Are you having problems with your third monitor disconnecting on Windows 10?
It can be such a hassle to have your computer all set up, only to discover that your third monitor is not working. Based on what we know, this problem on Windows 10 is often caused by a faulty graphics driver, broken cables, or issues with the monitor itself.
A three-monitor setup is typically utilized by streamers, IT professionals, video editors, and PC building enthusiasts.
As a result, we understand how difficult it is to keep a level head if you encounter this problem.
The good news is you won’t be going through it alone.
In this article, we will walk you through various methods to restore your third monitor and get you back to your usual workload.
Here we go!
1. Check Your Connection.
Standard wear and tear of cables is a common culprit for any type of disconnection. Animals may have chewed off part of your HDMI or VGA cable, or dirt has built up through the cable’s connection points.
With this, we recommend that you take a few minutes to ensure that all your cables are firmly connected to the right places, and the wires are still in good condition.
We also suggest that you do this at least once a month so you can monitor the status of your cables.
After checking all the cables, you can head to the following method below if your third monitor is still not working.
2. Check Your Monitor.
Besides the cables, your monitor could also be the culprit for this issue. Check on its performance by hooking it up to another device. We also suggest disconnecting your secondary monitors and reconnecting them based on the order you’ve set them in Windows Settings.
You can also try accessing your monitor’s built-in display settings to check if its display panel is working.
If your monitor’s settings don’t show up, you may be dealing with a hardware issue. We suggest that you bring the faulty monitor to the nearest service center to have it checked.
3. Check Your Windows Display Settings.
Having a three monitor setup is quite exciting since you can do so much simultaneously on your computer. However, if your third monitor is not working, you may have just forgotten to change some settings on your computer.
Follow the steps below to set up your third display:
- First, access the Start Menu of your computer and go to Windows Settings.
- After that, click on the System tab.
- Now, open the Display tab and scroll down to Multiple Displays.
- Lastly, select the ‘Extend These Displays’ option for your third monitor.
Once done, you should see your desktop on the third monitor, and it should display the cursor once you drag your mouse in its direction.
Use your computer for a few minutes to check if your third monitor is still disconnecting on Windows 10.
4. Update Your Display Drivers.
Drivers are a vital part of any Windows System. It tells your hardware how to function or behave by communicating with your computer’s operating system. If your third monitor keeps disconnecting, you might be dealing with a driver issue.
In this case, we suggest reinstalling your display drivers. Check out the guide below to help you out:
- First, press the Windows + S keys on your keyboard and look for ‘Device Manager’.
- After that, launch the Device Manager and click on Display Adapters.
- Now, right-click on your Graphics Card Driver and select Uninstall Device.
- Lastly, click the Uninstall button again and follow the on-screen prompts to remove your current display driver.
Once done, go to your graphics card manufacturer’s website (AMD / NVIDIA) and download the latest driver for your device.
Restart your computer afterward and check if your third monitor is now working.
5. Set up Your Displays from Nvidia Control Panel.
If you own an NVIDIA graphics card, you may want to play around with your NVIDIA Control Panel settings if you use multiple displays.
Check out the steps below to guide you on the process:
- First, right-click on your Desktop and select the NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Next, expand the Display tab and click on ‘Set up multiple displays’.
- After that, click on My Display is Not Shown.
- Lastly, select Rigorous Display Detection and follow the on-screen prompts.
Once all your monitors are detected, rearrange the display icons on NVIDIA Control Panel to match your current configuration.
6. Scan for Malware and Virus Infection.
On some occasions, your computer may act weird if it got infected by malware or virus. These are malicious programs and files that eat up your system resources, making it difficult for Windows applications to function normally.
If you experience other problems on your computer, it may be a good idea to scan your entire system for infected files. We recommend downloading Malwarebytes on your computer and using its ‘Full System’ scan feature.
This will prompt Malwarebytes to search your entire directory for infected files and automatically remove them in the process.
7. Update Your Operating System.
As we all know, Windows 10 is not perfect, and many users still encounter bugs and glitches even after it is out on the market for six years. If your third monitor keeps disconnecting, the version of Windows on your computer may have an issue with multiple displays.
To fix this, try to check if there are available updates for your system.
See the steps below to update your Windows computer:
- First, open the Windows Settings on your computer by pressing the Windows + I keys on the keyboard.
- After that, click on Update & Security.
- Now, click on Windows Update and select Check for Updates.
- Lastly, follow the on-screen prompts to install the update on your computer.
After updating your operating system, restart your computer and check if your third monitor is now working.
This wraps up our guide for fixing your third monitor if it keeps disconnecting on Windows 10. If you have questions or other concerns, feel free to voice them out in the comment section, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
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