How to Fix Second Monitor Not Detected on Windows 10?

Many Windows users, especially graphic designers, and video editors use multiple monitors to improve their work accuracy. This eventually enhances their work productivity and efficiency. Many PC gamers also use the second monitor for the better display while playing games.

Connecting with the second monitor is not a big task. You would need an HDMI cable and then just plug and play. However, some times the Windows 10 system refuses to detect the second monitor.

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There could be several reasons for this problem, like compatibility issues, outdated drivers, and more. In this guide, we would walk through some quick ways to fix the second monitor not detected in Windows 10 problem.

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Follow few Troubleshooting tricks

Before moving forward to apply the changes in the settings, follow these quick troubleshooting steps. Maybe the problem is not that big and could be solved following any of these steps.

  • Check whether the cable you are using is correct. Usually, an HDMI cable is used to connect the laptop to the second screen.
  • Ensure that the HDMI cable that you are using is undamaged. Mainly the second monitor not detected on Windows 10 issue occurs because of the malfunctioned cable. Try using any other HDMI cable, and if that works, then there was a problem with the previous one.
  • Try using the second monitor with any other system to ensure whether the problem is with the primary system or with the second screen.
  • Ensure the continuous and sufficient power supply to both the screens for the proper functioning and detection.
  • Use any other screen as a second display to make sure that there is no problem with the screen.
  • Disconnect all other peripherals, if any, to avoid the hardware conflicts between your system and the second monitor.
  • Restart the system and reconnect the monitor again.

Roll Back to the Previous Version of Display Driver

Although the system hardware works best with the updated drivers, it may sometime act opposite and cause compatibility issues. It might be possible that the second monitor is undetected because of compatibility issues with the latest display driver. So, you can try rolling back to the older version to fix that. To do so in Windows 10, here are the steps.

  1. Right-click on the Windows icon on the taskbar and choose Device Manager.Device Manager

  2. Expand Display Adapters, right-click on the driver, and select Properties.Roll back Display drivers

  3. Under the Driver tab, click on Roll Back Driver.roll back display driver

  4. Choose the reason for rolling back and click Yes.Roll back Display drivers


Update the Display Drivers

If the rolling back driver doesn’t work, try updating the drivers to the latest version to fix the non-detecting issue. Always ensure that not only the graphic card drivers but all other drivers should also be updated regularly. If you find it tedious to check for and update the drivers manually, you can get the third-party advanced drivers updater software.

Follow these steps to update the display drivers.

  1. Right-click on the Windows icon and select the Device Manager.Device Manager
  2. Expand Display adapters, right-click on the graphic card driver, and choose Update.Update graphics driver
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to update it.
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Force Windows 10 to Detect the Second PC Monitor

If you are sure that there is no connection problem and driver problem, you can force the Windows 10 to detect the second PC monitor if it is not detected automatically.

  1. Right-click on the Windows icon and go to Windows Settings.Open Settings
  2. Select the System settings.System settings
  3. From the left pane, select the Display option.select display
  4. Now, on the right pane under Rearrange your displays, click on Detect.Choose Detect
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Ensure Screen Refresh Rate is Same for Both the Monitors

Sometimes the second monitor is connected but does not display the proper image because the screen refresh rate is different for both the monitors.

Screen Refresh Rate is the number of times the screen refreshes the image on the screen per second. 

To ensure that the screen refresh rate is the same for both the monitors, follow these steps.

  1. Navigate to Settings->System->Display.
  2. Under Display, click on Advanced display settings.Advanced Display Settings
  3. Click on Display adapter properties for Display 1 and Display adapter properties for Display 2.Display settings
  4. Under the Monitor tab, check whether the Screen Refresh Rate is the same for both the monitors or not. If they are not the same, change the rate of either of them and match with the other one.Screen refresh rate display

Change the Project Mode

Sometimes the second monitor is not detected on Windows 10 because of the wrong Project Mode. Try changing it and check if it works.

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows key and the P key together.
  2. Select your preferred Project Mode and keep changing it until it works.Change Project Mode

Connect a Wireless Display

If you have tried everything and connection through cable is still not happening, try getting connected through the wireless mode if the second monitor supports it.

  1. Open Settings and choose Devices.Devices settings
  2. Under Bluetooth or other devices, click on the + icon to add the second monitor.Click on + icon
  3. Under Add a device, select Wireless display or dock.wireless display or dock
  4. On your device, keep the Bluetooth ON, so that Windows could discover it.sanning for device

Final Words

By now, you might have resolved the second monitor not detected on Windows 10 issue using the fixes listed in this guide. If the problem persists, try reinstalling Windows or update the firmware of the second monitor.

1. Why is my second monitor blank?

If your second monitor screen is black and the primary one isn’t, there might be the HDMI cable problem. It can also be because of incorrect project mode.

2. Can I connect two monitors to my laptop with only one HDMI cable?

An HDMI cable doesn’t have the capability to send multiple display streams through the same cable. An HDMI splitter can be used to connect two monitors. However, a splitter would display the same thing on both the monitors.

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