Inside: SereneScreen Fan Forum - View Single Post - Driver Issue ATI graphics and dual monitors

pvernam · 10-15-2008, 07:22 AM

This is a (much edited) re-post of what I had originally posted to the "apparent conflict with Display Fusion" thread. Since I believe that I have exonerated that program (by reproducing the problem on a machine on which it has never been installed), I am now starting this (more appropriately named) thread. feldon32 has said that he would lock that other thread (which had gotten way off track anyway).

I had said that Marine Aquarium 3beta1 works fine on this configuration:

OS: Windows XP MCE 2005 SP3
Hardware: E6600, 2GB RAM, ASUS P5B-E
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD3450 512MB PCIe, Catalyst 8.9
Monitor: ASUS MW221U 22" LCD at 1680x1050x32

and that MA3b1 also works on this configuration, except that problems occur when it stops:

OS: Windows XP MCE 2005 SP3
Hardware: E6700, 2GB RAM, ASUS P5K-E
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD2600XT 256MB PCIe, Catalyst 8.9
Monitor 1: Mitsubishi LT52144 52" LCD HDTV at 1920x1080x32
Monitor 2: Digitech 7" LCD at 848x480x32 (built-in to front of Zalman HTPC case)

MA3b1 will start up and run fine for hours but, when I stop it, Windows Explorer dies ("Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close.") and the system becomes completely locked up (the Start menu doesn't work and clicking on desktop icons does nothing). About the only thing I can do is Ctrl-Alt-Delete to Restart Windows.

I began to suspect the dual-monitor setup as the source of the problem, so I connected a second monitor to the first machine listed above (the E6600/HD3450 one), which had never had a problem after stopping MA3b1 at least two dozen times. This second monitor is a Hanns-G JW-199DPB 19" LCD (native 1440x900), which had worked fine with MA3b1 when attached to yet another machine (an older one with a P4EE and ATI AIW 9600XT). I immediately had the same problem (Windows lock-up after stopping MA3b1). I tried many different display settings (in both Windows and in MA3b1) with no change in the behavior:
- different resolution for each monitor (1680x1050x32 and 1440x900x32, their native resolutions)
- the same resolution for both monitors (1440x900x32)
- "Display screen saver on this monitor" set for both monitors
- "Display nothing on this monitor" set for the secondary monitor
- "Render same image on all monitors" checked and unchecked

Actually, very rarely (less than 5% of the time) MA3b1 would stop with no error at all, and once I got a "MarineAquarium3 has encountered a problem and needs to close." error dialog (with no Windows lock-up). But every other time I stop MA3b1 I get the "Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close." dialog and have to reboot. When I disconnect the second monitor (and reboot), MA3b1 behaves normally again (stops with no problems).

I suppose my problem could be caused by an ATI driver issue (I'm using the latest available: Catalyst 8.9), which I imagine would make it a lot tougher (impossible?) for Jim to resolve. I've only seen one post in this forum regarding success with dual monitors (cjmaddy's "Drop in FPS with dual monitors..."), and I'm guessing he's using an nVidia card and driver. (My FPS dropped as well (from ~111 to ~85) when both monitors were not set at the same resolution.) Is anyone having success with dual monitors attached to an ATI card?

10-15-2008, 07:22 AM	#1
pvernam wobbegong Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Nahant, MA Posts: 37	ATI graphics and dual monitors This is a (much edited) re-post of what I had originally posted to the "apparent conflict with Display Fusion" thread. Since I believe that I have exonerated that program (by reproducing the problem on a machine on which it has never been installed), I am now starting this (more appropriately named) thread. feldon32 has said that he would lock that other thread (which had gotten way off track anyway). I had said that Marine Aquarium 3beta1 works fine on this configuration: OS: Windows XP MCE 2005 SP3 Hardware: E6600, 2GB RAM, ASUS P5B-E Graphics: ATI Radeon HD3450 512MB PCIe, Catalyst 8.9 Monitor: ASUS MW221U 22" LCD at 1680x1050x32 and that MA3b1 also works on this configuration, except that problems occur when it stops: OS: Windows XP MCE 2005 SP3 Hardware: E6700, 2GB RAM, ASUS P5K-E Graphics: ATI Radeon HD2600XT 256MB PCIe, Catalyst 8.9 Monitor 1: Mitsubishi LT52144 52" LCD HDTV at 1920x1080x32 Monitor 2: Digitech 7" LCD at 848x480x32 (built-in to front of Zalman HTPC case) MA3b1 will start up and run fine for hours but, when I stop it, Windows Explorer dies ("Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close.") and the system becomes completely locked up (the Start menu doesn't work and clicking on desktop icons does nothing). About the only thing I can do is Ctrl-Alt-Delete to Restart Windows. I began to suspect the dual-monitor setup as the source of the problem, so I connected a second monitor to the first machine listed above (the E6600/HD3450 one), which had never had a problem after stopping MA3b1 at least two dozen times. This second monitor is a Hanns-G JW-199DPB 19" LCD (native 1440x900), which had worked fine with MA3b1 when attached to yet another machine (an older one with a P4EE and ATI AIW 9600XT). I immediately had the same problem (Windows lock-up after stopping MA3b1). I tried many different display settings (in both Windows and in MA3b1) with no change in the behavior: - different resolution for each monitor (1680x1050x32 and 1440x900x32, their native resolutions) - the same resolution for both monitors (1440x900x32) - "Display screen saver on this monitor" set for both monitors - "Display nothing on this monitor" set for the secondary monitor - "Render same image on all monitors" checked and unchecked Actually, very rarely (less than 5% of the time) MA3b1 would stop with no error at all, and once I got a "MarineAquarium3 has encountered a problem and needs to close." error dialog (with no Windows lock-up). But every other time I stop MA3b1 I get the "Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close." dialog and have to reboot. When I disconnect the second monitor (and reboot), MA3b1 behaves normally again (stops with no problems). I suppose my problem could be caused by an ATI driver issue (I'm using the latest available: Catalyst 8.9), which I imagine would make it a lot tougher (impossible?) for Jim to resolve. I've only seen one post in this forum regarding success with dual monitors (cjmaddy's "Drop in FPS with dual monitors..."), and I'm guessing he's using an nVidia card and driver. (My FPS dropped as well (from ~111 to ~85) when both monitors were not set at the same resolution.) Is anyone having success with dual monitors attached to an ATI card?