Connecting a second display to your setup is an underrated way to increase work productivity and make gaming more enjoyable. So when this second monitor isn’t automatically detected in Windows 10, it’s incredibly frustrating.
Usually, pairing an external monitor with Windows is a seamless process. But if there’s a problem with your hardware or display driver, it can prevent the monitor from being detected, even if that second monitor has been in your setup for years.
Fortunately, there are several ways to solve this pesky problem. Here are all the hardware and software fixes for your second monitor not detected.
Start with hardware troubleshooting to resolve external monitor connection issues
Fixing your second monitor not detecting issue can be as simple as checking that it’s plugged in and turned on. This isn’t always the case, but it’s such a quick fix that it’s worth checking before diving into software troubleshooting.
Here are some specific things to check:
- Make sure the display is connected to a power source and your monitor is turned on.
- Try a different port if your monitor and/or graphics card offers multiple ports.
- Unplug the signal cable from your monitor and graphics card or laptop, wait at least a minute, then plug the cable back in at both ends.
- If you have another DisplayPort or HDMI cable, try that cable to see if there is a problem with your existing cable.
- Try connecting your problematic monitor to another device to determine if the problem is with your monitor.
- Use this Windows keyboard shortcut to try to wake up your PC from a blank or black screen: Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B.
- Try the classic complete solution of restarting your PC. Sometimes you just have to turn it off and on again.
If none of these basic troubleshooting steps fix your second monitor not detected or point you in the right direction, there are a few software solutions you can try.
Try to manually detect your second monitor
Using the Settings app, you can sometimes force the system to detect your second monitor. Here’s how to do it.
1. In the Settings app, select System of the menu.
2. Click Display.
3. Under the Multiple displays title, click on the Detect to search for and connect to an external monitor.
Roll back or update your display driver
If you recently updated your PC or display driver, something may no longer be compatible with your second monitor. Reverting or reverting to the previous version of your display driver may resolve the issue.
1. Press Windows key + X key and select device Manager in the menu that appears. You can also use the search bar to type “Device Manager” and view the app that way.
2. Find Screenshot taken in the menu and click the arrow next to it to expand the section.
3. Right click your graphics card – which will probably say Intel, NVIDIA or AMD – and click Properties.
4. Click on the Driver and select Roll back the driver.
Note: If this is not an option, you can try clicking Update driver instead and then Automatically search for drivers to see if Windows can find any new drivers available.
5. Continue to follow the on-screen prompts and restart your device.
If neither rolling back nor updating your display driver works, it’s time to try reinstalling your display driver.
Reinstall your display driver
1. From device Manager window that we opened in the previous section, locate Screenshot taken back into the menu and make sure the section is expanded.
2. Right-click on your graphics card (which, again, will usually say Intel, AMD, or NVIDIA) and choose Uninstall device from the menu options.
3. Check the box next to Remove the driver software for this device and click Uninstall.
4. Restart your computer.
5. Open device Manager again (via Windows key + Screenshot taken section using the arrow next to it.
6. Right-click on your graphics card and select Update driver of the menu.
7. Choose Automatically check for driver software update and follow the rest of the on-screen instructions.
Your second monitor should be automatically detected after reinstalling the display driver if the issue is related.
If your second monitor is still not detected at this point, the monitor itself may be causing the problem. Check out our selection of the best monitors if you need help choosing a new display.