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Event ID 4103 — Multiple Display Adapter Installation

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 require that when multiple graphics adapters are used in a computer, they must be of the same display driver model type: either Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM), or Windows XP Display Driver Model (XPDM).  If multiple WDDM graphics adapters are present, then they must all use the same WDDM driver. If the either requirement is not met, then Windows uses the adapter that was used to start the computer, and disables any others.

For more information about using specific features of your graphics adapter, visit the manufacturer's Web site. For more information about using multiple graphics adapters and multiple monitors, see "MultiMonitor Support and Windows Vista" at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=76622 on the Microsoft Web site.

Event Details

Product: Windows Operating System
ID: 4103
Source: Display
Version: 6.0
Symbolic Name: DISPMSG_NOTIFY_USER_INCOMPATIBLE_DEVICE_DISABLED_TEXT
Message: At least one display adapter on the system has been disabled because its driver is not compatible with the driver for the VGA adapter.

Resolve

Change Display Hardware to Use Compatible Device Drivers

Windows requires that all device drivers for display adapters be of the same type, either Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) or Windows XP Display Driver Model (XPDM). In addition, WDDM requires that all graphics adapters use the same device driver. If these requirements are not met, then only one adapter is operational and it will use the generic VGA device driver. 

To determine the type of display device driver used in your computer

  1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click System and Maintenance, and then click Performance Information and Tools.
  2. On the Rate and improve your computer's performance page, click Refresh Now.
  3. Wait until the assessment of your computer is complete.
  4. Open an elevated command prompt. To do so, click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
  5. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, ensure that it is in response to your action, and then click Continue.
  6. At the command prompt, type the command:  winsat features | find /i "lddm"
  7. The output of the command indicates whether you have a WDDM driver (the L in LDDM stands for "Longhorn," the code name for Windows Vista when it was in development).

To use multiple monitors with more than one graphics adapter, all of the graphics adapters cards must use the same WDDM device driver. This usually means using the same graphics adapter, or different graphics adapters from the same vendor, providing they both use the same device driver.

To check your multiple monitor configuration

  1. Right-click your desktop in an empty area, and then click Personalize.
  2. Click Display Settings.
  3. On the Monitor tab, ensure that for each monitor, the Extend the desktop onto this monitor check box is selected.
  4. Arrange the rectangles that represent your monitors in an order that reflects their physical ordering on your desktop. Use the Identify Monitors button to determine how your monitors are numbered.
  5. Click OK to save your changes.

Most newer video cards allow you to set up two monitors using the single graphics adapter and device driver, so you typically don't have to use more than one graphics adapter for two monitors.

Verify

Confirm that all monitors connected to multiple graphic adapters are correctly displaying the desktop and your applications.

Multiple Display Adapter Installation

Core Operating System