Plug a laptop without a screen to tv?

Question

I have this old laptop with a half broken screen(hp 8510w). I tried to plug to my tv (LG Flatron M2780D). I used HDMI without any problem, except the tv detected automatically the laptop only once logged in (tried on xp, 7, and ubuntu).

I finally removed the screen to use it only on the tv. But now I can't see anything on tv as I can't log in :S (and also my laptop doesnt seem to start anymore, with a bip after few seconds, and keep beeping, maybe it detects that no screens are plugged so it doesnt want to start ??!!)

I tried then to connect with a normal VGA wire, but same problem.

I also tried to plug the vga to another laptop. Works perfectly, but once again, it displays something on tv only after logging in (using 7).

Does anyone have any tips about what to do ? When I try to replug my screen it just doesnt work anymore ( i might have finshed breaking it !!).

Do you think it comes from the tv that needs to have the os properly started before displaying it or a setting from the laptop ??

Many thanks for your answers !

EDIT : with a lot af luck I guess, I managed to plug in my half broken screen ! So I tried to access the bios to add an external screen to boot on, but couldnt find anything about it. I also noticed that there are two plugs on the screen : one that seems to be the tension (just 2 wires) and another one which is probably all the data. If I dont plug the alimentation, and just data, it boots normally (I can hear to log in sounds from ubuntu, my default boot), and if I plug the alimentation and not the data, it refuses to boot (a bip every 30sec). I've done all these tests with hdmi, vga, and both.

I will try to leave the data plugged to the screen, clean my OSs to leave only one, with an automatic login user, and fingers crossed, hoping that will work !!!

Answer 1

Most laptops, at least in my experience, don't check for additional screens until you log in to the OS. As ABashore suggested, if you can somehow get the BIOS set to look for an external screen on bootup, you may find success. But that will only help you if you can get into the BIOS in the first place and the BIOS actually supports using an external monitor as the default display (which I haven't had any of my laptops ever support, but you never know). Basically, you need a screen in order to set up a screen. Catch 22.

Your best option, if you can get logged in to the laptop somehow, is to update your laptop to automatically log in on boot from now on, bypassing the login screen using a default login. This can be done in Windows. I'm not sure in other OS's. Again, however, you need to be able to get into the OS first in order to make the changes that will let you get in to the OS.

Unfortunately, seeing that your machine no longer boots, I'm thinking it's far more likly that you will have little chance of success without repairing the builtin display unless you can get yourself booted back into an OS.

Answer 2

The auto discover of external displays may be a software or OS function.

Try accessing the BIOS on the laptop and look for a default display. If you can change the default display, it may solve your problem.