Question

[ Dell Inspiron 7500 ] Switch external CRT on/off programmatically?

Asked by: farsight

[ Dell Inspiron 7500 ] Switch external CRT on/off programmatically?

Situation:
(1) Internal laptop keyboard connector failed.
   OK, I broke it, when it worked loose, and I was trying to reconnect.
   New keyboard won't help.  It's the ZIP connector on the motherboard that's broken.
   The connector will no longer hold the cable firmly in place.
   [ Anybody know how to fix this -- please answer, too! ]
   
(2) So, I'm using an external keyboard.
(3) Laptop display is inconvenient and too far away when using external keyboard.
(4) I'd like to use an external monitor.
(5) On the laptop keyboard, the "blue" key sequence: Fn-F8 toggles between video modes: internal display only, external display only, internal plus external displays. (The Fn key is a "function" key used like a shift key, that allows other keys to perform certain machine actions.)
(6) The laptop keyboard doesn't work, so I can't use the Fn-sequence.

Does anyone know how I can either:
(a) Simulate the Fn-F8 on my regular external keyboard?
(b) Via software, execute some code that will toggle the external display on/off?
  Provide an executable, code, or even instructions on how I could control the
   [ I'm a programmer, so code is OK.  Visual Studio 2003 (.NET 1.1) is installed on this machine. ]

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Asked On
2005-10-06 at 10:23:15ID21586239
Tags

dell

,

inspiron

,

7500

,

switch

Topic

General Laptop

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
7

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Answers

 

by: farsightPosted on 2005-10-06 at 10:34:39ID: 15032561

By the way, here's the docs for the Inpiron 7500, in case that helps anyone lead me to an answer.
http://support.ap.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/psyd/docs.htm

The keyboard hardware info is on pages 21-23 of this doc (pages 29-31 of the pdf):
http://support.ap.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/psyd/679DCbk0.pdf
The ZIF connector diagram is on the middle page.

 

by: garycasePosted on 2005-10-06 at 10:55:33ID: 15032716

Three things to check:

(1)  Go to Display Settings (right-click on the desktop, choose Properties, and look at the settings tab).   There may be a monitor setting there that will let you select the display.

(2)  Did you check the BIOS settings?  Some laptops allow you to set the primary display in the BIOS.

(3)  Another possibility -- the laptop may "remember" the last setting.  If so, you could temporarily (and CAREFULLY) "hold" the keyboard connector in place, boot the laptop, switch to the external display, and shut down.

 

by: farsightPosted on 2005-10-06 at 12:53:29ID: 15033802

garycase:
 #1: Nope
 #2: Yep. It's supposed to be there.  The Troubleshooting doc at the first link I provided describes how to do it.  I hit F2 like a madman, but it goes unrecognized.    I think the machine isn't recognizing my external USB keyboard until Windows comes up.  (The docs say this system doesn't support USB keyboards.)  I'll have to try a PS/2 keyboard (and therefore switch to a USB mouse).  I don't have that stuff here, so I'll try it overnight at home.
  #3: "temporarily hold ... in place":  Perhaps not impossible, but I tried a little, and it's definately very, very challenging.  It's difficult to even line it up to plug it in normally.  No success yet.  I'd like to jury-rig something that would permanently hold it in place, but I have no ideas.   See the ZIF connector diagram I mentioned above, and let me know it you've got any idea.

I'll let you know how my experiments this evening go.

 

by: rindiPosted on 2005-10-07 at 08:11:52ID: 15039324

There is usually a bracket the holds the cable in place, and I guess that is what is broken. Normally if the bracket is still there you should be able to fix it in place to hold down the cable. maybe some electrical tape might help.

 

by: garycasePosted on 2005-10-07 at 08:16:04ID: 15039371

It's a zero-insertion-force socket that he broke.  I would assume, as rindi noted, that the contacts themselves are still okay, and it's just the arm/bracket that is broken.   If this is the case, you may be able to "jury-rig" some method of holding the cable in place -- although this probably wouldn't sustain the "torture" of movement, it might at least work for getting the laptop set to use its external display.   Hopefully it will "remember" those settings.

 

by: farsightPosted on 2006-03-10 at 22:12:04ID: 16161675

I never did get this fully resolved.  garycase's comment: 'the laptop may "remember" the last setting' is what helped me to get it limping along.  In the right mode, if an external monitor is plugged in when the system is booted, signal will be sent to the external monitor.  

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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