Trying to get 90s CRT monitor working on modern laptop

[captainblack]

Hey guys, bought a 90s CRT monitor which I was able to confirm as working, but my laptop doesnt detect it. Is there a way to fix this, and if not how can I build a computer that will work with the monitor? Or is there some other solution? Any ideas will be appreciated, my Atari bros.

[+Stephen Moss]

I would think that being 90's it only has a VGA input, most new PC's have HDMI and/or DVI so you would need an adaptor of some kind.

However, as you say your laptop does not detect it I presume you already have one or that your laptop has a VGA output, if an adaptor maybe it is not a very good one. If it has a VGA port and you have been using another video port previously then you may need to either install the drivers for that specific monitor or change settings in your video driver/laptop configuration (press F2 at bootup) to direct the video output to the VGA port.   

   

[youxia]

Possibly the laptop's resolution is too high for the monitor. Compare the video specs for both (what's the top range of the monitor). Or just try choosing lower resolution on your laptop (eg 800x600) and see if it works.

[marauder666]

Maybe its a VGA monitor and not SVGA, and doesnt have pins 9 and 15 connected, which the computer expects to "ask" the monitor what resolutions it supports.

[+H454]

Make sure the vga port is enabled.

Try the windows key + p.

That key combo will bring up external monitor options.

[captainblack]

So the thing is, yes I am using a VGA to HDMI adapter, and with the exact same adapter I have no issues using a 2007 LCD monitor I own. Also I tried every single resolution available and none worked. So we can rule out a few problems.

18 hours ago, Stephen Moss said:

...if an adaptor maybe it is not a very good one...

   

Im hoping its just this. Apparently CRT monitors require a bit more voltage for a steady signal and most adapters are made cheap and will not work. So I ordered a $45 expensive one on Amazon to test this theory, it comes in the mail tomorrow. If that doesnt work I will get my slow as molasses 2011 laptop from my moms garage, which may or may not have been the furniture of racoons and squirrels for the past 6 years. 

[mr_me]

What's the lowest resolution refresh rate you tried.  Some vga monitors in the early 90s were fixed scan and couldn't do better than 640x480 at 60 hz.

 

If your laptop doesn't detect it than you have to manually enable the external video port on.  Then you have to set the output resolution and refresh to one that's compatible with the monitor.

[captainblack]

4 hours ago, mr_me said:

What's the lowest resolution refresh rate you tried.  Some vga monitors in the early 90s were fixed scan and couldn't do better than 640x480 at 60 hz.

 

If your laptop doesn't detect it than you have to manually enable the external video port on.  Then you have to set the output resolution and refresh to one that's compatible with the monitor.

Finally got it to work, before I got a black screen from enabling the video port but this time instead of duplicating the monitor and changing resolutions I tried telling it to only use the external monitor, which did the trick. Thanks for the help my bros.

[youxia]

6 minutes ago, captainblack said:

I tried telling it to only use the external monitor, which did the trick.

Ahh, elementary, my dear youxia! Should've remembered it from my recent crtemudriver adventures. Glad you got it sorted.

[UnderTheRain]

Some laptops will only detect old external monitors if they are connected and turned on before the laptop is turned on