So I'm trying to help a co-worker out. Yes I actually know how to do dual monitor. But his system is the first I've seen without the usual ways to set video out.

I use a R51...in the display properties screen I have the standard monitor window and the option to choose displays, extend desktop, etc. He doesn't (Win 2K, SP4). He also doesn't have the right-click on desktop option to select graphics and display modes like all themother Thinkpads here do. When I go into advanced properties, the system hangs when I click on the monitor tab and ends up crashing.

So having said that, does anyone know a way to get this to work? If all else fails, does anyone know of a 3rd part app to manage this that would work with 2k SP4? I can always use a linux boot disk to bypass admin rights and install the program for him if we can't get it through the native system.

Thanks and flame on if you must.

10/6/2006 11:30:36 AM

People have t42's with Win 2k? Where did he buy it? If he bought it at the bookstore, they can use the t-42 recovery discs they have to reload it with XP pro SP2, update software and drivers. That's only if he bought it there though.

The first thing I'd try in any case, unless he wants to replace the OS and reformat, would be driver updates. Assuming the laptop shipped with Win 2k and not XP, then the IBM/Lenovo update program should be able to suck down all the latest drivers.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=TVSU-UPDATE

If that doesn't work, then try uninstalling the video device and running the program again (in case the driver is corrupted.)

10/6/2006 12:13:37 PM

I'm not very familiar with the T42's but I know my T43 has the function + f7 key combination that brings up the ibm display software. You might could try that, thats how I switch between monitors and all that.

10/6/2006 1:50:55 PM

yeah, thanks for the responses - I figured as much but wondered if there was a quick fix...Home Depot has Win 2k on all their machines...only started issuing XP enabled ones in the last few weeks. of course those guys are screwed as a lot of our internal apps don't work with XP yet

10/6/2006 3:05:18 PM

^^ That should hold for all the T4x's

10/7/2006 12:51:55 PM

^ The problem is, if home depot wiped the original images and software and loaded on their own software, it might not have any of the IBM thinkpad management stuff. Although MOST computers, including thinkpads, come with a lot of garbage you don't need, there IS some useful stuff on the thinkpads espescially for power users. These tools may or may not be installed, and I'm not even sure if the ones for the t42 work/exist for windows 2000. I'd supose they do, but I also wouldn't suppose home depot would care to load all them on. Afterall, work machines probably don't need to have nearly any of those utilities on them.

10/7/2006 5:45:58 PM