SOLVED No Splash Screen, No F2 and No F12 During Turn-On

[dustywoodworker]

I don't really have an issue but do have an experience to share that might be informative (at least to me).

I have a new desktop and dual monitors (all Dell). The monitors have HDMI and VGA connections. The computer has a Display Port and an HDMI. I connected the two monitors using their HDMI interface to the computer (one monitor cable has the HDMI to display port adapter). All seemed to be working fine though I did notice that I had no splash screen and then later I came to realize that I could not summon the BIOS (F2 and/or F12). I've been working that way for a month or more and as I said - working fine with those stated "distractions".

Yesterday I read something here on the forum about "No Splash Screen". The ultimate solution was to change video cables around. I got to thinking....that often gets this old man into deep dodo.

Early this morning I turned the computers on and as they came up I repeatedly tapped F2.to no avail. The machine came up as normal totally ignoring the fact that I wanted to go into the BIOS. I had also read yesterday about Enabling Legacy HDDs which tweaked my curiousity. (More on that later and in a different thread).

Don't ask me why because I don't know the answer. When my Grandson and I set up the new computer I insisted on dual monitors and we did that. As stated - it worked.

But, we did not utilize the graphics card. Why? Again don't ask.

This morning, checked over the cables used and what I had available with the intention of connecting one monitor to the graphics card (is that the GPU) to the graphics card. My older computer had a NiVidia card with dual graphic connectors. This one does not. It has one plus an HDMI. Aaaah. Each of my monitors has an HDMI connection and now I realize that by using the graphics card output and a built-in HDMI I can connect to the monitors without that adapter.

Well, you have probably already guessed...I still have dual monitors, one with a splash screen at boot time and I can get to the BIOS using F2 or F12.

My setup seems more logical than what I had and I will leave it this way BUT I hope someone can tell me why my initial configuration prevented the splash, F2 and F12.

 

[dustywoodworker]

Interesting! and Logical! My NIVIDIA display app shows that I have only one display and cannot find a second. I have only one monitor connected to the GPU. At the same time though Windows/Settings/Display shows and Identifies both monitors.

 

[dustywoodworker]

I really do not have an explanation but I have found what6 works and what does not work. Driving the monitors via the display port and the resident HDMI negates the splash screen and for some reason prevents the use of F2 and/orF12. The option to click on either of those is never presented snd continuous tapping yields no result. System comes up and works.

Driving either monitor with the GPU and the other with either of the other two resident ports (HDMI and Display Port) works as expected. That is to say - there is a splash screen and the F2 and F12 options are available and work.

I am not going to mark this thread as SOLVED. I am hoping for an explanation for what I observed.

 

[Grizzly]

Do I understand correctly when I say that you do not have a bootup screen with both monitors attached but have one with either connected?
IMHO you should at least see the screen on one of the monitors, no matter what. Since that does not seem the case, the logic in that fails. I do not know if that is by design or not since I do not have much experience with Dell's (I never owned one)...

 

[dustywoodworker]

Do I understand correctly when I say that you do not have a bootup screen with both monitors attached but have one with either connected?
IMHO you should at least see the screen on one of the monitors, no matter what. Since that does not seem the case, the logic in that fails. I do not know if that is by design or not since I do not have much experience with Dell's (I never owned one)...

With both monitors connected via resident HDMI and Display Port, I never saw the Dell Logo (splash screen) and I never saw and was not able to invoke either F2 or F12. Other than that everything that I am aware of worked.

Side note: I have never been able to utilize Legacy HHDs on this machine. Yes, I know it is SATA but by using an adapter I think I should be able to interface with Legacy HDDs.

After tinkering around this morning, I ended with one monitor connected via HDMI to the GPU and the other monitor connected via HDMI to a resident HDMI port on the back of my Dell XPS 8930.

In this configuration, I see the Dell Logo as it boots and if I utilize either F2 or the F12 I can get into the BIOS and Boot screens.

Both monitors function normally in either position either as single or duel monitors. The logo (splash screen) only appears on that monitor connected to the GPU. The logo has never been seen on monitors connected via the HDMI port on the back of the machine or the display port that is right long side.

 

[dustywoodworker]

After reading this thread (mostly my own words) I have a couple of questions.

1) Where does the Logo originate? What I have seen leads me to believe it is somehow a function of (or controlled by) the GPU?

2) We know the boot process works so why am I not able to invoke either F2 or F12 unless a monitor is connected to the GPU?

 

[Wolfie]

Hi dustywoodworker

the boot logo is set via BIOS (Show boot logo: Yes/No) I can only assume it will depend on how old the BIOS might be?.

Have you tried swapping the cables around?, it may be down to the fact that one of the monitors is seen as the main default?.

 

[dustywoodworker]

Hi dustywoodworker

the boot logo is set via BIOS (Show boot logo: Yes/No) I can only assume it will depend on how old the BIOS might be?.

Have you tried swapping the cables around?, it may be down to the fact that one of the monitors is seen as the main default?.

Yes, I have swapped cables, I have swapped monitors.

As stated, the boot logo (whether there is one of not) is set by the bios but the same bios has been in place through all of this. The machine is brand new thus the bios.

The problem exists ONLY when I attach the two monitors using 1) the Display Port and 2) the residend HDMI port.

One other, previously unmentioned observation: The monitors are not properly identified (1 0r 2) when connected using the HDMI/Display Port combination.

 

[dustywoodworker]

I an declaring this issue solved even though the originally stated issue still persists.

Everything (repeat everything) seems to be working as expected as long as I keep the GT3100 in the setup. As soon as I disconnect from it and utilize the Display Port in conjunction with the HDMI the problem remains.