How to Fix Monitor Detected But No Signal
When you set up a monitor or multiple monitors, you expect them to run smoothly, and that is true for most cases, you usually face no problems if the monitor is in good shape and has no manufacturing issues. However, a while after using the monitor(s), troubles may begin to start.
This depends on many reasons, and depending on the problem, you can decide to get professional repair help or try some methods first.
The detected monitor but with no signal is a common problem which faces many multiple monitor users. Especially, when you connect your second one to your laptop or computer. The thing is, knowing the issue isn’t always easy, especially if you don’t have a technical background. But experts suggest that there are two possible reasons that are very common in this case.
The first cause is a problem with the computer. Reasons could be graphics card issues, a severe virus, display settings, or windows updates.
The second cause might be problems associated with the second monitor itself. It can have internal problems that affect the monitor display.
Of course, there are many other reasons, but we are here to discuss the solutions. So first, we will provide initial steps that check the basics and make sure the problem isn’t in one of them. Then, we will give a practical troubleshooting guide with many steps so that you can fix your monitor as soon as possible in an efficient way.
Initial Steps
Before you go on and make huge changes or assume something is wrong, consider these simple, yet important issues. The problem might be really plain and not as complex as you think.
1. Connecting The Monitor For The First Time
Is this your first time connecting this monitor? If that is the case, then you can eliminate many issues. If this monitor doesn’t work the first time, this may refer to a hardware issue. But if this monitor has worked before, then the problem might be linked to software or driver issues.
Because the monitor wasn’t recognized before, chances are you won’t be able to decide whether it is a software or a hardware issue. This means that going all over the basic steps is crucial and necessary. But if your monitor has worked previously, then you can check if the pc has been updated recently. This indicates a software issue.
2- Restarting The Computer
So, this is the most given advice when there is no signal. And it is a valid solution in general. To understand this, you need to know that when you try to connect a new monitor, the pc may not be able to process all the drivers and the software immediately. It can also fail to launch some system functions that are crucial to the monitor display. This means that restarting the pc will give it the chance to identify the new monitor and update any needed features.
Try to close all the programs, documents, and applications. And for updates, don’t power off the device, instead, ensure that the internet connection is strong and wait for a while.
3- Check The Configurations
You can tweak the configurations of the monitor. You can try to change the ports if the laptop has multiple ones. Another thing to try is to make the primary monitor the second one and vice-versa. This can help you figure out whether it is the port or the monitor which has an issue. You can try to unplug the primary one and leave the second monitor only. If it works well, then there is something wrong with the port, and you can fix it now.
4- Check For Drivers And Viruses
One of the main reasons that monitors don’t get a signal is the driver updates. Some old PCs have outdated graphics or monitor drivers, and updates help the PC to recognize the second monitor. That is why you need to make sure that the drivers for its graphics card are fully updated.
You can find the drivers you need for AMD, NVIDIA or Intel integrated graphics using links from the control panel of your graphics card.
You should also check for viruses. For most PCs, there are pre-installed antivirus and antimalware software, but if you don’t have a valid version, viruses can easily damage your computer.
While viruses can’t be responsible for the dysfunction of a monitor, it is always good to check for them when something isn’t working right.
Steps to troubleshoot: how to fix your monitor?
After implementing those basic steps, it is time to fix the PC. We recommend you seek the help of an expert as some things may harm your computer.
Before we start, you should know the difference between a hardware issue and a software issue.
A hardware issue means that there is something not working right with the monitor itself. It might be a problem in the physical construction of the monitor or the ports of the PC.
A software issue indicates a communication issue, the drivers may not be synchronized or the operating system may need updates.
1- Test The Hardware
When changing the number of monitors, which means you use the secondary monitor as the primary, and it doesn’t work, this means that the problem is in the hardware.
You can use another monitor to replace the second one, if it is working properly, then it is a hardware problem.
You can connect the monitor to another computer, and see if it works. If it doesn’t, then it is a monitor issue for sure.
Another thing to do is to change the monitor cables. You can also change the computer output port and see if this works.
2- Change The Settings
Access the display settings through right-clicking on the desktop, then find the detection button so that windows search for the monitor.
If you still can’t detect it, press Windows Key + X to go to the device manager. There, you want to see if the graphics card is detected. In the Display Adapters and Monitors tabs, look for any errors with the yellow caution sign. This could inform you if the system has any kind of a problem.
Another thing that could work is changing the resolution or the refresh rate through the settings.
To change the refresh rate, go to Display Settings and select your monitor. Then head to Advanced Display Settings and press on Display adapter properties for display-2. From the monitor tab, change the refresh rate and choose another number.
3- Update Graphics Driver
After checking the hardware and changing settings, you need to update your driver. The graphics driver makes sure that computer software programs are integrated with the hardware, so update them regularly if this doesn’t happen automatically.
In some cases, you may need to reinstall the driver.
4- Use Manufacturer Control Panel to Update Graphics Driver
You can manually update the graphics driver by going to the device manager, then clicking on display adapters. Then right-click on the graphics card. Reinstall the drivers if this didn’t work.
You can also check the websites of the graphics card brands for new updates.
And finally, check the windows for new updates through settings and make sure you don’t skip regular updates.
5- Try Restoring The System
If the monitor used to work before, and your operating system is windows 10, you can reset it to the previous state.
Set the date you want, and restore the system. You can also go back to an older installed windows version because the updates may have issues.
6- Update And Scan Your Windows
Check your windows for updates through settings or control panels. This step is important because new monitors usually don’t work with older versions or they need constant updates.
After the updates, check again for viruses. Try to perform a long, detailed scan instead of the quick scan to detect any possible issue.
7- Reinstall Your Operating System
If none of these things work, try one final solution and reinstall your windows. This is not an easy step and it will eliminate most of the programs and will take plenty of time to restore all of your data. This is the last thing you can do before seeking expert help or thinking about replacing the monitor, so think carefully before doing this.
Conclusion
We hope that your issue has been solved and the monitor is working. If it didn’t, we encourage you to seek technical help as some problems can only be solved through an expert.
Please share your experience in the comments and tell us what has worked for you and if you tried something we haven’t mentioned, we would be happy to hear from you!
