# [solved] strange dvi/vga old graphics card and old monitor p

## e3k

strange video problem occured on my machine. the son played with the dvi cable and i think one pin from the 3x3 squares went bit down.

now the interesting part comes: i can switch the monitor to digital/dvi to see tty1 and switch it to vga (both cables connected) to see tty7.

it is a XOR!

now there are too many variables for me to compute:

1 is it the old nvidia 9600 giving up the service?

2 were there some new nvidia-drivers released?

3 is the old eizo flatscreen?

4 is it just the cable? (i realized that i have a lot of VGA cables at home but no DVI replacement. just working on how to get one without paying for it.)

5. the machine was hacked?

6. aliens?

let me know what you think and i hope i can have again a nice stable screen because that vga shakes like hell.

---edit---

dvi-d single link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface

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## eccerr0r

Depending on your monitor, yes you need all those pins in the DVI cable...

The two sets of 3x3 are differential, and missing one link may do something weird with the monitor...

Since you suspect the cable I'd suggest you bite the bullet and replace that first.

If you don't want to buy a new cable and your analog/vga is working, you could just get rid of the DVI cable and set up your monitor completely for analog, at least that will get you going.

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## NeddySeagoon

e3k,

Assess the damage. Look at DVI pinout page and determine if the pushed back pin belongs to a link1 or a link2.   Link2 is not used for resolutions up to and including 1920x1080, which is standard HDTV.  The details are on that wiki page.  Indeed, many DVI cables only have link1 fitted anyway. You might be lucky and have a damaged but unneeded pin in the link2 set.

If you have lost one pin in a colour pair,  that colour will be missing from the display.  You would notice that if its Red or Green, you might not if its Blue (Whites will look odd).

If you are really unlucky and have damaged pin 23 or 24, there is no digital data clock.  That's game over.

If its pin 6 or pin 7, the video card will not be able to read the DDC data from the display, so may think its missing altogether.

A long time ago there was no DDC data and we managed to use our displays.  The facility is still in the drivers to do that, so it can be worked around.

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## e3k

NeddySeagoon it is the pin 11. it is pulled 1,5mm lower than it was not sure how he managed that.

eccerr0r with the DVI cable unplugged and using only VGA i get only tty7 with XFCE. with tty1 i get the monitor reporting: no signal.

i would bet for the aliens. anyway i guess HW is screwed. still no DVI cable around. i think i will go and buy one.

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## NeddySeagoon

e3k,

Pin 11 is a screen.  If that's not connected you probably won't notice.

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## e3k

 *NeddySeagoon wrote:*   

> e3k,
> 
> Pin 11 is a screen.  If that's not connected you probably won't notice.

  this still does not explain no signal on tty1 while connected only via VGA. I say aliens!

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## eccerr0r

 *e3k wrote:*   

> with the DVI cable unplugged and using only VGA i get only tty7 with XFCE. with tty1 i get the monitor reporting: no signal.
> 
> 

 

You probably have KMS setting up an improper video mode that doesn't get corrected until you start X11, or perhaps EDID is sending back invalid data to set up text mode after some glitch.  What driver are you using for your nvidia?

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## e3k

 *eccerr0r wrote:*   

>  *e3k wrote:*   with the DVI cable unplugged and using only VGA i get only tty7 with XFCE. with tty1 i get the monitor reporting: no signal.
> 
>  
> 
> You probably have KMS setting up an improper video mode that doesn't get corrected until you start X11, or perhaps EDID is sending back invalid data to set up text mode after some glitch.  What driver are you using for your nvidia?

  nvidia-drivers-340.96-r5 and yes i have played with a grub splashscreen lately (which is still not working). now after reseating the dvi cable for x times suddenly i get signal for both tty1 and  tty7. i probably did not do a mistake x times when reseating the cable so i guess the cable is broken + that grub splashscreen.

i will mark this one as solved thank you all for your help.

--ps--

aliens would still count as well.

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