Q: im using svideo and i had the tv hook up and i had a picture of my background on my computer on tv. but i did somthing and now i try to click on extend desktop on the graphics settings it doesnt let me check it (i click the check box then i click apply but i look at the check box and its unchecked!!) all i simply want to do is see whatever i see on my computer monitor to show up on the tv screen. please help thanks!
A: Yay graphics cards and their various options! What it sounds like is that the system isn't recognizing the s-video connection properly. The first thing I would do is to unplug the s-video cable from your computer, then right-click on the My Computer icon and select Manage. From the computer management screen, select System Tools -> Device Manager. Right-click on the very top most option and select Scan for hardware changes. This should reload the devices on your PC, taking the s-video connection out completely. Now, restart the machine, and when Windows loads connect the s-video cable to the PC again. Follow the same steps as before (right-click My Computer -> Manage -> Device Manager -> Scan for hardware changes). This time the TV should be reloaded, which you'll be able to see in your display control panel. Now, in order to change the TV to show whatever your PC monitor shows, you need to select "Clone" mode. This will show the same desktop on both outputs. Selecting Extend Desktop makes your desktop longer so that you can fit more windows open at once. IT DOES NOT show the same thing on both monitors. The last thing, which probably should have been the first, is to cycle through the input selections on your TV. Most TV's have several inputs you can choose from including cable, air/antenna, S-Video, d-sub, DVI, and HDMI. You need to be on the right input to have your desktop display on the TV.