Monitor Panning Issue

[Mark]

Disclaimer: If you're a regular here on AU, you are probably sick of me complaining about my new monitors by now.  This post will not contain complaints!

Recently, after replacing my monitors, I have started to experience a random panning issue with one or the other monitors.  Out of nowhere, one monitor will blink and the resolution will be extremely huge, causing me to have to pan around.  I will take a photo the next time it happens to offer a visual.  It started with my primary monitor, but today it happened to both -- though not at the same time.  One monitor always maintains the set resolution.  Also, the resolution is correct in the display settings -- that does not change.  Windows display settings and the ATI driver app (CCC) when installed.

The only thing that will correct it is a reboot.

The hardware:

Dell Optiplex 760
ATI Radeon HD 3470
Startech DP2VGA (not sure if it's DP2VGA or DP2VGA2) adapters (because Dell screwed up when we ordered these)
2 Identical 19" wide-screen Acer monitors, V193w

I have tried updating the drivers and downgrading the drivers. I have even uninstalled the ATI drivers all together.  I have tried unplugging the power from the monitors with no luck.  Today when it happened I was opening a powerpoint on my primary monitor.  The primary monitor then turned off, the other was blinking furiously and I could see my PowerPoint had moved to that screen.  I then tried unplugging the displayport adapters (DP2VGA) and that seemed to work, but only for a second or two.  So I had to reboot.  In additon, when this happens, it takes FOREVER "loading personal settings".  It does NOT take this long if I were to reboot, say, right now when the issue is not present.  Not sure if that's related, but I'm tossing it in there.  To reboot today, I used the 2x app on my phone to connect to RDP in and reboot.  Oddly enough, once I was logged into the RDP session, both monitors appeared 100% normal.  disconnecting from the RDP session caused the problem to reappear.

All this leads me to suspect a driver.  Anyone agree or disagree with that assessment?

This only began after changing the monitors.  I previously had non-identical monitors and ran different resolutions on each (one was 19" one was 17").  The serial numbers on my Acer's are identical except for the last digit.  I recall this closeness in serial numbers being an issue for something when dual-monitors were a newer concept (8-10 years ago??) but haven't heard of this being an issue in recent years.

This is extremely frustrating.  I am considering swapping my graphics card with another workstation as 23 of the 25 Optiplex 760's have the HD 3450 and they do not experience this problem.  the other machine with the 3470 would have a similar problem as me, but not as bad and would happen only at logon and would be fixed with a reboot every time.  The problem has only occurred on that station a couple times a year over the last 3 years.  I never had the problem until replacing the monitors -- which tells me the issue is related to having identical monitors.  I know, I now have 2 suspicions on what is causing the issue, but am hoping there is something that can be done.

any ideas?  Similar experiences?

[Billy Welsh]

Unless I am missing it I don't see what flavor of Windows you have.

I an running WIN7/64, and all I can say (which does not help you much) is that if I accidentally hit a power button on one of my 3 Dell displays, WIN67 does not like it and automatically repositions every open window from that monitor.  XP would leave all alone unless you actually went in settings and clicked the "extend" box off.  WIN7 apparently assumes w/o asking that the monitor is GONE once powered off even if the cable remains plugged in to the video card port.

[Mark]

HAH! XP.  Sorry.  after I upgrade TAM this weekend, I'm going to switch to Win7-64.  I should have just got monitors with displayport connections, but heck, I had completely forgotten about those adapters.