The second monitor is a useful tool to expand your workspace on PC without compromising on the ease of accessibility and perform multiple tasks at the same time. The process of setting up a secondary or external monitor is quite simple but sometimes it might not work right.
The second monitor helps to focus on different tasks like editing, gaming, designing, etc. simultaneously. This prevents the haphazard of using multiple tabs or folders on a single screen.
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In this article, we are focus on all the key aspects of the second monitor, its uses, and the troubleshooting solutions to rectify the second monitor not detected issue.
How to set up a second monitor?
Follow these steps to set up and use an external monitor as a second working screen.
- Connect your PC or laptop to the external device using a cable.
- Open the Start menu and select the Settings option.
- Go to the Display option under the System settings.
- Select ‘Detect’ to search for your external monitor if your device didn’t detect it automatically.
- Use the Multiple Displays drop-down menu to choose how the external screen should work and what should be displayed on it.
- Click on ‘OK’ to save the changes.
You can even change the resolution and orientation of the external screen but the official Windows recommend 1920 x 1080 resolution for better display. If your PC or laptop is not detecting second monitor even if you have followed these steps then let us check out the solutions.
Why is the second monitor not detected on your device?
The detecting of a second monitor mainly depends on a cable used to connect it with your device. So in case of any issue, try checking the cable and if you feel it isn’t the reason then you can expect the issue to be caused by:
- Drivers
- Hardware issues such as faulty connecting ports, pin or device
- Firmware settings
- Software issues
- Graphics driver issues
We will address each of these problems that might be hindering your device from connecting and detecting the second monitor.
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Troubleshoot: Hardware issues
- Check for proper connection of power supply.
- Try using your second monitor from another device and check its connectivity to ensure that the fault isn’t in your PC or laptop.
- Remove all the other adapters or devices connected to your device to prevent any confusion in recognition of the second monitor.
- Check for the restrictions by your firmware software if any.
Lastly, make sure that you have chosen the correct HDMI input port.
Troubleshoot: Software issues
Software faults are the usual reason for not being able to access the second monitor. Try using the following solutions.
Detect the second monitor manually
- Open Settings application from the Start menu.
- Go to the System settings.
- Click on the Display menu on the left-side panel.
- Click on the ‘Detect’ option under Multiple Display settings.
Follow these steps if you are connecting to a wireless display:
- Open Settings application from the Start menu.
- Click on Bluetooth & Other Devices Settings.
- Click on the Wireless Display and Dock option after making you’re the second display wirelessly available.
- Choose your display from the list.
Update your Graphics Drivers
Updating or reinstalling your Graphics driver is an effective solution to prevent any issue caused in connecting external monitors due to faulty or un-updated drivers.
Follow these steps to update your Graphics driver manually:
- Open the Device Manager using the shortcut Windows Logo key + R to run by pasting ‘devmgmt.msc’ in the given space.
- From the Device Manager choose and expand the Display Adapters option.
- Choose the device and click on the Update Driver option.
- You can manually search for the driver and its updates from the manufacturer’s official website.
- You can also choose the ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’ option for Windows to search for suitable drivers or updates.
- Restart your device and try connecting to the external monitor.
If this did not help in rectifying the issue then try re-installing the driver. For this, you need first uninstall the driver and install it once again.
Steps to reinstall the driver
- Open the Device Manager using the shortcut Windows Logo key + R to run by pasting ‘devmgmt.msc’ in the given space.
- From the Device Manager choose and expand the Display Adapters option.
- Search for the driver and right-click on it. Choose the ‘Uninstall Driver’ option from the list.
- Uncheck the ‘Delete driver from the device’ option and click on the Uninstall option to confirm it.
- Restart your PC.
- Open the Device Manager and search for the required driver by right-clicking on your device name and clicking the ‘Scan for Hardware changes’ option.
This would have solved all the issues related to the Graphics driver of your device. So, if you had any faulty driver then connecting to the second monitor after restarting your PC should be smooth and immediate.
This technique need not be done manually as there several Driver Updating software available that would automatically search and update your drivers from time to time. Click here to check out a few driver updaters.
Note: Sometimes an updated driver might cause trouble that wasn’t previously witnessed. In this case, try the ‘Rollback Driver’ option to move back to the previous version of the software.
Rollback Driver Option
To choose this option follow these steps:
- Open the Device Manager using the shortcut Windows Logo key + R to run by pasting ‘devmgmt.msc’ in the given space.
- From the Device Manager choose and expand the Display Adapters option.
- Search for the driver and right-click on it.
- Click on the ‘Properties’ option from the list.
- Click on the ‘Driver’ tab and choose the ‘Rollback Driver’ option.
- Restart your PC and try connecting to the display.
Change the Project Mode
Choosing the correct project mode is essential to use the second display or monitor according to your requirement. Follow these steps to choose the project mode:
- Use the shortcut Windows Logo key + P.
- Form the list of project modes choose the ‘Duplicate’ option to see your exact device screen on the second monitor.
- To ‘Extend’ your device screen and expand the working area choose the ‘Expand’ option.
Related: Connect Two Monitors To A Laptop For An Extended View
In this article, we have covered all the possible solutions for the second monitor not detected error, and the reasons that caused it. Hope it was useful for you to use and expand your device screen across external displays.
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