A second monitor is handy if you want to multitask on your Lenovo computer. But sometimes, the dual monitor setup is not detected due to various software or hardware reasons. Usually, a second monitor is a plug-n-play process, but sometimes windows don’t detect it. Today we will discuss this problem and come up with possible solutions to Lenovo PC Not Detecting Second Monitor problem.
Lenovo has its own hardware support system, which helps your PC connect with external monitors and displays. This can come in quite handy when you quickly want to add another monitor to boost your productivity. However, if it doesn’t work, you will find it extremely hard to troubleshoot the problem.
Also Read: Download Lenovo Monitor Driver and Update
Fix: Lenovo PC Not Detecting Second Monitor
If you recently bought the secondary monitor and found it damaged, return it and buy a new one. Don’t be adventurous and try to fix it yourself, as later, you won’t be able to claim a warranty. In case your monitor is working, then you can follow the below troubleshooting methods to fix it.
Method 1: Basic Troubleshoot
- Try using your secondary monitor with another system to know if the issue is with the System or monitor.
- Check if the secondary monitor is connected to a power source and switched on.
- If one monitor isn’t working, try connecting to another working monitor and check if the issue is with the graphics card.
- If you are a beginner and don’t know how to connect a secondary monitor, try using the guide provided with the secondary monitor.
- Update the firmware of the display you will be going to use to fix any bugs or issues. Keep updating your firmware once in a while to avoid these issues.
- If you feel other PC accessories are causing any hardware conflicts, try removing all of them and try connecting the secondary monitor.
- Use a suitable cable to connect your secondary monitor to your pc and check if the cable is not damaged. Most of the time, this is why your secondary monitor won’t work.
- Check if the monitor is turned on. Few monitors have a power button on the back.
- Disconnect the signal cable and reconnect it after a few minutes.
- Try to select the correct input port using the monitor’s inbuilt controls.
These are some basic troubleshooting steps that might fix simple errors with your secondary monitor. If the issue is still not resolved, please try the below steps:
Method 2: Force Windows to Detect the Second Monitor
By now, you would have realized that there are no issues with your physical connection with your monitor. We can try forcing the windows to detect your secondary monitor.
Steps to force Windows to detect the second monitor:
Click on the search bar and search for settings.
Now, click on Display on the Left-side (Windows 11)
From Scale and layout, click on Multiple displays and select Detect other display.
Check if the problem is resolved. You have to follow the same steps for Windows 10, but instead of Scale and Layout, you must go to Rearrange your displays and click on Detect.
Method 3: Restart your PC
If you have performed the above method but didn’t restart your PC, do it immediately, as restarting your PC will fix any issues known or unknown. Restarting your PC will shut down all the processes running in the background and clear the ram. This might fix your problem with the secondary monitor.
Steps to Restart your PC:
- Press the Windows key on your keyboard or click on the Windows button on your taskbar.
- Click on Power and select Restart.
- Wait for your PC to be restarted, and don’t interrupt until the PC is restarted.
Check if the issue with your secondary monitor is resolved.
Method 4: Update your Graphics Driver to the latest version available
If you have outdated graphics drivers, immediately update them to the latest available version. These old Graphics drivers will prevent windows from detecting your secondary monitor. We can fix this by updating the Graphics Driver to the newest version.
Steps to update your Graphics drivers:
Press the Windows key on the keyboard and search for Settings.
Click on Windows Update on the left side.
Click on the View optional updates option.
Select the Driver updates.
Now, install the Graphics drivers and restart your PC.
Check if the secondary monitor issue is resolved or proceed to the following method.
Method 5: Reinstall Graphics Drivers
Drivers can get corrupted due to various unforeseen reasons. The only way to fix them is by reinstalling them manually.
Steps to reinstall Graphics Drivers:
Press the Windows key on your keyboard or click on the Windows button on your taskbar.
Search for Device Manager and open it.
Click on Display Adapters, and a drop-down menu will appear.
Right-click on your Graphics card drivers and click on uninstall device(if you have a dedicated graphics card, reinstall both drivers).
Click on the uninstall button.
Restart your PC.
Open Device Manager again, click on Action from the top menu, and Scan for Hardware changes.
After successfully deleting the drivers, windows will automatically reinstall the required drivers. Now, check if the issue is resolved.
Method 6: Roll Back Your Graphics Drivers to an older version
If the latest version of Graphics drivers also doesn’t work, try rolling back to an older version. This might resolve your secondary monitor issue.
Steps to Roll back your Graphics driver:
Press the Windows key on your keyboard or click on the Windows button on your taskbar.
Search for Device Manager and open the app.
Click on Display adapters to expand the drop-down menu.
Right-click the graphics adapter(s) and select the Properties option.
Click on the Driver tab.
Click the Roll Back Driver button.
Please select an option to answer the question (it doesn’t matter what you choose).
Click on the Yes button. Then restart your PC.
Conclusion
These are some of the methods to resolve Lenovo PC not detecting second monitor issue. If none of the above methods help you, then most likely the problem is with your monitor hardware. We recommend you to contact the support and ask them for a resolution.
None of this worked. My computer stopped seeing the other display (TV) just like that, even though it’d worked the day before. TV and HDMI-cable are good. The IT-service checked the HDMI-port to find it without any damage. I’m totally clueless about it. The only thing left is to restore the system to the initial settings, but it doesn’t ensure me that the problem won’t arise again.
I have had this issue for three years and tried the first year all the suggestions above. In the end, the only thing that works is restart the computer a second time. (on the first cold start it doesn’t detect the second screen typically).