Second monitor detected but not displaying on Windows 11/10

In this article, we will see what you can do if the second monitor is detected but not displaying anything on your Windows 11/10 computer. According to the users, the second monitor displays nothing when they connect it to their Windows computer. The reasons for this issue can be many like a bad display driver, faulty cable, etc.

Second monitor detected but not displaying on Windows 11/10

Use the following fixes if the second monitor is on, but there is no display on Windows 11/10.

Some basic fixes
Roll Back or update your graphics card driver
Install the Generic Monitor driver
Change the display resolution
Change the monitor refresh rate
Change the cable

Below, we have explained all these fixes in detail.

1] Some basic fixes

First of all, try some basic fixes and see if they help you resolve the issue.

Check your cable: First, check the cable you used to connect your display. The cable might be faulty. Also, make sure that the cable is connected properly.
Swap the cables: Swap the cables on your graphics card. If the primary display goes black and the second monitor becomes active after swapping the cables, the problem might be with your cable or there might be a software issue.
Disconnect and reconnect the cables.

2] Roll Back or update your graphics card driver

Display issues are most commonly associated with the graphics card driver. Roll Back your graphics card driver. The steps to do this are as follows:

Open the Device Manager.
Expand the Display adapters branch.
Right-click on your graphics card driver and select Properties.
Go to the Driver tab and click on the Roll Back button (if available).
Follow the on-screen instructions to roll back the driver.

The above steps will install the previous version of your graphics card driver. If the Roll Back option is greyed out or it does not help, install the latest version of your graphics card driver from the manufacturer’s website.

3] Install the Generic Monitor driver

If the above fix did not help, replacing the monitor driver with the Generic Monitor driver for your external display can help. Go through the following instructions:

Open the Device Manager.
Expand the Monitors branch.
Right-click on your monitor driver and select Update driver.
Select Browse my computer for drivers.
Now, select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
Select the Show compatible hardware checkbox.
Select the Generic PnP Monitor driver from the list of available drivers.
Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions.

Did it help?

4] Change the display resolution

You can also try changing the display resolution of the affected monitor. The steps to change the display resolution are:

Open Windows 11/10 Settings.
Go to System > Display.
Select the display and then change the Display resolution.

First, try to set both displays at the same resolution and see if it works. If not, try other available resolutions for the second display. This fix has worked for some users.

5] Change the monitor refresh rate

You can also try changing the monitor refresh rate. The following steps will help you change the refresh rate of your monitor:

Open Windows Settings.
Go to System> Display > Advanced display.
Select the display from the drop-down if you want to change the refresh rate for.
Click on the Choose a refresh rate drop-down and select another available refresh rate.

6] Change the cable

If you have tried all the fixes but the problem is not fixed, you should try to change the cable used to connect your display. Some users replaced their cable with the DisplayPort to HDMI cable and it worked for them. Hence, we suggest you change the cable used to connect your display.

Some other users also reported that the issue disappeared when they connected their display directly to their system, instead of using a device like a docking station.

That’s it. I hope this helps.

Why is my second monitor connected but not displaying?

There can be many reasons why your second monitor is connected but not displaying anything. The primary cause of this issue is the cable. Might be your cable is faulty or it is loose. Check the cable connections properly. Other causes include a corrupted display driver, incorrect display resolution and refresh rate, etc.

Why is Windows 11 not showing second monitor?

If Windows 11 is not showing or detecting your external monitor, your cable might not be connected properly or the issue is with the display driver. Remove and plug the cable again and see if it works. It is also possible that the cable is faulty. If another cable is available, use it.