Second Monitor are a great way to boost productivity and enhance your gaming experience. In addition, it provides you with a larger canvas that may be used for general multitasking. It also adds more space to your workstation by combining two monitors into one.
Connecting a second PC monitor is usually a plug-and-play operation, but Windows 11/10 may not be able to recognize the display in some situations. The most common causes of this problem are a damaged or failing cable, your PC not supporting the second display, an out-of-date driver or the display drivers being unable to handle the second display.
If you have a second monitor, but can’t see it when you sit in front of your computer, this is the article for you. We will tell you what to do if your second monitor isn’t detected and how to troubleshoot the problem.
How to Fix Windows 11 & Windows10 PC Not Recognize a Second Monitor
Here are some basic troubleshooting procedures to try first. These might help you fix the problem with the second monitor not being detected before you must delve further into additional problems.
- Confirm that the monitor is switched on.
- Confirm you’re using the correct cable to connect your PC and second monitor. Windows won’t detect the second monitor if you use an incorrect or damaged cable. If you swap out the cable and it works with your display configuration, it implies the old one is broken.
- Disconnect any connected accessories, such as dongles or docks, that might cause compatibility issues between your PC and the second monitor.
- Another approach to try is to use a different PC monitor with a different system to see whether the problem is with the original system or the display.
- Check to see whether the second monitor is plugged into a power source. Some displays have a switch at the back that may be used to turn on the display.
- Make sure your monitor’s built-in controls are used to choose the proper input (HDMI, VGA, DVI, etc).
- Connect another functioning display to see whether the problem is with the graphics card.
- If the display you’re setting up has a software issue, you may need to change the firmware on your secondary monitor to fix any compatibility problems or bugs. You can do this by going to the manufacturer’s website for the display and looking for a support page with information on how to install the most recent firmware update.
Restart your computer
Restarting your computer is useful for many reasons, including if your second monitor isn’t detected. A restart shuts down any other applications that may be active and cause the connection between your PC and the second monitor to be disrupted.
Select Start button >> Click on Power, then select Restart your PC/Laptop.
Make Windows 11 Recognize the Second PC Monitor
You may use the Settings app to force detection of the second display if there are no physical connection issues between your PC and the second monitor.
Go to Settings >> Select System. Select Display. Click on the Rearrange your displays section and select Detect.
On WIndows 11, click on Multiple displays >> select Detect.
Connect a Wireless Display Instead
If Windows 10 can’t detect the second monitor because of a physical connection (via cable), connect a wireless display instead.
Go to Settings > Devices. Select Bluetooth & other devices. Click on Add Bluetooth & other devices. Select Wireless display or dock.
Ensure that the wireless display is discoverable and on. Select the desired display from the drop-down menu, and then follow the on-screen instructions to finish.
Change The Frequency of Your Monitor
The rate at which the picture changes on a monitor, also known as the refresh rate, is the pace at which it updates. The greater the refresh rate or frequency, the more times the image updates and the smoother it will appear, especially when watching a video. The rate at which images are updated per second is measured in hertz.
The required frequency is determined by the purpose of the equipment. The standard old television frequencies were approximately 50-60 hertz, whereas the current movie cinema runs at a far lower rate of 24 hertz. The frequency of a computer monitor is 60 hertz, but the most cutting-edge video gaming displays exceed that by as much as 240 hertz!
It’s also critical in the world of online video games, where gamers compete against one another, and having the highest-quality and quickest video resolution is essential to gain an edge.
According to certain users, you might be able to resolve the problem by adjusting the frequency. To have your device recognize your second display, do the following steps.
1. Right-click anywhere on your desktop to launch the context menu. Select Display settings from the pop-up menu. This may also be found by going to Start > Settings > System > Display and selecting Display settings.
Next, select Advanced display settings from the drop-down menu. You’ll find it at the bottom of the screen under Multiple displays in the right hand column.
Select Display Adapter Properties. This option will be present as a clickable link at the bottom of the window. Choose which display you want to modify by selecting the drop-down menu under Choose display if you’re using more than one monitor.
