Use this article to troubleshoot and fix the problem if Windows 11 does not recognize the external monitor.
Adding one, two, or more monitors to any Windows 11 machine allows you to expand your desktop canvas to enhance your multitasking experience while working with many programs at the same time and is also a great way to enhance your gaming experience.
Regardless of the situation, setting up an external monitor is usually simple.
However, due to hardware or driver issues, Windows 11 may not be able to recognize the second or third monitor.
There are a few things to consider if you’re having trouble connecting an external monitor.
We’ll walk you through the steps to fix issues that prevent your PC from detecting an external display in this Windows 11 article.
How to use hardware troubleshooting to fix external display problems
It is generally a driver problem when the computer does not recognize the second monitor.
However, it may be a problem with the physical connection.
Before messing with system settings, consider the following troubleshooting tips.
- Make sure the monitor is connected to a power source.
- Make sure the screen is on.
- To restore the connection, turn off the computer and restart it.
- Check that the computer and display are connected with a signal cable.
- Find the screen controls and change the input port to the appropriate one.
- Disconnect the video connection from both ends and reconnect it.
- To rule out a cable problem, connect an alternate video cable.
- If the monitor and graphics card have separate ports, replace them.
- DisplayPort and HDMI cables come in different shapes and sizes.
Check the manufacturer’s specifications to make sure you have the right cable. - Connect the display to another device to see if the problem is with the monitor.
- Connect another monitor to make sure the problem is not the graphics card.
- Unplug printers, cameras, and other USB devices to ensure that no other devices are interfering with the monitor.
- Update the firmware on your external monitor to resolve compatibility issues.
If you’re still having problems after completing the troubleshooting methods above, the problem may be software-related.
How to use Settings to troubleshoot monitor connection problems
Use Display Settings to force the system to recognize a different monitor if it’s not a hardware problem.
External monitor detection
Follow these procedures to manually identify an external monitor on Windows 11.
- Open the Settings menu.
- Select System.
- On the right side, select the View option.
- Select More views from the menu.
- Select Discover from the menu.
Windows 11 should now recognize the external monitor after completing the instructions.
Since the option is only available when connecting multiple monitors, it won’t be available if you only have one monitor.
This means that only installations with more than two monitors will be able to use this option.
Connect an external display wirelessly
Follow these instructions to connect a wireless display to Windows 10 as a secondary display.
- Open the Settings menu.
- Select Bluetooth and devices from the drop-down menu.
- Turn on the Bluetooth switch.
- To add a device, click the Add Device button.
- Select a choice for a wireless display or docking station.
- Make sure the wireless display is turned on and accessible.
- Choose a screen from the selection.
- Follow the instructions on the screen.
The wireless display will be identified as a new external display on your smartphone when you complete the instructions.
How to use the latest graphics drivers to fix monitor problems
A graphics driver that is outdated, buggy, or corrupted can cause problems that prevent the device from setting up a second screen.
A connection problem can be easily solved by upgrading, reinstalling, or downgrading the drivers.
Upgrade your graphics driver
Follow these procedures to upgrade the graphics driver.
- Open the Settings menu.
- Select Windows Update from the list of options.
- On the right side, go to the Advanced Settings page.
- Select the Optional updates option from the Additional choices column.
- On Windows 11, select the latest graphics driver to install.
- Select Download and Install from the menu.
When you complete the procedures, Windows Update will download and install the graphics driver, which will solve the problem of not detecting the external monitor.
If the Optional Updates tab is blank, Windows Update does not have a driver update available.
In this case, you should go to the manufacturer’s support page to download and install the newer version.
Reinstall the driver
Follow these procedures to replace a corrupted visual driver on Windows 11.
- Go to Start.
- To access the application, search for Device Manager and select the first result.
- To expand the Monitor Adapters branch, double-click it.
- Uninstall the adapter by right-clicking it and selecting Uninstall.
- Remove the option to delete driver software from this device (if applicable).
- Select Uninstall from the menu.
- Restart your computer if necessary.
- Restart Device Manager.
The system should now automatically recognize the monitor.
If not, run a scan for hardware changes in Device Manager to force Windows 11 to reinstall the monitor.
Select Scan for hardware changes from the context menu when you right-click the computer name.
After completing the procedures, Windows 11 should automatically identify and reinstall the driver.
However, it’s a good idea to follow the procedures above to make sure the driver is installed properly.
Go back to the previous graphics driver
If the graphics driver was recently changed, you may need to downgrade to fix the problem.
Follow these procedures to reinstall an older version of the graphics driver on Windows 11.
- Go to Start.
- To access the application, search for Device Manager and select the first result.
- To expand the Monitor Adapters branch, double-click it.
- Select Properties from the right-click menu for the graphics adapter.
- Switch to the Driver tab.
- To go back in time, use the Restore old driver button.
If the option is not available, the driver cannot be restored.
However, you can download and install an older version of the driver from the manufacturer’s support page. - To answer the question, choose one of the options.
- Select the Yes option.
- Restart your computer if necessary.
The external monitor should work as intended after you complete the procedures.
Update the driver using the software provided by the manufacturer
Although Windows 11 can automatically install most visual cards, Windows Update may not always contain the most up-to-date driver updates.
Companies such as Intel, NVIDIA, and AMD provide methods to quickly update drivers in case you need to install the latest driver to resolve display connectivity issues.
Note that manufacturers (such as HP, Dell, Acer, Microsoft, and others) often change the original drivers for their desktop and laptop computers if the device has a custom driver provided by the computer manufacturer.
This implies that any unique configurations established by the manufacturer can be lost if you have a branded computer, often known as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) computer, with a custom graphics card driver.
The installation of the tool is basic.
You simply need to use the links above to download and run the installer, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation and check for updates.
You can also follow the manufacturer’s instructions to get drivers directly from their support page.
You can find the drivers using the following links:
Follow these procedures to determine the adapter driver version and manufacturer on your computer.
- Go to Start.
- To access the application, search for System Information and select the first result.
- To expand the Components branch in the left pane, double-click it.
- Select the View option.
- To determine the driver card model and the current version, double-check the adapter type and driver version information.
Use the links above to identify, download and install the relevant driver after completing the instructions.
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