12.04 upgrade causes black screen of death when plugging in another monitor

Below is the lshw dump:

WARNING: you should run this program as super-user.
grs5-laptop
    description: Computer
    width: 64 bits
    capabilities: vsyscall32
  *-core
       description: Motherboard
       physical id: 0
     *-memory
          description: System memory
          physical id: 0
          size: 5875MiB
     *-cpu
          product: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2410M CPU @ 2.30GHz
          vendor: Intel Corp.
          physical id: 1
          bus info: cpu@0
          size: 2301MHz
          capacity: 2301MHz
          width: 64 bits
          capabilities: fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx rdtscp x86-64 constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl xtopology nonstop_tsc aperfmperf pni pclmulqdq dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm pcid sse4_1 sse4_2 x2apic popcnt tsc_deadline_timer xsave avx lahf_lm ida arat epb xsaveopt pln pts tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid cpufreq
     *-pci
          description: Host bridge
          product: 2nd Generation Core Processor Family DRAM Controller
          vendor: Intel Corporation
          physical id: 100
          bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
          version: 09
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 33MHz
          configuration: driver=agpgart-intel
          resources: irq:0
        *-display
             description: VGA compatible controller
             product: 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 2
             bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
             version: 09
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
             configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
             resources: irq:51 memory:dd000000-dd3fffff memory:c0000000-cfffffff ioport:e000(size=64)
        *-communication
             description: Communication controller
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 16
             bus info: pci@0000:00:16.0
             version: 04
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=mei latency=0
             resources: irq:50 memory:dfc0b000-dfc0b00f
        *-usb:0
             description: USB controller
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #2
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1a
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1a.0
             version: 05
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: ehci bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ehci_hcd latency=0
             resources: irq:16 memory:dfc08000-dfc083ff
        *-multimedia
             description: Audio device
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1b
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1b.0
             version: 05
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=snd_hda_intel latency=0
             resources: irq:52 memory:dfc00000-dfc03fff
        *-pci:0
             description: PCI bridge
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 1
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1c
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.0
             version: b5
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pci normal_decode bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=pcieport
             resources: irq:40 ioport:d000(size=4096) memory:df200000-dfbfffff ioport:d2100000(size=10485760)
        *-pci:1
             description: PCI bridge
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 2
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1c.1
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.1
             version: b5
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pci normal_decode bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=pcieport
             resources: irq:41 ioport:c000(size=4096) memory:de800000-df1fffff ioport:d1600000(size=10485760)
           *-network DISABLED
                description: Wireless interface
                product: AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express)
                vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
                physical id: 0
                bus info: pci@0000:02:00.0
                logical name: wlan0
                version: 01
                serial: e0:b9:a5:ae:a1:bd
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
                configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ath9k driverversion=3.2.0-24-generic firmware=N/A latency=0 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11bgn
                resources: irq:17 memory:de800000-de80ffff
        *-pci:2
             description: PCI bridge
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 4
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1c.3
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.3
             version: b5
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pci normal_decode bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=pcieport
             resources: irq:42 ioport:b000(size=4096) memory:dde00000-de7fffff ioport:d0b00000(size=10485760)
           *-usb
                description: USB controller
                product: ASM1042 SuperSpeed USB Host Controller
                vendor: ASMedia Technology Inc.
                physical id: 0
                bus info: pci@0000:03:00.0
                version: 00
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: xhci bus_master cap_list
                configuration: driver=xhci_hcd latency=0
                resources: irq:19 memory:dde00000-dde07fff
        *-pci:3
             description: PCI bridge
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 6
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1c.5
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.5
             version: b5
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pci normal_decode bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=pcieport
             resources: irq:43 ioport:a000(size=4096) memory:dd400000-dddfffff ioport:d0000000(size=10485760)
           *-network
                description: Ethernet interface
                product: AR8151 v2.0 Gigabit Ethernet
                vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
                physical id: 0
                bus info: pci@0000:04:00.0
                logical name: eth0
                version: c0
                serial: 14:da:e9:30:c6:4c
                size: 100Mbit/s
                capacity: 1Gbit/s
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
                configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=atl1c driverversion=1.0.1.0-NAPI duplex=full firmware=N/A ip=192.168.1.171 latency=0 multicast=yes port=twisted pair speed=100Mbit/s
                resources: irq:53 memory:dd400000-dd43ffff ioport:a000(size=128)
        *-usb:1
             description: USB controller
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #1
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1d
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.0
             version: 05
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: ehci bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ehci_hcd latency=0
             resources: irq:23 memory:dfc07000-dfc073ff
        *-isa
             description: ISA bridge
             product: HM65 Express Chipset Family LPC Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1f
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.0
             version: 05
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: isa bus_master cap_list
             configuration: latency=0
        *-storage
             description: SATA controller
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family 6 port SATA AHCI Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1f.2
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.2
             version: 05
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 66MHz
             capabilities: storage ahci_1.0 bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ahci latency=0
             resources: irq:44 ioport:e0b0(size=8) ioport:e0a0(size=4) ioport:e090(size=8) ioport:e080(size=4) ioport:e060(size=32) memory:dfc06000-dfc067ff
        *-serial UNCLAIMED
             description: SMBus
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1f.3
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.3
             version: 05
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             configuration: latency=0
             resources: memory:dfc05000-dfc050ff ioport:e040(size=32)
WARNING: output may be incomplete or inaccurate, you should run this program as super-user.

Your issue might be due to missing drivers for your GPU. Try installing the open-source and/or proprietary drivers for it and let me know if it changes anything. I hope it helps.

What GPU do you use?

@actionparsnip I think its just an onboard intel card.

My laptop is an asus u56e-bbl6: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=ASUS+U56E&hl=en&prmd=imvnsfd&resnum=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1295&bih=656&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=5836516126131844942&sa=X&ei=8LSaT973Dqqq2QXOh9XZDg&ved=0CH8Q8gIwAA

I ran a lspci and it provided this:
$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family DRAM Controller (rev 09)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #2 (rev 05)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 05)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev b5)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 2 (rev b5)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 4 (rev b5)
00:1c.5 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 6 (rev b5)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 (rev 05)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation HM65 Express Chipset Family LPC Controller (rev 05)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family 6 port SATA AHCI Controller (rev 05)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller (rev 05)
02:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)
03:00.0 USB controller: ASMedia Technology Inc. ASM1042 SuperSpeed USB Host Controller
04:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR8151 v2.0 Gigabit Ethernet (rev c0)

any ideas?

I am the colleague of Chris who is trying to help me out with this upgrade problem. I'm a little disappointed nobody has addressed this problem in detail. I'm starting to realize that the impulse upgrade to 12.04 was a terrible idea, and I definitely should have waited. The amount of bugs I have is absurd, most of which relate to displays. My colleague's post in the forums was closed and then downvoted because he was told to ask the question here in order to get a legitimate and helpful response, which hasn't happened. I've tried submitting bug reports and such, too.

Another problem I'm having with my machine is when I use Super+W to split my windows, many times they all disappear and refuse to come back. So, I have to quit each program that had a window open (usually browsers and LibreOffice Calc), reopen the programs, and figure out where I left off.

Any support or suggestions would be very beneficial. I thoroughly enjoyed Ubuntu 11.10, and I don't want to give up on 12.04, yet.

Thank you for the help.