HP is one of the most well known computer component brands. HP monitors are built into their laptops but are also sold as stand alone monitors. In this article, I will explain how to troubleshoot an HP monitor that isn’t connecting to a PC, Mac, or laptop.
As a general rule, first check that the cable from the monitor to your computer is plugged in correctly. Verify that the monitor is working properly by disconnecting the video cable. If it’s working properly the monitor should say ‘no video signal’. If it doesn’t do the steps below.
If the monitor is turned on and doesn’t say ‘no signal’ then there is an issue with the monitor. You should contact HP to repair or replace it. Below, I will provide the additional troubleshooting steps for what to do if your HP monitor is not connecting to your laptop, PC, or Mac.
HP Monitor Not Connecting to Laptop/Mac/PC
Connecting computer components often works right away without any issues. But, more often than not a problem can arise. Here’s what to do if your HP monitor won’t connect to your laptop, Mac, or PC.
In general, first check the video cable is plugged in and there isn’t any cosmetic damage to it by inspecting both ends. Try a different video cable if you have one. Make sure the video channel on your HP monitor is right such as HDMI1, HDMI2, or VGA. Then do the following.
If the monitor says ‘no signal’ you can be sure your HP monitor is working properly. Change the channel your HDMI monitor is set to using the menu buttons on the monitor. If the video cable is plugged into HDMI2, but it’s set to HDMI2, it will say no signal.
Or, if it’s a VGA cable but it’s set to HDMI it will also say not signal. Change the channel the monitor it’s on to see if you get a signal. If you have another HDMI or VGA cable, swap out the one you’re using for a different one.
Then see if the monitor is displaying what’s on your laptop, Mac, or PC. A PC computer with a dedicated graphics card will have two places to plug the video cable into. There is one that is built into the motherboard which is disabled if it has a dedicated graphics card.
And there’s another one on the graphics card. Try plugging in the video cable to a different port if there is more than one on the back of your PC. After that, try restarting the monitor and your computer.
Do that by turning off your monitor, and then turning it back on again. And restarting the computer in the normal way. It sounds a bit silly and like it won’t do anything.
But this is very effective at solving many issues with computers. When it’s still not working, the issue with the computer.
Sending the video signal to the HP monitor [Mac and Windows]
On Macbooks, it will be auto detected by you can rearrange the screens to see if that fixes the problem. Click on the Apple menu which is the Apple icon at the top of the screen then select ‘System Preferences’ > ‘Display’ > ‘Arrangement’. Then change the order of the screens.
For Windows computers such as a PC or laptop click on the speech bubble icon in the bottom right of the screen. Then click on ‘Project’ on the right hand side. There are 4 options.
Choose any of the options except ‘PC only’. This will send the video signal to the second monitor. There are also specific options to change if you’re using an HDMI cable.
Refer to the instructions in this article about no HDMI signal. It covers HDMI signal issues with PCs, Macs, and laptops.
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on August 21, 2022.
HP Monitor Not Connecting to Laptop
A laptop has the capability to have another monitor plugged into it, and you can either use one bigger monitor, or use two monitors at once. However, if your HP monitor doesn’t not connect or display anything here’s how to identify what’s wrong.
Overall, the reasons are the video cable is faulty, the settings are wrong on your computer to send the signal to the monitor, the wrong channel is selected on your HP monitor such as HDMI1 instead of HDMI2, or the monitor and laptop need to be restarted. The steps to fix it are explained below.
Begin by disconnecting the cable and inspecting the ends for any damage. Try a different video cable if you have one. After that, change the display channel on the monitor using the buttons on the monitor.
For example, if it’s set to HDMI1, change it to HDMI2, or VGA. There are a few different versions of Windows. For Windows 10 click the speech bubble icon on the bottom right of the screen.
And then click on ‘project’. This will give you 4 options, change it to any of them except for ‘PC only’. For other versions of Windows you right click on an empty spot on the desktop.
Then you select ‘display settings’. These settings are all self-explanatory, it may be set to only display one monitor, and you need to change it to a dual monitor setup. These are the main causes, otherwise the monitor may be faulty.
To test it, plug it into another computer, or even a gaming console. Otherwise, get in touch with HP support.
HP Monitor Not Connecting to HP Laptop
An HP monitor can be connected to an HP laptop and will display what is on the laptop screen. Or, the laptop screen can be extended between the laptop monitor and an external HP monitor to create one big screen. But, if your HP monitor is not connecting to your HP laptop this is what you should do.
Overall, the cable could be faulty or not plugged in on both ends, the HP monitor is on the wrong input channel such as HDMI2 instead of HDMI1. There is also a ‘project’ setting within Windows that needs to be changed to send the signal to your HP monitor, explained below.
To access the ‘project’ settings on Windows 10 click on the speech bubble icon at the bottom right hand side of the screen. Then click on ‘project’. By default it will be set to ‘PC Only’.
Change it to one of the other options. For older versions of Windows such as Windows 7 right click on a blank place on the desktop. Then select, ‘display options’.
There will be some options there to change which monitor is showing the screen. If it’s neither of these settings then check the cable, by inspecting each of the ends of the cable. And making sure it’s plugged in all the way on both ends.
