Dual Monitors

Most on-board graphics cannot support dual monitors.  Get an inexpensive video card that will support dual monitors.

Get an HDMI to VGA cable.

I've seen monitors that required a video port selection switch in the monitors built in menu.  Double-check that menu.

Since the Dell computer has a VGA port, attach the one LCD to this port.
Verify that it works okay.

Then take the other LCD, and get a Display port to HDMI connector.
Googling adapters, looks like this adapter:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-displayport-to-hdmi-adapter-black/5812034.p?id=1219159700095&skuId=5812034

Need to attach to the LCD with the male end of that adapter, then you'll need an HDMI cable to go from the female adapter HDMI connection to the desktop's female HDMI port--this cable will need male/male HDMI connectors.

Try each LCD separately, then try the LCD's together.

If nothing shows on one, go into the desktop settings and see if both LCD's are seen by Windows.

Why did the USB to vga adapter not work?

I already tried the HDMI to Display Port cable as described and it does not see the second monitor.

What is the make/model of the USB adapter?  Have you loaded the drivers for it?

Did you change the input source on the LCD?

I tried changing the input source several times.

Kind of a weird bug, or more likely common with that particular desktop computer.

One possible work around: Since the computer already has a VGA port, the second USB to VGA adapter may not have wanted to work so...

1) Attach the one LCD to the VGA port on the computer and make sure it works by itself.
2) Try a USB to DVI adapter to attach the second LCD.

Googling this problem...seems like there are several other people who are all had a similar problem:
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3515/t/19535085

From that link, it looks like different people came up with different solutions:
( Quoting their responses here)

I had the exact same issue on 5 machines. All 3010s with the Intel 2500 graphic card. resolved the issue by going in to the BIOS and making a change. Maintenance > SERR Messaging(or something to that effect) disable. No cables were replaced. It worked for the 2/22/2013? And the 8/2015 versions of the driver.

Well I also have an update. I contacted Dell and they said that it sounded like a mother board problem. They sent a tech out and changed the motherboard. He tested it at our repair area in the IT department and it worked. I took the machine back down to the end user and the problem came back. It would display during boot/BIOS but after Windows booted the monitor was no longer visible. So i decided to try replacing this users monitors, power cables and video cables. The first thing i replaced was the DVI cable and on a wild hare I thought i would try it now. Whadda ya know it worked. So the problem was with the DVI cable for some reason. I dont know why that was the problem and why it worked pre windows load. I also dont know why this all of a sudden was a problem when it had been working for weeks before.


So there you go. Maybe this will help someone else.

Thanks nmccullough!  Just an update, i tried different monitors and it works on different setup.  It seem to be having a problem with this one monitor that is connected through a 25 foot VGA cable.  I purchased a USB powered VGA splitter and inserted that between the VGA output of the computer and the monitor and that solved my problem.  I am guessing that the long cable creates an imbalance between the two monitors that it causes the dual display to fail on the onboard graphics card.    Maybe the impedances don't match or that the long cable draws more power, i am not sure.

We have several of these at my company. Almost all of them are using the dual monitor setup. Just recently, i have one start to have an issue. We are using the exact same setup with one VGA and one DVI  using the DVI-HDMI adapter that was included with the optiplex system. This worked for some time and then suddenly the DVI monitor was not being recognized by windows. Upon a reboot., i noticed that the DVI monitor showed the BIOS screens and the windows boot screen. However when the logon screen for windows appeared it was on the VGA monitor. I tried installing a brand new video card but it would not even recognize the new video card existed, only the onboard VGA.


So i reconnected to the onboard video sources and then tried disabling and then enabling the onboard video through device manager. Voila! The dual screen setup returned just as it was to begin with, with the extended desktop on the second monitor. However upon reboot, the system reverts back into only recognizing the VGA monitor until the video has been disabled and then enabled again. This is the current state of this machine. I have told the user not to reboot until i can find a real solution. If i cannot find one, my next step will be to contact Dell and see if i can get a warranty replacement.

I will try the solutions mentioned. In answer to one of the questions asked - the adapter I tried is a ioGear USB to SVGA model GUC2015V.

The Dell monitors I am using are 22" with only VGA and Display port connections.

Actually, the Display port to HDMI adapter should have worked, maybe try a different brand...since you have having so much trouble, also try contacting Dell support and ask them if they have Displayport adapters that 'will' work to attach these LCD's to a computer using an HDMI video output.

On another off beat chance:
What happens if you try to connect the VGA on the computer to the displayport on the LCD
Then try to connect the LCD VGA port to the HDMI on the computer.

That is strange...monitors shouldn't know or care.  

Oh well..  Good job figuring it out.

None of the suggested solutions included using a different monitor. I decided to do that on my own.