strange problem with opengl lights

I wrote and application that loads 3ds models and it uses a single default light for the enviroment.

the progam can switch between single screen and dual screen display. I have tried it on a wildcat vp880pro and when it switches between single and dual screen mode the lighting is still fine. I have also tried it on a wildcat 3 6110, but here it only looks fine in single screen mode, when it switches to dual screen the lights seem to disappear. The same program works differently on two different cards from the same manufacturer.

Seeing as the wildcat 3 is an older card im wondering is there some specific requirement for lighting that a newer card might do by default

any help appreciated

thanks