Computer guys!!! I need your help, please!!!!!

[gregintenn]

My wife just brought home a new work laptop with docking station and two monitors. I hooked it all up, but the auxiliary monitors weren't working.

I right clicked on the home screen and went into the display icon. Somehow I turned off the laptop's monitor. Now I can't see what I'm doing. How do I turn it back on?

She's having a fit.

[Erik88]

[RED333]

There should be a "Function"  key" that will swap between displays. Mine is "F5" and the "FN" key

[gregintenn]

9 minutes ago, RED333 said:

There should be a "Function"  key" that will swap between displays. Mine is "F5" and the "FN" key

Didn't work. Neither monitor nor the laptop monitor works right now. I can't see what I'm doing.

[Erik88]

Are you sure something didn't accidentally come unplugged? That happened to me before. 

[gregintenn]

1 minute ago, Erik88 said:

Are you sure something didn't accidentally come unplugged? That happened to me before. 

No. I clicked on the wrong damned thing. Now I can't see what I'm doing to try and undo it.

[RED333]

Is there a screen brightness function?

[gregintenn]

8 minutes ago, RED333 said:

Is there a screen brightness function?

It isn't that. If you have a computer handy, right click on your desktop background. It'll bring up a little box. One of the selections is display. I clicked on it. There are some options regarding multiple monitors. I forgot what I clicked on, but it shut the laptop screen off. If I could only see, I could probably turn it back on.

[Jeb48]

Standard IT Q/A: Is it plugged in? Turn it off and back on.

[Hozzie]

Worst case, hold the power button down until the machine turns off.  Then turn it back on, the screen(s) should come back up and you can try again.  If needed, unplug the external monitors (dock) from the laptop when starting it back up.

Edited September 23, 2021 by Hozzie

[gregintenn]

1 minute ago, Hozzie said:

Worst case, hold the power button down until the machine turns off.  Then turn it back on, the screen(s) should come back up and you can try again.  If needed, unplug the external monitors (dock) from the laptop when starting it back up.

No joy.

[gregintenn]

Anybody got a spare couch?

[Hozzie]

Completely remove it from the dock and do that.  Have nothing connected to the laptop at all.  If the laptop screen doesn't come on after you hold down the power until it shuts off and then back on, something is wrong with the laptop.  It should always revert back to the laptop screen if it is connected to nothing else.

 

You should absolutely see it loading the bios/splash screen as a minimum when it starts.

Edited September 23, 2021 by Hozzie

[gregintenn]

19 minutes ago, Hozzie said:

Completely remove it from the dock and do that.  Have nothing connected to the laptop at all.  If the laptop screen doesn't come on after you hold down the power until it shuts off and then back on, something is wrong with the laptop.  It should always revert back to the laptop screen if it is connected to nothing else.

 

You should absolutely see it loading the bios/splash screen as a minimum when it starts.

Nothing wrong with the laptop. I turned something off. I can boot it while holding "D" and all the colors show on the screen.

I plugged a monitor directly into the laptop, and now I can see what I'm doing.

She can work it out with IT tomorrow.

Thanks for the help guys!

[Ronald_55]

I am with @Hozzie. Unhook from everything ekse, the laptop screen shoumd come on. Only extra suggedtion is when it is off, remove the battety if possible. Give it a couple minutes unpluged and with no battery.

 

What brand and model is it?

[gregintenn]

Just now, Ronald_55 said:

I am with @Hozzie. Unhook from everything ekse, the laptop screen shoumd come on. Only extra suggedtion is when it is off, remove the battety if possible. Give it a couple minutes unpluged and with no battery.

 

What brand and model is it?

Dell 7420 I think.

[Ronald_55]

6 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

Dell 7420 I think.

Not a Dell site, but this could be how you did it. You coukd havr turned off tge laptop display. 

 

https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht504128-how-to-auto-turn-off-laptop-screen-while-using-external-monitor-ideapad-windows

 

[RED333]

8 hours ago, gregintenn said:

Nothing wrong with the laptop. I turned something off. I can boot it while holding "D" and all the colors show on the screen.

I plugged a monitor directly into the laptop, and now I can see what I'm doing.

She can work it out with IT tomorrow.

Thanks for the help guys!

Glad you still have your hide.

[gregintenn]

9 hours ago, Ronald_55 said:

Not a Dell site, but this could be how you did it. You coukd havr turned off tge laptop display. 

 

https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht504128-how-to-auto-turn-off-laptop-screen-while-using-external-monitor-ideapad-windows

 

Yep. This is what happened. How do I undo it?

[Ronald_55]

If you got it back to where you can see the external screen, you should be able to go back to that (Right-click the Windows desktop and select Display Settings), select the laptop display on that settings screen and choose the duplicate or extend options. 

You can hit identify here is you do not know which is which

 

[Dirtshooter]

Hey Greg, always keep a hammer near any computer, it scares the crap out of them. You know where I live although a fair distance couch not occupied, at least for the moment!!

[gregintenn]

3 minutes ago, Dirtshooter said:

Hey Greg, always keep a hammer near any computer, it scares the crap out of them. You know where I live although a fair distance couch not occupied, at least for the moment!!

Now here’s a guy who knows what I’m up against! LOL!

[Dirtshooter]

Computers and all the new gadgets are really great, when they work as they are supposed to. Which is sometimes seldom!!