Troubleshooting Monitors

Common Issues

• I can’t move my mouse between my monitors
• I have a second monitor, but it’s not displaying a picture
• My icons and start menu are showing up on the wrong screen

Find the Display Settings

1. Search for Display Settings in the Windows 10/11 search bar
2. Your connected monitors are represented by a field with numbered rectangles highlighted below.
   
   If you see a second display in the highlighted area, but you aren’t seeing a picture on your second monitor, skip to Change Projection Settings.
   
   If you don’t see a second display in the area highlighted below, but a second monitor is attached, skip to Troubleshooting a Second Monitor.

Change Monitor Orientation

1. In the Display Setting window, click “Identify”. Numbers will appear on your monitors corresponding to the numbers of the rectangles in the field.
2. Click and drag the numbered rectangles to mimic the physical orientation of your monitors.
3. Click “Apply”

Change Primary Monitor

1. Click on the rectangle in the field that represents the monitor you want to be your primary display.
2. Check the box labeled “Make this my main display”

Change Projection Settings

1. Click on the rectangle representing your second monitor.
2. Change the projection setting from the dropdown in the bottom right.

Keyboard Shortcut

You can also use a keyboard shortcut to change your projection settings on the fly.

1. Press Win Key + P to open Projection Settings.
2. Select Extend to treat the second display as an extension of the main display
3. Select Duplicate to show the same picture on both displays.

Troubleshooting a Second Monitor

First Steps

• Confirm the monitor power cable is plugged in and the monitor’s physical power switch is in the on position.
• If the monitor has multiple inputs, confirm it’s set to use the input your device is connected to. See Types of Connections below.
• Make sure the cable connecting the computer and monitor is plugged in all the way and secure.
• Open your computer’s Display Settings and see if the second monitor is showing up.

Types of Connections

Type	Description
HDMI	The most common type of connection for most monitors. The connector is flat on one side and beveled on the other.
DisplayPort	The second most common type of connection for modern monitors. The connector is rectangular except for a divot in one corner. It also has a latch which secures the connection once it’s plugged in completely. The button on the connection needs to be pressed in order to release the latch.
Mini-DisplayPort	Common for Mac devices.
DVI	Older analog display connector.
VGA	Older analog display connector.

Restart the monitor

1. Find the physical power switch on your monitor
2. Turn the monitor off, wait a few seconds, then turn the monitor on again.

Update your Display Drivers

Through Windows Update

1. Search Update and launch Check for updates
2. Expand the menu next to Check for updates and select Check online for updates from Microsoft Update.
3. Install all discovered updates.

Manually

Procedures vary for different makes and models of monitor.

1. Locate the make and model number of your computer.
2. Visit your computer’s support page on the manufacturer’s site.
3. Locate and download the latest driver package
4. Follow on-screen instructions to install the driver, then restart your device.