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Second Monitor Not Working

You may have many reasons for using a second monitor for your computer system. Maybe you work a job that requires you to have two monitors, or perhaps you like to multitask, and you have the second monitor for that reason. The use of more than one monitor sometimes brings a heap of problems, and this piece will help you work through the most common issues.

If your second monitor is not working, you might mean that your computer isn’t detecting it, or it’s detecting it but not displaying anything on it. It could even mean that it goes black, gets blurry, or flickers too much for your liking. This article will explain how to restore functionality.  

Two monitor in the table

Second Monitor Not Detected/No Signal

Confused man looking at the monito

When your second monitor does get detected, it could be due to simple or complex issues. The problem could have something to do with the cable you attached to it, and it could also be a software issue or a hardware conflict.

If your second monitor is not detected, you will first need to ensure that you have the correct cable for your computer and that the connection is good. If the answer is yes, you can move on to the next step in troubleshooting; restart your computer. 

Next, you can use the settings app to see if you can make some magic happen. You must go to “Settings,” “System,” “Display,” and then “Detect.” Your system should detect your second monitor once you do that.

If this solution doesn’t work, you can consider that your graphics card may not be able to handle more than one model. Updating your graphics driver may resolve the issue. To perform that process, you can select “Start,” “Device Manager,” and then “Display Adaptors.” Once you get to that point, you can choose “Update Driver” and see if that resolves your issue.

Consider the follow articles to help you diagnose monitor signal problems.

No DisplayPort Signal from Your Device Error

No HDMI signal from your device

Second Monitor Detected But Not Displaying

Man using monitor for office work

You may have a setting or two out of wack if your second monitor is detected but not displaying. In that case, you’ll need to venture into your settings menu and change a few things for the best result.

If your system detects your second monitor but doesn’t display it, restart your computer first. Next, try a different configuration by pulling your cables into other ports to see if it makes a difference. After that, you must check your drivers to see updates. If not, you can update them now. 

Viruses and malware can also cause that type of issue to occur. Therefore, you should run an antivirus program to remove all harmful elements from your computer. One of those solutions should resolve your problem, but technicians can help you if nothing seems to work for you.

Second Monitor Keeps Going Black

Black screen monitor

Various issues can cause your second monitor to keep going black. Some of the most common problems are corrupt video cables and third-party software.

Check your video cables if your second monitor keeps going black. It could be that one of the cables is not compatible, or it is going bad slowly. Try switching cables to see if it works with a different one connected. If so, you’ll know that’s your problem. 

If that doesn’t work, you should check your apps and software to ensure that your computer isn’t overloaded with numerous conflicting software programs.

Mouse Won’t Go to Second Monitor

Man using monitor

Another annoying issue that might be happening to you is that your mouse might not be going to the second monitor. You can resolve it relatively quickly with a few simple steps.

If your mouse doesn’t go to the second monitor, press the X and Windows keys simultaneously and then select “Settings” and then “System” and then “Display.” Next, click “Identify” so that Windows will identify the displays. Drag and drop your displays in the same order you have them set up. 

Next, go to “Multiple Displays” and select “Extend These Displays” from the drop-down list. That’s all you need to do.

Second Monitor Cutting Off Edges

Monitor placed on the desk table

You might notice that your second monitor cuts off the edges of your screen. That usually happens when people use televisions as their dual monitors. The fix is simple, however.

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on February 13, 2022.

If your second monitor cuts off edges, you can resolve it by using the TV’s menu and looking for a setting called “Overscan.” You will need to deactivate that setting if you want your screen to display correctly. You should have a perfectly organized screen after you disabled the overscan feature. 

Second Monitor Blurry

A blurry second monitor can be a highly frustrating situation. You want a crisp and clear picture, and you don’t know why you keep getting a blurry screen. This problem happens to many people, usually because of a scaling setting that isn’t correct.

To fix a blurry second monitor problem, you’ll need to go into the display settings. You can easily do that on a Windows device by right-clicking on the desktop and then clicking on “Display Settings.” Now click on “Advanced Scaling Settings” to fix the problem.  

When you get there, you’ll need to disable “Let Windows try to fix apps, so they’re not blurry.” Do the same thing for the other monitor, and your problem should resolve. You could also try switching the unit that’s showing you the blurry apps to use as your primary monitor. You can do that by clicking on “Display Settings” and then checking “Make This My Main Display.”

If this solution fails, you may need to change your wireless display settings, which is an Intel setting. To get there, you will need to right-click your desktop and go to “Intel Graphics Settings” instead of “Display Settings,” Navigate to the picture size menu option and then change the setting to 100.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on February 13, 2022.

Second Monitor Flickering

Woman looking at the monitor

A flickering screen on your second monitor can be a frustrating situation to have to go through. A problem like that usually occurs because of poor connections, wrong refresh rate, issues with your display driver, or resolution setting problems. You can try all three fixes if you see your second monitor flickering frequently.

If your second monitor screen is flickering, you can start your troubleshooting process by trying something that seems as if it’s the easiest solution. Check each of your connections to ensure that they are secure. You’ll also need to ensure that you have the correct type of HDMI attached to your unit.

Something small like a loose connection could cause the flickering issue for you. If this resolves your problem, you can move on and enjoy your monitor. If it doesn’t, you can try adjusting your screen’s resolution.

Right-click on the desktop if you have a Windows computer unit and go into the “Display Settings.” Go to the drop-down menu and change the screen resolution settings. You’ll need to choose a different resolution from what you have, and you’ll need to do it to both monitors.

Another fix that might work for this problem is a refresh rate adjustment. You can get to the menu to do that by opening your settings menu and then selecting “System” and “Advanced Display Settings.” You’ll see the option to select a different refresh rate from a drop-down menu. Choose a refresh rate that’s lower than the one your television is currently set on. You did the right thing if your problem resolves after that.

The problem you’re experiencing may also do with your display driver. Thus, you can try updating the driver you have now. The display driver is most likely your problem if you find that Task Manager flickers as well. The way to check that is to press “Control,” “Alt,” and “Delete” to get to the Task Manager. If it flickers, you’ll know that your following steps should include updating your display driver.

Start your computer in safe mode to update your driver. If you don’t know how to initiate that process, you can do it by selecting the Windows icon and pressing R. You’ll type MSConfig and hit okay. Next, you are going to need to choose the “Boot” tab and then move to “Boot Options” and then “Safe Boot.”

When your computer is up and running. Next, visit the taskbar’s search box and type in “Device Manager.” Select that and then select “Display Adapters.” You’ll then have to right-click the adapter you desire and then click “Update.”

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on February 13, 2022.

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