Fix Second Monitor Not Detected On Windows 11: Windows 11 lets you connect secondary monitors to your system to expand the desktop. The enlargement allows you to multitask more effectively due to the expanded real estate. Though connecting to a second monitor is easy and typically trouble-free. However, several customers have reported having problems connecting the secondary display since the operating system cannot detect the screen.
There might be various reasons why the operating system cannot detect the secondary monitor; it could be due to connection issues, an app running in the background that is interfering with it, or something else. Fortunately, most problems may be resolved without the assistance of a specialist. However, as previously said, since there may be more than one cause of the problem, you may need to perform more than one fix to resolve the second monitor not detected on Windows 11.
Second Monitor Not Detected On Windows 11? How To Fix
Rule Out Connection Or Cable Issues
Before you begin tampering with your system, it is important to rule out issues that may result from an inappropriate connection or a damaged or unsupported cable.
1 – Ensure the secondary display is connected and turned on.
2 – Find the display ports and ensure that the relevant input port and source are selected.
3 – Connect to a separate display to ensure the issue is with the display, not the cable.
4 – Ensure you’re not mixing up HDMI and DisplayPort; consult the device handbook to rule out a mismatch between the cable and the port.
5 – Unplug printers, USB devices, and cameras to ensure no other device is interfering with the connection.
6 – If you are attempting to connect to a wireless display, ensure they are connected to the same WiFi network.
Once you’ve ruled out the previously stated issues, you can be sure that the problem is most likely software-related. If something else is needed, go on to the next section to resolve the second monitor not detected on Windows 11.
Force Detect Secondary Screen
If the secondary display does not light up as soon as you connect it to your computer, you may quickly forcibly detect it from your device’s Settings app.
1 – To begin, go to the Start Menu and select the ‘Settings’ title under the ‘Pinned apps’ section. Alternatively, put Settings into the menu to find it. You may also open the app by pressing the Windows+E buttons on your keyboard simultaneously.
2 – Next, from the ‘Settings’ window, ensure the ‘System’ option on the left sidebar is selected before proceeding.
3 – To proceed, locate and click on the ‘Display’ title in the right section of the window.
Note: Ensure your secondary screen is connected to the computer before moving on to the next step.
4 – On the next screen, scroll down to find the ‘Multiple displays’ title, located under the ‘Scale & layout’ section of the page, and click on it to expand the option. Then, after selecting the ‘Detect other display’ option, click the ‘Detect’ button. Windows will now detect any other displays that are connected to the system.
Update Graphics Driver
If the operating system does not detect the secondary screen even after forcing it to do so, this might suggest a problem with the graphics card’s driver. If you haven’t recently updated them, it’s time to do so since there’s a good chance that doing so will fix the issue for you.
1 – To update the graphics driver, go to the Start Menu and search for it using Device Manager. Next, click on the title ‘Device Manager’ from the search results to open it.
2 – Next, locate and double-click on the ‘Display Adapters’ section on the Device Manager screen to expand it. Then, right-click on the graphics card installed on your system to reveal the context menu. Next, click the ‘Update driver’ option from the context menu to continue. This will open a new window on your screen.
3 – From the newly opened window, select ‘Search automatically for drivers’ if you want Windows to find the most recent driver for the graphics card from the Microsoft server.
4 – If you already have a driver package to install, click the ‘Browse my computer for drivers’ option to open a File Explorer window and manually locate the driver package.
Note: Because some devices may have more than one graphics card installed, we suggest upgrading both using the same methods outlined above.
After updating the drivers, restart your PC from the Start Menu and reconnect the second display to see whether the problem has been fixed.
Roll Back Graphics Driver
If you recently upgraded your graphics driver and immediately began experiencing problems, the update is most likely to blame. As a result, rolling back the graphics driver update may resolve the issue in this case.
1 – To roll back a driver on your Windows device, go to the Start Menu and search for Device Manager. Next, click on the title ‘Device Manager’ from the search results to open it.
2 – Now, on the ‘Device Manager’ screen, locate and double-click on the ‘Display adapters’ option to expand the section. Then, right-click on the graphics card in the section to open the context menu. Next, click the ‘Properties’ option from the context menu to continue. This will open a new window on your screen.
3 – Click the ‘Driver’ option from the newly opened window. Then, locate and click the ‘Roll Back Driver’ button to begin the rollback procedure. This will open a new window on your screen.
4 – Choose a reason from the list to roll back the driver by clicking on the individual radio button preceding each reason, and then click on the ‘Yes’ button to roll back the driver from the separately opened window.
After reverting the driver, restart your Windows 11 computer from the Start Menu to see if the problem persists.
Ensure Both Of Your Screens Have Same Refresh Rate
Having multiple refresh rates on separate screens can cause a display conflict and cause the secondary screen to stop working. However, changing the refresh rate is a relatively simple process that only requires a couple of mouse clicks.
1 – To change the refresh rate, go to the Start Menu and select the ‘Settings’ title from the ‘Pinned apps’ section. Alternatively, put Settings into the menu to find it. You may also open the app by pressing the Windows+E buttons on your keyboard simultaneously.
2 – Now, in the Settings window, ensure the ‘System’ option is selected on the window’s left sidebar before the present.
3 – To proceed, find and click on the ‘Display’ title in the right section of the window.
4 – To proceed, scroll down the ‘Display’ settings page to find the ‘Advanced display’ title under the ‘Related settings’ section.
5 – On the following screen, look for the ‘Choose a refresh rate’ title under the ‘Display information’ section. Then, on the far-right side of the title, click on the drop-down menu.
6 – Now, choose a refresh rate supported by the secondary screen. This will cause a prompt to appear on your screen.
7 – To continue, click the ‘Keep the changes’ button in the overlay prompt.
Once the refresh rate has been altered, detach and reconnect the screen to see whether the problem has been rectified.
Conclusion:
There you have it, guys; this instruction will resolve the second monitor not detected problem on your Windows 11 computer.
