Black screen when laptop connected to TV via HDMI

Hi all,
Toshiba Satellite U400-157
Windows Vista Home Premium Intel Core(TM)Duo CPU [email protected]; RAM 4.00GB
Display Adapter: Mobile Intel(R) 4 series Express Chipset Family
Stage 1
Laptop connected to Panasonic LCD 42" with HDMI cable
Both LCD screen and laptop monitor diplay correctly
Able to change display settings and control cursor at laptop
Everything is working fine

Stage 2 two weeks later
When HDMI cable is connected, Laptop screen goes black, but the LCD screen works fine and the cursor appears on the LCD and can be controlled by the laptop

Stage 3 two (more) weeks later
When HDMI cable is connected, Laptop screen goes black, LCD screen is blank, no cursor visible
I right click laptop screen, go to Graphic Properties>Display settings and try and change the Operating Mode: from Single display to Two
Primary Device: LCD
But these choices are not available.
I go to Control Panel> Personalization> Display Settings
Drop-down menu shows
1. Generic PnPMonitor on Mobile Intel(R) 4 series Express Chipset Family
Select down arrow
2. (Default Monitor) on Mobile Intel(R) 4 series Express Chipset Family appears

Connected HDMI cable and try again
I have two Black Screens ...!
Have tried restarting comp then TV, and vice versa, before and after connecting HDMI cable, but nothing works.
(all other independent operations on the laptop and the TV work perfectly well)

Yelp, help, please ...
TIA
Mukund
PS I did not post correctly, so I am doing it again lest I get no responses. Sorry about that

Hello, Do you have another HDMI cable to try , if not, do you have a VGA cable to use ?

Yes, I do have another HDMI cable and thinking that it could be the cable I tried it too.
No luck, exactly same situation

I take it that Device Manager does not show any yellow icons or such ?

No yellow icons in Device Mgr.
Something in the laptop is getting 'upset' when I plug in the HDMI cable, coz the moment I do so, my HDD light begins to blink a lot, and the laptop screen goes blank/black.

I even tried starting my laptop with the HDMI cable already connected, and the (desktop) screen does not load and the HDD light is very busy.
If I disconnect the HDMI cable the comp take some time to recover.

The strange thng is that when I first began watching movies (from the laptop) on TV everything seemed fine. I was able to go to the Display properties and select the laptop monitor or the TV LCD monitor as the Master. Now there is no selection possible.

I even checked my Display adapter Driver to see if it is corrupt, or needs to be updated. I have Ver 7.15.10.1502 and if I try and update driver I get a msg telling me I have the latest ver.

Do you have a Restore Point to go to , before you had issues ?

Just this morning I updated my comp to SP3 thinking that it might help. So, unfortunately, there are no restore points earlier than today.

Hello mlele and welcome to the forums

In addition to Yard Dog's excellent advice, can you do the following for us please:

Go to Control Panel > Appearance and Personalisation > Display

On the side bar, you should see Adjust Resolution, click on it. Can you take a screenshot of what you see please? Upload it with your next post.

Tom

Hi Tom,

Here it is:

Hope this is what you wanted to see.
TIA

Sorry, I ought to have said this earlier- that I appreciate your welcome msg.
Mukund
Navy Veteran

mlele said:

Just this morning I updated my comp to SP3 thinking that it might help. So, unfortunately, there are no restore points earlier than today.

Click to expand...

Is this a computer with XP installed ?

mlele said:

Hi Tom,

Here it is:
View attachment 25206
Hope this is what you wanted to see.
TIA

Click to expand...

mlele said:

Sorry, I ought to have said this earlier- that I appreciate your welcome msg.
Mukund
Navy Veteran

Click to expand...

Hi Mukund,

No worries I saw the posts at the same time, so it's all the same to me. It's nice to be able to help someone as courteous as yourself.

That's great, exactly what I was after. Can you now do the same, but on that menu select the other monitor please?

Tom

Oops, just realised that I had failed to respond to an earlier question from Yard Dog:
"Is this a computer with XP installed ?"
No, it isn't, I have Windows Vista Home Premium installed.
I have SP2 installed, and I was under the impression that the Update I was doing to SP3 was for the OS, but I just noticed that it was for 2007 M$Office Suite. Sorry for the misleading remark.

What seems strange to me is the gradual escalation of my problem. To begin with all was working fine, with full control of the TV screen and the laptop monitor and the availability of choice to select whichever display I want. The next step some weeks later was that on connecting the HDMI cable the laptop screen went blank but the cursor and the desktop was properly visible on the TV LCD screen and could be controlled.
One week or so later, the moment I connect the HDMI cable and switch the TV to HDMI input, both screens go BLACK, (and no longer is there a choice available for selecting the monitor of the TV in Display Properties).

What is at stake is three Seasons of Prison Break that we have on the laptop. After getting hooked onto the serial it is now unbearable not to be able to watch it ...!!!

Hi there Tom and Yard Dog,
Have I said or done something wrong?
Suddenly there are no responses in my thread.
Hope all is well with both of you?
Cheers, Mukund

tom982 said:

mlele said:

Hi Tom,

Here it is:
View attachment 25206
Hope this is what you wanted to see.
TIA

Click to expand...

mlele said:

Sorry, I ought to have said this earlier- that I appreciate your welcome msg.
Mukund
Navy Veteran

Click to expand...

Hi Mukund,

No worries I saw the posts at the same time, so it's all the same to me. It's nice to be able to help someone as courteous as yourself.

Tom wants you to do a suggestion , I am sure he is waiting on you to respond .

That's great, exactly what I was after. Can you now do the same, but on that menu select the other monitor please?

Tom

Click to expand...

I believe Tom is waiting on your response to his suggestion .

Selected Monitor 2, screen resolution changed to LOW >OK
Go back to desktop
Again go to START>Control Panel>Personalization>Display settings
I find that the selection has reverted to 'Monitor 1' !!

After connecting HDMI cable I did it once again.

This time my comp screen remained ok (did not go black because of HDMI cable). I started the movie on my comp screen it was OK, but it was not appearing on my TV LCD which was black.

Whichever Monitor 1 or 2 that I select, the LCD of the TV is not showing any picture.

Earlier, I distinctly recall that there would be a choice available to select whether the TV v/s comp which will be Master and which Slave. That choice is no longer being presented.

Hi,
Somehow I feel that the problem lies not in the Control Panel settings by in the Graphics Properties settings.
I right click the screen and then select graphic proerties and I get the picture that I have attached a screen shot of.
When I connect the TV with the HDMI cable, earlier I would instantly be given a choice of selecting either the TV LCD monitor pr the LAptop screen, as Master & Slave.
But in the current situation I am given no choice and it just shows me ONE monitor.

Hi Mukund,

Sorry for the delay, I had to go to a university interview yesterday, then a university visit day today. I've finally got time to catch up here I wasn't aware that Intel had it's own control panel, I'll do some research and get back to you.

Tom

okey dokey

Hi Mukund,

Sorry it's taken me a while to get back to you, but I'm here now

Firstly, I think we should start by updating your display drivers:

Toshiba Laptop Support homepage - Toshiba

Tom