A second monitor undoubtedly provides comfort and improves productivity by giving a clearer and bigger display. Whether you’re a gamer or programmer, it serves as an extra workspace for general multitasking.
Connecting a Dell second monitor to a PC is usually easier, like a plug-and-play process. However, in some cases, your computer might be having some issues, and it will not detect the second monitor.
There are common causes of this problem. In this article, we’ll discuss possible causes and give proven solutions to help you escape this problem.
Dell Second Monitor Not Detected: Possible Causes
If your Dell second monitor is not detected, below are some possible causes of this problem:
- Defective or malfunctioning cable
- Device incompatibility.
- Outdated driver or system software
- Incorrect configuration
- Other software issues
Dell Second Monitor Not Detected: How To Fix
To help you fix the “Dell second monitor not detected” problem, we’ve compiled proven troubleshooting tips. Read along as we proffer solutions to this problem from essential to advanced levels.
1. Restart Your Devices
Restarting your computers works effectively for major technological problems and a “second monitor not detected” is not an exception. When you restart your computer, it closes all running programs or processes that might interfere with the connection between your Dell second monitor and the PC. Ensure you restart both devices and try reconnecting afterward.
2. Check Hardware Components
A faulty hardware component can also hinder the PC from detecting the second monitor. Double-check to be sure you’re using the appropriate cable to make the connections. Also, inspect the wires for any visible damage or defects so you can change them accordingly. If the cables are ok, try the following troubleshooting tips to inspect more hardware components:
- Double check the secondary monitor and ensure the power cord is well-connected and turned on.
- Change the cables to be sure the old ones are not faulty.
- Disconnect accessories such as dongles, docks, or adapters as they could cause hardware conflicts between your second monitor and the PC.
- If your primary monitor has different ports for many monitors, try and switch between ports to check if the second monitor will work.
- Connect your second monitor to another PC to isolate whether the faults are coming from the primary monitor.
- Ensure you select the appropriate input(DVI, HDMI, etc.) when using the built-in controls on the monitor.
- Connect a new monitor to the PC to determine if the problem arises because there’s a compatibility issue.
3. Force Windows To Detect The Second PC Monitor
If you can’t detect any hardware connection problem between the PC and your second monitor, you can explore the windows settings app to force it to detect the second monitor. Use the steps below to force detection:
- Go to Start Menu and open Settings
- Click on the System option and select Display
- Navigate to the Multiple Displays or Rearrange your displays section and select the Detect button
Once the process is completed, the Windows operating system will detect the second monitor connected to the PC.
4. Update Firmware
Updating your system’s firmware will help fix any bugs or compatibility issues. If your computer doesn’t have the latest firmware installed on it, then you must do an update when you’re setting up a second monitor. You can update the firmware by checking the support page on the Dell website for the latest version. Download and install the updates accordingly, then retry the connection.
5. Update Graphic Driver
An outdated, corrupted, or buggy graphics driver can hinder the windows operating system from detecting the second monitor automatically. The graphic driver ensures smooth communication between the PC and the second monitor.
You can try updating to the latest version to determine if the problem will be solved. You can download the drivers directly from your manufacturer’s website or use the following instructions:
- Go to Start Menu and open Settings
- Select the Update & Security option and click on Windows Update
- Select the View Optional Updates option. If you can’t find the option, there’s no latest driver available.
- Click on the Driver updates setting
- Click the Graphics Driver to update
- Select the Download and Install button
Let the process run, and windows will install the latest graphic driver version and fix the second monitor detection problem. If it doesn’t detect the monitor automatically, restart the computer and try to reconnect again.
If you can’t find the View Optional Updates option, no newer version is available. If you detect a yellow error marker beside the installed driver, there might be a problem with it. You can reinstall the driver as follows:
- Open the Start Menu
- Search for Device Manager
- Select the topmost result and open it
- Select the Display Adapter option
- Select the Uninstall option by right-clicking the Device Adapter option
- Uninstall it and follow the process above to install a new one.
6. Perform System Restore
If you just recently updated your windows or the graphic driver was just upgraded manually before you noticed the problem, then you should perform a system restore. Recent windows or graphics driver updates sometimes cause problems because the system is not used to it yet. Rolling back to the previous version might help fix the problem.
You can perform a system restore as follows:
- Go to the Start Menu and search for “Create a restore point” in the search bar
- Choose the top results, which will direct you to the Settings Page in the Control Panel.
- Jump to System Properties
- Select the System Restore option
- Let the configuration process run itself.
If the system restore is completed, restart the computer and try the connection process again.
7. Contact Manufacturers Support
This article contains proven solutions to the “Dell Second Monitor not detected” problem. If you try the above troubleshooting tips, you should be able to fix the detection problem and get your second monitor running adequately.
If you have tried all the above tips and the problem persists, do not hesitate to seek help from a professional or contact manufacturer’s support for more diagnosis.