Troubleshooting Multi-Monitor Issues on Windows 10

Adding extra displays to your work setup will help significantly increase productivity. Although you will most probably find it easy to set up multiple monitors, sometimes you may run into connectivity or driver-related issues that require more knowledge or even third-party support. In this article, you will learn how to troubleshoot the most common multi-monitor issues on Windows 10.

First of all, make sure that your Windows 10 machine is up to date. To do that, press Win+I to open Settings, go to Update & Security > Windows Update and click the Check for updates button.

Troubleshooting hardware issues

If your machine is up to date and you are still experiencing connection (or “no signal”) issues when setting up an external monitor, try the following troubleshooting options first:

1. Check the cable connecting the external display for any potential damage. Make sure it’s securely connected to your Windows 10 machine.
2. Try connecting the external display to another Windows machine.
3. Disconnect any other peripherals from your computer to eliminate possible conflicts.
4. If your machine has several video output ports (HDMI, VGA, DVI, or DisplayPort), try plugging the external display into other ports.

Contact the external display’s manufacturer or read the official Microsoft documentation for additional information on how to troubleshoot hardware-related issues.

Troubleshooting connection issues via Settings

If your hardware appears to be intact, follow these steps to force detect the external display:

1. Press Win+I to open Settings.
2. Go to System > Display.
3. Under the Multiple Displays section, click Detect to try to connect to the external display.

Try the following steps to connect a wireless display on Windows 10:

1. Press Win+I to open Settings.
2. Go to Devices > Bluetooth & other devices.
3. Click Add Bluetooth or other device.
4. Select the Wireless display or dock option.
5. Make sure that the external display is turned on and ready to connect.
6. Select the external display from the list and follow the onscreen instructions.

Updating or reinstalling drivers

Updating or reinstalling your display driver might also help resolve any connection issues between your Windows 10 machine and the external display.

To update your graphics driver:

1. Press Win+I to open Settings.
2. Go to Update & Security > Windows Update and click View optional updates.
3. Click on Driver updates and select the applicable update.
4. Click the Download and install button.

To roll back your display driver:

1. Type device manager in the search box on the Windows taskbar and select Device Manager from the list.
2. Expand the Display adapters section.
3. Right-click the display adapter and select Properties.
4. Go to the Driver tab and click the Roll back driver button. If this option is not available, reinstall your display driver.
5. Select one of the options under the Why are you rolling back section and click Yes.
6. Restart your computer.

To reinstall your display driver:

1. Type device manager in the search box on the Windows taskbar and select Device Manager from the list.
2. Expand the Display adapters section.
3. Right-click the display adapter and select Uninstall device.
4. Select delete the driver software for this device, then Unistall.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Open Device Manager again and expand the Display adapters branch.
7. Right-click the computer name and select Scan for hardware changes.
8. Right-click your display adapter and select Update driver.
9. Select Search automatically for updated driver software and follow the onscreen instructions.

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