Strange cold boot vs. reset behavior

[GJSNeptune]

I have two monitors hooked up to my 9800 GTX's two DVI ports. One is purely DVI, and the other monitor is on a VGA->DVI adapter. I'm not sure if video cards have primary and secondary ports, but I believe my primary monitor is connected to the primary DVI port, as it's usually the monitor that initializes first.

I never turn off my monitors; I let them go into standby when my computer is off, which is every night before bed. When I turn on my computer for the first time the next day, my primary monitor comes on pretty quickly, and I see BIOS, POST, and then the Windows boot screen. My secondary monitor usually turns on just before the login screen, although I don't have a password set right now, so it goes straight to the desktop.

If I have to reset or reboot my computer, my monitors don't even initialize until Windows gets past the login screen. It always worries me that something's wrong, and then suddenly the power button turns from orange to blue and I see my desktop.

I didn't have this issue with my x1950 Pro. Is it an NVIDIA thing, or a DVI thing? I'd like to see BIOS no matter what in case I want to tweak settings, and especially because I dual boot and can't choose Vista unless I turn off my computer.

 

[cybereality]

I remember what you are talking about but I can't recall the work-around. What I do know is that dual-monitors will not work 100% unless you are in Windows with everything loaded up. Before that point you should either see both monitors cloning the BIOS, or only the primary monitor. What you may want to try is switching the plugs on the monitors and then swapping their position in the dual-monitor display options. This may allow one monitor to be visible during the BIOS startup and when you get to windows it will swap back to the right positions. Might be worth a shot.

 

[GJSNeptune]

They used to clone BIOS, but they also used to turn on when I powered on the computer. Since the 9800 GTX was installed, they aren't getting a signal until much later in the process. I'll try swapping them, and then I'll try just one of them connected.