display Settings after W7 is installed. I do not believe Vista had this problem...
May 9th, 2009 7:00pm

I agree! this is a bug or bad coding, should be fixed asap!
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June 13th, 2009 4:04pm

Yes I can say that this problem was the same in the Beta and it is still present in RC. I have been testing to see if my video editing software works, and part of it using Dual Monitor Setup full time with dual boot XP and W7. The XP boots with both monitors fine, then when I boot into W7, the primary and secondary are reversed. So the only work around at this time has been disconnecting the DVI cables from the video card and reversing them for W7 and then switching it back for when i boot into XP. Hence it is a real pain when trying to look at a timeline that is on the wrong side of the screen. A fix would be greatly appreciated.
June 18th, 2009 8:22am

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