Then check what channel your HP monitor is set to. For example, if it’s on HDMI, change it to VGA, or HDMI2 to see if it starts displaying. Otherwise, contact HP support as the monitor may be faulty.
But, if possible you can try plugging your monitor into a different device like a gaming console such as an Xbox if you have one. Or, a different computer.
HP Monitor Not Connecting to Dell Laptop
HP and Dell are two different companies but monitors are universal so an HP monitor will work perfectly well on a Dell laptop. Connecting the cables is very simple, and sometimes when you connect an HP monitor to a Dell laptop it will work straight away. But, if it doesn’t, here’s what you should do.
In general, begin by turning off your HP monitor and restart your Dell Laptop, then turn your HP monitor back on. After that, check that your HP monitor is on the right signal channel using buttons on it. For example, select HDMI1, or VGA. If it’s still not working do the steps below.
You can first test if the monitor is working by unplugging it from your Dell laptop. If it’s working the HP monitor should say no signal. After that, refer to the instructions explained near the top of this article under the heading that says ‘HP Monitor Not Connecting to Laptop/Mac/PC’.
How to Connect HP Monitor to Laptop
There are a few settings on a laptop that need to be checked to get an HP monitor to work when you plug it in. Here’s an overview of everything you need to do to connect an HP monitor to a laptop.
As a general rule, plug the HP monitor in the wall outlet, and connect the video cable into the back of your HP monitor, and into the port on your laptop. Then you need to adjust the ‘project’ settings in Windows. Step by step instructions for how to do that are covered below.
On Windows 10 click the speech bubble icon on the bottom left of the screen. This brings up a bunch of different options. Click on ‘project’.
It will give you 5 different settings. Make sure it’s not set to ‘PC only’, otherwise your laptop won’t send the video signal to your HP monitor. On versions of Windows before Windows 10 such as Windows 7 open the display settings by right clicking with your mouse on an empty area on your desktop.
Then click on ‘display settings’. There will be some options on the window that open where you adjust which monitor is the primary monitor, or that it’s set to display on two different monitors at once.
HP Monitor Not Connecting to MacBook/MacBook Pro/MacBook Air
Macbook computers are different to Windows computers, and some require a special adapter to connect an HDMI or VGA cable to use an HP monitor. Provided, it’s all plugged in, here’s what to do if your HP monitor is not connecting to your Macbook Air, Macbook Pro, or other type of Macbook.
In general, check that the HP monitor is on the right input such as VGA or HDMI using the buttons on your HP monitor. If it’s on the right channel but still isn’t working, restart the monitor by turning it on and off again, and restart your Macbook. Then do the steps below.
Inspect the video cable for any damage. And try a different video cable if you have one. Try the HP monitor on a different device if you have one available such as a gaming console, or another computer.
To verify your HP monitor is working properly disconnect the video cable, and have only the power cord to your HP monitor plugged in. The screen should say ‘no video signal’. If the screen is completely blank it may not be getting power.
Make sure the power cable is plugged in all the way on both ends. Otherwise, contact HP support to have it repaired or replaced.
How to Connect HP Monitor to MacBook/MacBook Pro/MacBook Air
Connecting an HP monitor to a Macbook, Macbook Pro, or Macbook Air is reasonably easy once you know how. Here’s the steps to do it.
In general, you will need an adapter. This plugs into the lightning port connector on your Macbook, and has a few ports such as an HDMI, and a USB port. Plug the HP monitor HDMI cable into the adapter, and into the monitor, and it will work straight away. If it doesn’t, do the steps below.
You can change which monitor is primary in the settings on your MacBook.
After checking the settings, if it’s still not working then refer to the heading a bit further up in this article that says ‘HP Monitor Not Connecting to Macbook/Macbook Pro/Macbook Air’. It explains what to do if it’s not connecting.
HP Monitor Not Connecting to PC
A PC can use one monitor at once but can also use two different monitors at the same time. Plugging an HP monitor into the power, and then connecting the single video cable that is required to connect it to a PC is easy to do, you just need to find the port where it fits. But, if it’s not connecting and not showing any video signal, here’s what you should do.
Overall, the monitor could be set to the wrong port such as HDMI1, or VGA. Make sure it’s set to the port the video cable at the back is plugged into. If it’s still not working, then restart your HP monitor by turning it on and off again, and restart your computer. Then do the following steps.
How to Connect HP Monitor to PC
A monitor for a computer can easily be swapped out for a different one. Connecting a monitor using the cables is fairly easy. However, there are a few settings that need to be changed in Windows, so here’s how to connect an HP monitor to a PC.
Overall, you plug the HP monitor into the power, turn it on, and then plug the video cable into the HP monitor and into the PC. Then it should work straight away. If it doesn’t you need to adjust the ‘project’ settings in Windows, explained below.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on August 21, 2022.
As a general rule, first check that the cable from the monitor to your computer is plugged in correctly. Verify that the monitor is working properly by disconnecting the video cable. If it’s working properly the monitor should say ‘no video signal’. If it doesn’t do the steps below.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on August 21, 2022.