Microsoft KB Archive Search

Notice: This website is an unofficial Microsoft Knowledge Base (hereinafter KB) archive and is intended to provide a reliable access to deleted content from Microsoft KB. All KB articles are owned by Microsoft Corporation. Read full disclaimer for more details.

  1. Home
  2. Error message when you configure the display settings to try to use three or more displays on a laptop that is running Windows 7 and Windows 8: "Unable to save display settings"

Error message when you configure the display settings to try to use three or more displays on a laptop that is running Windows 7 and Windows 8: "Unable to save display settings"

View products that this article applies to.

Symptoms

You connect two external monitors into a laptop that is running Windows 7 and Windows 8. When you try to extend or duplicate the desktop to the two external monitors in addition to the laptop screenusing the Win+P hot key option or from within the Display properties, either the changes do not take effect or you may receive the following error message: 

Unable to save display settings

This error is most likely to occur when your laptop computer is configured with the laptop display and one of the two external monitors (Laptop Display + Monitor A) while in Extended mode, then you attempt to change the monitor configuration to Duplicate mode with the second external monitor (Laptop Display + Monitor B).

↑ Back to the top

Cause

This issue occurs because some laptop graphic adapters only support two displays at one time. When you attempt to configure the display settings to use a third monitor on a laptop that supports only two monitors, Windows 7 and Windows 8 will check the hardware to confirm compatibility, then display the error message.

↑ Back to the top

More Information

When you are using a laptop that is running Windows 7 and Windows 8 that supports only two monitors, configure the display settings to use only two displays at one time. 

Note: You can also choose to disable the laptop screen, then use only the two external monitors.

When changing from Duplicate mode to Extended mode, you may note that this error message does not occur. This setting is designed to break up the Duplicate mode configuration prior to changing it to Extended mode.

↑ Back to the top

Keywords: kb, consumerwin7track, kbexpertisebeginner, kbtshoot, kbsurveynew, kbprb

↑ Back to the top

Article Info
Article ID : 973782
Revision : 1
Created on : 1/7/2017
Published on : 9/10/2012
Exists online : False
Views : 416