Fix: “Second monitor not detected” issue on Windows

This article will show you how to Fix “Second monitor not detected” issue on Windows. A second monitor is a quick and easy way to boost your productivity or make your game experience better. Not only that, but it also gives you a bigger area that you can use as an extra workspace when you want to do more than one thing at once.

Most of the time, connecting your second PC monitor is as easy as plugging it in and turning it on. However, Windows 11/10 may not be able to see the monitor in some cases. This problem could be caused by a damaged or broken wire, a PC that doesn’t support the second display, an out-of-date driver, or display drivers that can’t handle the second display.

When you connect a second monitor to a computer with Windows, you can make the desktop bigger so you can use more apps and play games on your laptop or desktop computer. Even though setting up an external display is generally easy, Windows 10 may not be able to see older displays or second monitors because of problems with drivers or hardware. But if your computer has a problem, there are several steps you can take to fix “Second monitor not detected” issue quickly, such as checking the link and installing the right drivers.

Rollback driver to the previously installed version

It’s possible that your device can’t find the second monitor because a device driver was just changed. If you change your display driver, it might not work with your second monitor. If you just updated your display driver, you may want to try the steps below to get your computer to recognize the second monitor.

1. Press Windows Key + X on your keyboard.
2. Select Device Manager from the available options in the new window.
3. Select Display Adapters settings and expand to see the available devices.
4. Right-click on the display adapter then choose Properties.
5. Navigate to the Driver tab.
6. Select Roll Back Driver.
7. Windows will ask you to provide a reason for the rollback. Choose your reason then press  Yes.

Sometimes, you won’t be able to use the cancel button in Windows 11/10. If that’s the case, you’ll need to go to the website of the display maker to get the old driver so you can install it. Most of the time, this step is as easy as going to the manufacturer’s website and finding the part for drivers and support. If you want to know more information about this Visit Official Microsoft Support site.

Manually detect Monitor settings

If Windows 11/10 still can’t find the second monitor, you might have to try directly detecting the display settings to get them to work with your video card. This should be your first choice because it’s the easiest and doesn’t take much work. Most of the time, the easy and simplest answer is the best one. Follow the steps below to see if you can solve the problem directly through Settings.

1. Click on the Start button to open the Settings window.
2. Under the System menu and in the Display tab, find and press the Detect button under the heading Multiple Displays. Windows 11/10 should automatically detect and other monitor or display on your device.

Change your monitor frequency

A monitor’s refresh rate or frequency is how often the picture changes. The picture will look smoother and more up-to-date when the refresh rate or frequency is higher. This is especially true when watching a video. Hertz is a unit that counts how many times a picture changes every second. How often it needs to be done depends on what it needs to do. Old TVs ran at 50 to 60 hertz, while a movie theater’s long loop runs at only 24 hertz.

The frequency of a normal computer monitor is 60 hertz, but the newest and best displays for video games can go as high as 240 hertz. This is especially important in the world of online video games, where players compete against each other and need the best and smoothest video quality to get an edge. Some people say that if you change the frequency, you might be able to fix this problem. Follow the steps below to get your computer to recognize your second screen.

1. Open the Settings app by pressing Windows Key + I.
2. Once the Settings app opens, navigate to the System properties.
3. Scroll down to the section for Multiple displays and select Display adapter properties.
4. Once the new Properties window opens, find the Monitor tab. Set the Screen refresh rate to 60 Hertz and click on the Apply button and OK to save the changes.

Update driver for display

If rolling back the driver doesn’t fix the display problem and your device still can’t find the second monitor, you may be using the wrong display driver. It’s possible that you need to get the right driver for your video card. Follow the steps below to use Device Manager to update your graphics card by hand.

1. Press Windows Key + X on your keyboard.
2. Select Device Manager from the available options in the new window.
3. Select Display Adapters settings and expand to see the available devices.
4. Right-click on the display adapter then choose Update driver.
5. Choose the option to Search automatically for updated driver software.
6. Restart your device for the changes to take effect.

With the new driver for your video card, Windows should now be able to see your second monitor. If there isn’t a newer driver for your device, Windows will automatically find and update the driver for your graphics card.

Scan for Hardware Changes in Device Manager

Windows 10 often finds and installs the drivers for a new device immediately. But if for some reason the device isn’t found, you can use the Device Manager to scan for loaded devices by hand. To check for changes in hardware:

1. Press Win + R to open Run.
2. Type devmgmt.msc in the Run box and click OK.
3. In Device Manager, click on Action and select Scan for hardware changes.
4. Windows will scan your system for connected devices and install the necessary drivers.
5. Once done, your secondary monitor will detect and work without any issues.

A second monitor is one of the best ways for Windows users to get more done, but sometimes your computer doesn’t recognize the extra screen. This is a regular problem that most people will face at some point, but it’s easy to Fix “Second monitor not detected” issue.