Select the Monitor tab. The Adapter tab is opened by default in Windows. The second tab at the top of the window is the Monitor tab.
Click the Screen refresh rate drop-down button to select a screen refresh rate. You should be able to change your refresh rate directly inside the Monitor Settings area. Choose a new one from the drop-down menu.
Finally, click OK to finalize the operation.
Check The Display Adapter on Windows 11
If one external monitor is recognized, but the second isn’t, your graphics card (also known as a display adapter) may not be able to drive multiple monitors at the same time. In this situation, a display splitter won’t help you extend your display to the second monitor because it duplicates the signal rather than generating two separate signals.
If your computer only has a single video output port, you can only connect one external display to it. A USB adapter for an extra video output port or a docking station is required to connect with more than one monitor.
One of the most common reasons why Windows 10 will not detect your second PC display is because of a buggy, outdated, or damaged graphics driver. To repair this problem, you may update or reinstall the driver to a previous version.
How to Reinstall The Graphics Driver
Right-click Start button and then click Device Manager. Select Display adapters from the drop-down menu. After that, select your computer’s display adapter and click Uninstall device.
Select Uninstall device under the program in Device Manager.
Then, uncheck the Delete the driver software from this device box and click Uninstall.
Restart your PC, return to the Device Manager, and look for your name under Computer. Scan for hardware changes after you right-click your PC’s name in Computer.
After Windows has started, it will attempt to automatically reinstall the graphics driver, and you may then reconnect to the second monitor.
Updating a Graphics Driver
Right-click Start > Device Manager and then click the Display adapters to expand it.
Select Update driver from the drop-down menu that appears after right-clicking on your display adapter (graphics card).
Click Search automatically for new driver software, then turn off and restart your computer.
If the latest driver is downloaded and installed by Windows Update, it will automatically download and install the update. After updating the driver, check to see whether the second monitor is identified.
Update Graphics Driver Directly From Manufacturers
Most graphics cards are detected and configured automatically by Windows 11/10, but the more up-to-date versions available via Windows Update aren’t always the ones that are best for you. If you can install the most current driver, NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel provide tools to quickly install the latest updates so that you can resolve external display issues.
The following are the download links:
- Intel® Driver & Support Assistant
- GEFORCE® EXPERIENCE™
- Auto-Detect and Install Updates for Radeon™ Graphics
If you use the manufacturer’s control panel, you’ll find that the installation is simple. Simply download and double-click the installer from one of the above links that corresponds to your adapter, then follow the on-screen instructions to finish the installation, and then check for updates.
Alternatively, you may download the drivers directly from the manufacturer’s website using their instructions. You can use the links below to get the drivers for your PC:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why isn’t my dual monitor working?
When your second monitor isn’t detected, the problem may be caused by a few things. Here are some of them:
– Second monitor is not connected properly to your computer
– Second monitor is damaged or faulty
– Second monitor needs its driver replaced/updated
No matter what the reason is, you should troubleshoot it as soon as you can to get your second monitor back up and running.
What is a computer’s driver, and how does it work?
The driver is a piece of software that tells the operating system how to “talk” to hardware devices. This includes input/output devices like monitors, keyboards, printers, scanners and so on. When your second monitor is not detected, updating its driver can help resolve the problem.
What is the computer’s monitor?
Your computer’s monitor is the one you normally see when you sit down in front of it. This is where all the icons, folders, desktop shortcuts and everything else appears. It may be an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen or a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube). The actual display unit inside the case is called a video card, which is able to process information and convert it into images that are shown on the monitor.
Conclusion
Computers are great because they make our lives easier. But when you can’t access or use your computer, it’s really frustrating and not fun at all! There are many reasons why a second monitor may be undetected on Windows 11. If this happens to you, take the time to find out what could be causing the problem before taking any other course of action (like resetting your PC). Comment below for more information about fixing second monitors in Windows 11!
