Windows XP loses dual monitor settings upon logout / locking of the computer...

what video card does this system use ? We have some intel desktops that we use for plasma displays and had a simliiar issue where by we would set it in display properties to use a certain resolution and refresh rate and it turned out that the intel utility would over ride it with its own settings, so maybe there is a utility that it uses that is over riding the settings and when the utility closes ( ie when you log off or the machine gets locked ) it stops the dual monitor configuration ( a long shot in the dark ) but just a thought none the less.

try the newest available driver from the vendor. Meaning use an  updated one vs reinstalling the problematic one.

That should not be happeing?
In the display settings where you have "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor"
is this on the default monitor or the secondary display?
If you have it only for the secondary display coudl be the problem. As its back to front.
In the display settings you see monitor1 and  monitor 2, under monitor 1 Use this device as teh primary monitor,
click on monitor 2 under this both settings should be unticked.
There is also clone mode .
Yes what video card do you have.
Is the video card on this computer or is it the actual secondary monitor?

Thanks all for your replies thus far!  A couple of items...

  • This is a Dell Dimension 8200 with a 128MB AGP Diamond Stealth Radeon 9250 graphics card.
  • The monitor that is failing is the secondary monitor.  Both monitors work perfectly until the user logs off.
  • The setting to "Extend my Windows Desktop onto this display" IS checked (for the second display), again until the user logs off.  It then seems to revert to a single monitor setup, using only the primary monitor.

To the others who have asked questions...  I will have answers for you ASAP.

THANKS AGAIN!

~jh
 

its puzzelling, this DEL has the video card with dual monitors enabled, trying to picture this in my head, so it has a second monitor sitting somewhere  on a table or desk that is connected to this DEL laptop?
This second monitor when  user logs off it loses the desktop display? or settings..
You have checked the display settings on the master laptop just as a reference point,
then the secondary monitor or this user account has the problem. May not be the display actually.
I am still learning servers and Domains  so please bare with me. :)
Is this user a roaming profile or Mandatory profile??
Some  profiles lose the setings maybe deleted when the user logs off.

User profiles can be stored on the local hard disk drive, or can be set so that the data roams with the user wherever he or she logs on. The following types of user profiles are available in Windows XP:

Local user profile. Created the first time that a user logs on to a computer, the local user profile is stored on a computer's local hard disk. Any changes made to the local user profile are specific to the computer on which the changes are made.
 
 Roaming user profile. The local profile is copied to (and stored in) a network-accessible location. This profile is downloaded every time that a user logs on to any computer on the network, and any changes made to a roaming user profile are synchronized with the server copy upon logoff.
 
Mandatory user profile. A type of profile that administrators can use to specify particular settings for users, a mandatory profile is essentially a roaming user profile to which a user cannot make permanent changes. Only system administrators can make changes to mandatory user profiles. Changes made by the user to desktop settings are lost when the user logs off. A mandatory user profile is often referred to as stateless, which just means that changes made in the session are not saved in the profile. This is useful on shared user accounts where one user should not be able to change the experience of other users. The Lock this profile option in the User Restrictions tool works by turning the user profile into a mandatory user profile (and thus, a roaming profile).

Temporary user profile. A temporary profile is issued any time that an error prevents the user's default profile from being loaded. Temporary profiles are deleted at the end of each session— changes made by the user to desktop settings and files are lost when the user logs off.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sct/scthch0a.mspx

Actually, it is not a laptop at all...  rather it is a desktop.  You'll also note that the graphics card is not "factory installed" by Dell.

Also, I can't find any monitor-specific errors in the event logs...  The worst that I have IS, however related to logon and is as follows:

The Security System could not establish a secured connection with the server ldap/SERVER.mydomain.com/mydomain.com@mydomain.com.  No authentication protocol was available.  For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Could this be related?

Oh, and also there is no mandatory or roaming profiles set for this user, but that was certainly a great thought... something that I hadn't thought of!  ;o)

THANKS!

hmm bit hard trying to put words to my imagination "lol"
But yes that is heading in the direction of my line of thought.

I have never heard of this problem before its a first.
okay here goes:
this client is logging onto a secondary monitor, logging on is a bit odd if that be the case, the 2ndary display should just be on all the time if this computer is connected to the master DEL dual monitors.
 this secondary display ( desktop)  is by deafult not on their computer but is an extended desktop off another pc.
Yes/ no close?
based on that anyway, the master computer DEL with the video card and dual monitors is not actually losing the 2nd display?
Only on the computer that has the secondary display desktop?? And is logging on?
How are they connected?
If you understand how dual monitors work, or clone mode 2 computers should be connected or 2 monitors so that 2ndary screen is display via a s-video cable or a cable that hooks the 2 monitors together. Even one computer 2 monitors.
Now there is remote desktop which is a whole other ball park.

I'll wait :)

What is the event number with that error?

From Events errors
This event only occurred when a specific user logged in on a specific XP SP2 machine, together with EventID 1030 from source Userenv. The User configuration policy was unable to be applied. If another user logged in on that same machine, no errors appeared and all policies were applied.
It turned out that there was a stored password on the machine when this specific user was logged in. When that was deleted from User accounts Password Management, the errors disappeared and Folder Redirection finally happened for this user.

Merete:

My config is only ONE workstation computer (Dimension 8200) that outputs via the Radeon 9250 graphics card (a dual monitor card) to the TWO monitors.  These two monitors are *Not* cloned, rather the second is literally an extension of the first monitor image.  The Radeon came packaged with a DVI 'splitter' which enabled the dual monitor capability of the graphics card.  Everything works beautifully until the user logs off.

Thanks for your help!

~jh

It then seems to revert to a single monitor setup, using only the primary monitor.<< this problem laptop as a reference point, understand it does not have a video card with the dual modes but rather is only accessing the 2ndary display from a  DVI 'splitter' then it would seem to me it will lose the secondary dispplay at log off by default,.

Thank you all.  This issue has been resolved temporarily by setting Monitor number two as the primary monitor.  This certainly does not explain why the issue has been occuring, however it did seem to solve the immediate issue at hand.

Thanks to those who were dedicated to helping me solve this issue!

~jh