Laptop connection to Monitor

[riptide]

I have just bought a new HP 20 inch monitor to connect to my Sony VIO Laptop. I was assured by the salesman that the connection lead with the monitor would work, however it does not. It has pins and screws either side. My laptop just has pins and no holes to screw into. How do I connect? Is there a special lead you have to buy?
Many thanks.

Riptide

[kempie]

Model numbers of the Vaio and monitor and the type of lead (VGA D-sub, DVI) would help in diagnosing your problem.

Laptop connectors usually allow the cable to be fitted without the need to screw it in.

[riptide]

The Laptop is a Sony VIO FS215S which is 2 years old and I am using the cable that has been provided with the HP w 2007 v Monitor which I believe is a VGA cable. It is blue with pins in the middle and screws either side on each end of it. I have found on Pc World a Belkin VGA Adaptor which seems to have pins one side and pins and screws the other side, was wondering whether this would work. Do you think I may not be connecting it properly if you say it should work without having to screw the pins into holes on the laptop. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

Riptide.

[kempie]

The VGA D-sub design will not allow the cable to be connected upside down so make sure the plug is aligned properly before trying to push it into the socket.

http://www.atmarkit.co.jp/fsys/cableconnect/05 disp_video/01mini_dsub15-box-l.jpg

I can think of no other reason why a standard VGA lead will not attach to a VGA port.

[riptide]

I got a picture on my monitor from the laptop for a few seconds this morning, it set the resolutions and then showed the picture from the computer and then completely cut out with a message, no input signal, check video cable, seems to me the laptop is playing up with the connection, have tried holding the connection, but still no joy. Looks like I am going to have to get a new processor as the laptop does not like the connection. Will try the adaptor I mentioned first to see if this helps. Thanks for your advice.
Riptide

[riptide]

Tried it again just now and as far as I can see, as the laptop comes on it connects to the monitor when the windows screens comes up and immediately after this, you lose the picture on the monitor with the message, no input sigal, check video cable. Seems to me the laptop is playing up?

Do you think the Belkin adaptor might help with the pins one side to go into the laptop and the normal connection the other, i.e. pins and screws. I don't want to pay out another �20.00 is if this is going to be a waste of time.
Thanks.
Riptide

[riptide]

Just to let you know, I have found out what is wrong, went to Sony website and found user manual, on the Sony VIO you have to use the FN+F7 button to connect the laptop to the monitor. The only problem I have now is that the screen resolution on the laptop only goes up to 1200 x whatever whereas the monitor screen recommendation is 1600 x pixels. I do not think there is a way round this one is there. I can make do, although the picture is slightly distorted on the new monitor. Thanks.
Riptide

[fo3nix]

Yes, you always have to press some kind of button combination with laptops.

Regarding resolution: this depends on the graphics card in the laptop. Better graphics cards can power higher-resolution screens. But it's a laptop, so can't really be changed.

[riptide]

Thanks all, everything working smoothly, where would we be without you computer wizkids.
Riptide