HDMI: Picture with BIOS/load screen, but not when Windows 7 starts

[kevinmd88]

I just bought a mobo for my HTPC with onboard HDMI. It was working fine until some unidentified point during installing the drivers for the motherboard (ZOTAC G43-ITX) and Windows 7 updates... now, when using HDMI I get a picture from POST all the way up to when the Windows 7 "welcome" screen would normally appear, then it goes blank and my HDTV says it doesn't have a signal.

Instead the DVI connector seems to be used instead... after the HDMI picture goes away, if I plug in a VGA cable and switch to the PC source on my display, the picture is back. So it seems like Windows is preferring the DVI connection and is ignoring HDMI?

I looked through the graphics control panel properties... it doesn't seem to recognize multiple displays (despite the fact that both connections are hooked up - but of course only DVI is active on the actual display), and I can't figure out how to tell Windows to use HDMI instead.

Does anyone know how to fix this?

Here are my specs:

Zotac G43-ITX Mini-ITX Motherboard w/ latest BIOS

Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit with latest Mobo drivers from zotacusa.com installed, as well as all updates through WU

Vizio E420VL 42" LCD HDTV

[Klownicle]

Possible Solutions;

1. Your HDMI is considered another monitor on your source graphics, therefor, your vga is only working. So you need to have both the VGA and HDMI hooked up. And turn on the HDMI as a secondary monitor. Then set it as your primary, that is why you loose it once windows is started.

2. Your HDMI isn't outputting the correct resolution supported in that input. However, I lean more towards answer 1.

Are you using the latest ION (I assume its ION with the Zotec) drivers from nvidia.com? Or did you just use the auto installed video drivers from windows 7? If you using the nvidia drivers you need to go into the nvidia control panel to turn on the HDMI as a ouput.

If you continue to have a pain with this, and you know your DVI works, use a DVI to HDMI adapter to get HDMI output, my video card doesn't have any HDMI out. So I use one of those to get HDMI output.

[treemonster]

Possible Solutions;

1. Your HDMI is considered another monitor on your source graphics, therefor, your vga is only working. So you need to have both the VGA and HDMI hooked up. And turn on the HDMI as a secondary monitor.

2. Your HDMI isn't outputting the correct resolution supported in that input. However, I lean more towards answer 1.

Are you using the latest ION drivers from nvidia.com? Or did you just use the auto installed video drivers from windows 7? If you using the nvidia drivers you need to go into the nvidia control panel to turn on the HDMI as a ouput.

i agree with #1.

try a different hdmi cord perhaps.

also check your display options for windows to make sure it's not going to multiple monitors.

also to shoot down som ambiguity in the OP, try starting with only the hdmi cord plugged in. if this was tried already i apologize in advance.

[Klownicle]

Also, further all else fails, uninstall the video driver while in windows when using vga. Turn off the PC (do not restart). Plug in HDMI, boot the PC, and start it. You may not have a display. But windows should detect and use HDMI as your primary monitor on new driver install. There may be a delay while you don't see a picture untill the drive is fully installed.

Again also... if your using a tv, when switching source inputs that will sometime cause the input on the computer to not show up as active. So it makes it a little hard somtimes. IE; you have VGA and HDMI hooked up, whilst you only see VGA on your computer, its becuase HDMI isn't being used, you can try switching to HDMI while using VGA and waiting to hear your PC detect the display (beeps etc).

I run a 47in tv as my display, its always a pain when the HDMI decides to stop working lol. I usually have to switch to another HDMI port. I find moving the mouse around reactivate(s) the screen.