If your Surface device doesn’t detect your secondary monitor, it most likely indicates an incompatibility issue with your monitor or connection media.
Microsoft Surface works only with specific monitors, cables, and adapters. If I use any of the others, the monitor stays black/blank or I get messages like “no signal” or “check signal cable”.
In addition to compatibility issues, bad connections and outdated graphics drivers/firmware are other potential causes.
table of contents
Restart your Surface and monitor
Try restarting your Surface and monitor before you start. Disconnect your monitor and completely turn off both your Surface and your monitor. Connect the monitor to the device by unplugging the power cable for 1 minute and then plugging it back in.
Use proper cables and adapters
Surface and Surface Dock do not support all cables and video adapters. So there are a few things to keep in mind before trying a particular cable or adapter with this device.
Surface adapters or cables should be used whenever possible. If you must use third party devices, please do so only with duly licensed hardware products.
If you’re using a USB-C Thunderbolt connection, be sure to use a Thunderbolt 4.0 cable that supports video transfer.
lightning 4 cable
Beyond USB-C, we recommend using a DisplayPort capable cable rated 1.2. Must be used with Surface Dock.
If you’re using an HDMI cable, it should be HDMI 2.0+. You’ll also need to use a Surface Dock or Mini DisplayPort (mDP) adapter.
An active Mini DisplayPort adapter is required to connect to an HDMI or DVI (dual link) monitor. The Surface doesn’t have conversion circuitry built in, so passives can’t convert mDP to HDMI or DVI signals.
minidisplayport-to-hdmi-adapter-surface
If you are daisy chaining Thunderbolt or DisplayPort monitors, make sure all monitors in that series support DisplayPort 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport (MST). The last monitor in the chain does not require this support.
Some adapters are not compatible with Surface Dock. So while you can get it to work directly with your Surface, using it through the dock may not work.
Check connection
If you’re using the correct cable or adapter, the next step is to secure the connection.
Remove the cables/adapters and reinsert them firmly into their respective ports.
If applicable, try another cable or adapter. You can also try connecting the video adapter or cable to another monitor or TV to see if it works.
Connect your surface to your TV
Some third-party docking station ports may be too tight for the connector to insert properly. So be careful when buying a docking station.
Be careful of physical damage to the port. If they are damaged, ask a technician to help replace them.
Check port surface
Check the display input signal on the monitor
Some monitors automatically set the current display input depending on the standard and port you are using. However, in other cases, you will have to access the monitor’s menu and set it manually.
Press the Menu button on the back or side of the monitor.
If the monitor menu opens, go to this interface and find the display input settings. To navigate through the menu, the menu button must be rotated in all four directions.
Interface and menu options vary by monitor. So check the official sources if you can’t find the settings.
Choose an appropriate standard.
HDMI or analog monitor selection menu
Manual external monitor detection
If your Surface doesn’t detect your monitor, you can also force it in the display settings.
Right-click or press and hold the Start icon and select Settings.
Go to System > Display.
Click Multiple Displays, then click Detect.
Multi-display detection
Check projection mode
It’s possible that the surface is detecting an external monitor, but it’s just projecting the display onto the internal screen. To share or extend your display, you need to set the correct projection mode.
Plug in your keyboard and switch to laptop mode.
Press Win + P to open the projection window.
Select the forecast option according to your requirements.
Choose the correct projection mode
clear display cache
Corrupted settings related to external monitor connections and configurations can prevent your Surface from detecting your monitor. can solve this problem