As useful as computers are, they can sometimes be a headache with all the issues they give us. One potential problem you might have run into is when you plug a second monitor into your PC or laptop and you get no image on it. It can be hard to figure out what's happening, especially if you're in a rush, but thankfully, there are solutions you can try.

Aside from your monitor being broken (which is hopefully not the case), there are two main types of reasons it might not be showing an image. Either there is a physical problem, or there's some kind of software issue. We'll break down some of the fixes you can try to get things up and running. Some of these may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised at how easy it can be to miss some of these steps.

Make sure everything is plugged in

And in the right places, too

First of all, you're going to want to make sure all the cables are plugged in correctly. That includes making sure your monitor is plugged into an outlet or power source, as well as checking the connection between your monitor and your computer, whether that's via HDMI or DisplayPort. It can sometimes help to unplug the cables and plug them back in to make sure they're properly connected.

If you have a desktop PC with a discrete graphics card, it's also important to make sure that the display outputs are connected to the HDMI or DisplayPort ports on the GPU itself, rather than the motherboard. The GPU ports will usually be further down, and include a series of display outputs separate from all the other ports, like USB.

Check if the monitor is set to the right input

It can be as simple as choosing a setting

Many modern monitors can automatically switch to an active input, but some of them might not, so it's a good idea to make sure that the port you're using matches the input setting on the monitor. Switching inputs is usually one of the more prominent settings in a monitor, so it should be easy to find. Check the label on the port you're using on the monitor and make sure that's the option you've chosen.

Try a different cable or port

Maybe that port is broken or incompatible

If you have everything plugged in correctly and things still aren't working, it's possible that either the port or the cable you're using is broken. Most monitors that have different inputs also include the cables necessary, so try one of the other inputs if you can, or get a second cable to make sure that's not the root cause of the issue.

If you're using a cable that didn't come with your monitor, it's possible that it doesn't match the specs required for it, especially if it's a very old cable. Trying a newer one may help.

Force detect displays

Maybe Windows isn't picking it up as it should

If you've ruled out physical problems with the connection, it's a good idea to start looking into potential software fixes. The easiest thing you can try is forcing Windows 11 (you can also do it on previous versions) to detect additional displays. To do this, simply follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app
2. Click the System section.
3. Choose Display.
4. Expand the Multiple displays option.
5. Click Detect next to Detect other display.

Windows will attempt to connect to external displays that are connected, which could fix your issue.

Update your display drivers

Outdated drivers can cause issues sometimes

Another potential reason why your external monitor may not be working is that your display drivers are out of date. Maybe your current version has a known issue or just doesn't play nice with your monitor or GPU for some reason. Updating your graphics driver can be done in a few ways. The most effective is usually to download the latest driver from the graphics card manufacturer, whether that's Intel, AMD, or Nvidia.

To download Nvidia graphics drivers, head to this site, specify your GPU model and operating system and click Search, then click the first result that appears to get the latest driver. The process for AMD is similar, but you'll want to use this page instead. Finally, for Intel, you can head here and look for the driver that matches your processor or GPU's name. Most recent laptops will require the Intel Arc & Iris Xe Graphics - Windows option.

Roll back the graphics driver

Try the reverse

Sometimes, rather than an old driver, it can be a new driver that causes problems. If your screen was working before and it stopped working after an update, you can roll back the driver to a previous version. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Press Windows + X on your keyboard (or right-click the Start menu) and choose Device Manager.
2. Expand the Display adapters section by clicking the small arrow next to it.
3. Right-click your GPU and choose Properties.
4. Switch to the Driver tab.
5. Click Roll Back Driver.
6. Choose a reason for rolling back and then click Yes.

Windows will remove your current driver and replace it with the previous version, which should fix the problem if it was caused by a recent update.

Change the monitor refresh rate

Maybe the connection isn't capable enough

In specific cases, it's possible for Windows to detect a display and try outputting to it, but no image shows because Windows is attempting a connection that's not supported by the cable. This can be the case when using docking stations with high-refresh-rate monitors, for example. If your monitor shows up in the Settings app but doesn't show an image, it's possible that this is what's causing it. To fix it:

1. Open the Settings app and go to System and then Display.
2. Click Advanced display.
3. Choose your second monitor from the dropdown menu at the top of the page.
4. Click the dropdown menu next to Choose a refresh rate and try setting it to a lower value, such as 60Hz.

Your second monitor should come alive after a bit.

Make sure the second display is enabled

It can be easy to forget

By default, displays will automatically duplicate the image on your computer when you connect them for the first time, but it's possible you've changed some settings in the past and forgot about it. If you're connecting a second display that you typically disable in Windows, you might have to enable it again. To do this:

1. Open the Settings app and navigate to System, then Display. If you see two screens at the top of the page, but one is much smaller than the other, it might be disabled.
2. Click the Show only on X dropdown and choose either Duplicate these displays or Extend these displays, depending on what you want to do.

Use a USB adapter or docking station

Bypass the graphics driver entirely

If you simply can't get a screen to work and you believe the graphics driver or the GPU is to blame, there's one other potential solution. Some docking stations, like the Plugable Trpli 4K Display Docking Station can support external displays using a technology called DisplayLink, which relies on pure USB signal and turns it into video data. This bypasses the graphics driver on your PC so it can be a good solution if you don't want to replace your laptop, though these docks can be fairly expensive in themselves.

You may need a repair or replacement

If you've tried all of these methods and you still can't get things to work, it's possible that either the monitor or your computer is damaged in some way. It's a good idea to check if it's still in the warranty period to try and have it fixed or replaced for free, or you might have to pay for it. Either way, you'll probably need to replace something in your setup to get things working again.