Intel gma x4500 vostro
This condition was probably caused by the graphic card not getting the right EDID (Extended display identification data) from the LCD Monitor. (Also thanks to Ivo too for mentioning "cable" which triggered something in my mind.)
INTEL GMA X4500 VOSTRO SERIAL NUMBER
I got a hunch that the trouble might be the cable when I was poking around the (labyrinthine) Windows registry and found that the Intel GMA detected my monitor as "#-" instead of "Del003" as it usually did and the Serial Number of the monitor could not be read. I found back my original cable and plugged it in, in place of the defective one, and everything went back to normal in literally a second. Apparently somebody used my monitor (without my knowledge) and used their own (defective) cable and left it there. Solved in the most unlikely way : used a different VGA cable. Resolution (1440×900) was unavailable (sic) This dude has a complicated solution, which I haven't tried yet. Has anybody ever figured why this happens and have a good solution? I've goggled this problem and it appears that this has happened to other people but all the answers involve people giving up in frustration or reinstalling both terrible outcomes.
I've tried everything from uninstalling and reinstalling the Intel drivers as well as the monitor drivers to no avail. The problem is, now the native resolution for my main monitor's (the SE198WFP) resolution of 1440x900 60 Hz is no longer available. Recently, I plugged the Vostro into a couple of other monitors. I've been using the Vostro with a Dell SE198WFP LCD Monitor as the external display since day one for about two years without any problems. I'm using a Vostro 1200 laptop with the Mobile Intel(R) 965 Express Chipset powering its graphics and running Vista 32-bit SP2.