Laptop with Mobile Intel 945 Express Chipset boots to blank/black screen

[JHupp]

I have a Lenovo 3000 C200 laptop with Intel T2080 CPU, 1 GB RAM, running Vista Business 32-bit. The OEM 1024x768 screen was broken, and I took the opportunity to upgrade to a 1400x1050 panel, which the Mobile Intel 945 Express Chipset specs say should be supported. But after displaying the Lenovo BIOS splash and the Windows pre-login progress bar, the screen blanks and does nothing further. But I hear the login prompt chime, and I can log in (blindly) and then hear the Windows startup chime. If I boot with or hot-plug an external LCD monitor, that too has a blank screen. I also tried a remote control session into the machine via Google Chrome Remote Desktop, and that also showed the blank screen.

I can boot into Safe Mode OK. And if I disable the Intel 945 device driver, then I can also boot into Normal Mode with a low-res default display driver.

The replacement panel is an AU Optronics B150PG01.

I tried several drivers for the Intel 945: Mobile Intel 945 Express Chipset Family provided by Intel Corp, 10/22/2008, ver 7.15.10.1587 (this was the Lenovo download). I have also tried the slightly older version that is the latest one available directly from Intel. I have also tried the one available from Windows Updates. All fail the same way.

This laptop is dual-booting with Lubuntu 14.04, and that display driver works fine, which confirms that the Intel 945 hardware supports 1400x1050, and also confirms that the BIOS is not restricting the supported display modes.

I have another Lenovo 3000 C200 here configured much the same way, but it does not have the blank screen problem. Its configuration differs slightly in that it has 2GB RAM instead of the 1GB on the problem machine (though I have now also tested it with 2GB, which made no difference), and it has the original 1024x768 display instead of 1400x1050 as on the problem machine.

Also worth noting: The machine that works OK only has one Intel 945 display adapter device. The problem machine has two, though I understand that this is actually the expected behavior (see http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/intel945gm/sb/CS-022194.htm http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/intel945gm/sb/CS-022194.htm). If on the problem machine I disable the display device for PCI bus 0, device 2, function 0, then the other device disappears, there are effectively 0 display adapters installed, Windows uses a default display device, and I can boot into normal mode and set the resolution to a max of 1280x1024. It's a bit fuzzy at this non-native res, but at least it's in the ballpark of expected behavior.

And yes, I did flash to the latest BIOS and update everything.

Is there a way to get this running properly under Vista?

[Allan_J_Intel1]

I understand original LCD screen supported 1024*768 and you have replaced it for new screen capable of 1400*1050.

Please bear in mind, supported resolutions will depend on the actual graphics chipset and the graphics VBIOS (video BIOS). If you are not able to obtain 1400*1050 is because the Vbios on your computer has been locked and will not display higher than 1024*768.

In this case, Intel recommends updating to the latest generic video drivers:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/SearchResult.aspx?lang=eng&ProdId=2301 https://downloadcenter.intel.com/SearchResult.aspx?lang=eng&ProdId=2301

For any other type of graphics configuration at BIOS level or video BIOS you need to contact your computer manufacturer.

Allan.

[JHupp]

But I reported "This laptop is dual-booting with Lubuntu 14.04, and that display driver works fine, which confirms that the Intel 945 hardware supports 1400x1050, and also confirms that the BIOS is not restricting the supported display modes."

Since Lubuntu will give me 1400x1050 with the same graphics chipset and VBIOS, doesn't that indicate clearly that those are not where the problem lies?

[Allan_J_Intel1]

Thanks for the information. If you already tried generic Intel video drivers and still have same issue, you may need to test customized drivers from your computer manufacturer.

Please bear in mind you have a mature product and Intel does not provide newer drivers for your graphics controller.

Allan.

[JHupp]

Since I have already tested the Lenovo-supplied drivers, it seems then that this is a bug that was not documented when the drivers were still actively supported with updates.

From the start, however, I have been wondering about a workaround. If the problem is not that the signal is being sent to the wrong display port (as in some number of cases in the Official Black-Screen Thread at /message/243262 https://communities.intel.com/message/243262), then perhaps there is a fumble with the handling of the screen's EDID info.

Could I work around the problem by installing a suitable INF file?

[Allan_J_Intel1]

Perhaps, you can get INF from the screen manufacturer that can interact with monitor EDID and graphics video BIOS.

Allan.