How to Fix Generic PnP Monitor Issue in Windows 10

It’s been a quite long time since Microsoft releases Windows 10 OS but it also seems that more and more bugs or stability issues arises with each & every newer builds. Though Windows 10 is the latest and fully featured operating system, we can’t deny a bunch of issues that plenty of users are facing in most cases. Whereas hardware driver issues can be a major problem due to system stability issues or bugs. Generic PnP Monitor Issue in Windows 10 is one of them. If you’re also one of them, check out this troubleshooting guide.

It’s also need to mention that plenty of Windows 10 users are encountering this particular generic PnP monitor related issue for several years now. Still, Microsoft either isn’t able to fix that issue or they aren’t taking it into the consideration. So, what’s actually happening is that once Windows 7/8 users upgrade their system to Windows 10, their existing or already connected monitor isn’t being recognized by Windows 10 system itself. Now, without having monitor working properly, the affected users are getting frustrated for sure.

Well, it looks like there is an issue with your display driver or any kind of hardware related issue that includes monitor cables, VGA cables, HDMI cable, graphics card issue, etc. But there is a catch and though the fix seems very simple to most of the users, it actually isn’t. The same solutions may not work for everyone and that’s the another major issue for the affected Windows 10 users. However, we can assume that all the mentioned methods should fix your problem completely.

How to Fix Generic PnP Monitor Issue in Windows 10

To recall, PnP stands for ‘Plug and Play’ term which we mostly uses for any kind of external hardware or peripherals that can be easily connected via the power cable or USB cable to the device without having any special drivers or set up files. Now, this particular issue may not happen to all but unfortunately there are plenty of affected users are reporting about it.

Though connecting a PnP hardware like (PnP Monitor) works fine to the Windows system, sometimes the system can’t recognize the connected device and that’s why it starts showing as a ‘Generic PnP Monitor’ in the “Device Manager” section. So, whenever this happens, Windows automatically installs a generic monitor driver for the connected PnP monitor. But sadly not all monitors support or work properly with that generic monitor driver. However, we’ve shared a couple of possible workarounds below that should work for you.

1. Update Generic PnP Monitor Driver

• Right-click on the Start menu to open up the Quick Start Menu.
• Now, click on Device Manager from the list > Click on the arrow icon of Monitors to expand the list.
• You’ll see “Generic PnP Monitor” > Just right-click on it.
• Next, click on ‘Update driver’ > Select ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’. This will automatically download and install the driver if update available.
• Once done, restart your computer and check for the issue.
• If the issue persists, then do the same above steps and this time select ‘Browse my computer for driver software’.
• Now, choose “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer”.
• Click on “Show compatible hardware” checkbox to enable it.
• Then click on the compatible hardware to select it from the list and click on ‘Next’.
• Once the driver has been installed, restart your computer and check for the Generic PnP Monitor Issue in your Windows 10 again.

If the method doesn’t worked for you, make sure to follow the next method.

2. Update GPU Driver

• Click on the Start menu > Type Device Manager to search for it.
• Next, click on it and expand the list of Display adapters by clicking on it.
• Right-click on the dedicated graphics card > Select Update driver.
• Click on Search automatically for drivers and it’ll start searching for the available update.
• If available, it will automatically download and install the latest graphics driver version.
• Once done, restart your computer to apply changes.

If not available, then check the next method.

3. Uninstall Generic PnP Monitor Driver

• Right-click on the Start menu > Click on Device Manager.
• Click on the arrow icon of Monitors to expand the list.
• You’ll see “Generic PnP Monitor” > Just right-click on it.
• Select ‘Uninstall device’ > If prompted, click on ‘Uninstall’.
• Once done, select “Scan for hardware changes” icon under the ‘Help’ option.
• In this way, Windows will start scanning and try to recognize the connected monitor & install the monitor driver by anyway.
• Finally, restart your PC to check for the issue.

If not fixed yet, try the next method.

Must Read: How to Monitor Tasks on Windows 10 While Playing Games

4. Run SFC Scan

So, the SFC (System File Checker) scan works as a troubleshoot for Windows drivers or flies related errors. Sometimes any corrupted or missing system file or even a driver can cause multiple issues. SFC scan simply restores or repairs those errors.

• Press Windows + S keys to open up the Windows Search feature.
• Now, type Command Prompt and right-click on it.
• Select ‘Run as administrator’ > If prompted by UAC, click on ‘Yes’.
• Next, type the following command line in the command prompt window and hit Enter:

sfc /scannow

• You’ll need to wait for the SFC scan to complete and fix the issues. [It may take up to 15-20 minutes depending on your disk size]
• Once the process is done, restart your computer and it should fix the Generic PnP Monitor Issue in your Windows 10 system.

Still, the problem appears? Follow the next one.

5. Unplug and Reconnect Your Monitor

All the desktop monitor users can try this method as well.

• First of all, simply power off your PC and the Monitor.
• Make sure that the monitor is turned off. If not, press the power button of the monitor to switch it off. [An LED indicator may turn off]
• Now, just power cycle your monitor by unplugging the power cable and the VGA/HDMI cable from the CPU.
• Wait for at least 10 minutes and then plug back in all the cables.
• Turn on your monitor as well as the computer.

If in case, this method also didn’t work for you, try the next method.

6. Update Windows Build

• Press Windows + I keys to open up the Windows Settings menu.
• Click on Update & Security > Click on Check for updates.
• If the update is available, make sure to download and install it.
• Once done, restart your computer and check for the issue.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. Feel free to ask in the comment below for additional queries.