HDMI output problem in Windows 10 – How to fix

And is that when connecting our monitor or TV to our Windows 10 computer, HDMI is the most popular option thanks to its high quality for both audio and video output. Next, we are going to see the possible causes that can originate the problem, as well as the steps that we must take to be able to solve it.

Causes why Windows 10 does not detect the monitor by HDMI

The HDMI connection failure between Windows 10 and our monitor is a fairly frequent problem and it can be due to several factors. In the event that we have problems with the audio or video signal, it is most likely that it is a failure due to incompatibility of the drivers. It can also happen that it is a problem with the cable that is in bad condition and this prevents the operating system from recognizing it. Or, that, although the connection is made correctly, we have not selected the correct HDMI port from the remote control of our television. In the case that we are not able to get Windows 10 to be able to recognize our monitor connected by HDMI, we must try some of the solutions that we present below.

How to fix the monitor connection problem via HDMI

If we have verified that the cable works correctly and that we have selected the correct output on our monitor or television, we are going to try some tricks that will help us solve the problem.

Select HDMI as the default device

The first thing we must do is make sure that our HDMI-connected device is configured as the default, since, if not, we will not have the HDMI output available. To check this, we must right-click on the volume icon on the taskbar and select “Sounds.”

A new window will open and we will select the “Reproduction” tab, where we must select the HDMI or digital output device, and then select “Default”, so that it is configured by default.

Detect the screen manually

In the event that we try to connect our computer with an old monitor or television, Windows 10 may have a problem detecting it. For this, the Microsoft operating system has a function that allows us to search for screens manually. To do this, we must access the Windows 10 Settings menu using the “Windows + I” keyboard shortcut. On the next screen, click on the “System” section.

Next, in the menu on the left we select «Screen». Inside the right column we lower the screen and find the option “Multiple screens”, where we must press the “Detect and verify” button that our PC detects the connected HDMI monitor.

Check that the display output is working properly

The next step will be to check that the screen output is capable of working correctly and that it is not the cause of the problem. To do this, press Windows + P and a second screen Project side menu will appear where we will find several options:

• PC screen only: if we have selected this option, a second monitor will be ignored and only the screen of our PC will be displayed.
• Double: by means of this option the content of the screen of our computer with the connected monitors will be projected.
• Enlarge: with this option, a part of the content is displayed on our PC, while the remaining part is projected on other monitors that are connected.
• Second screen onlya: all content will be displayed on the monitors that are connected.

In the event that our connected monitor or TV does not display correctly on our secondary monitors, we must verify that we do not have the “PC screen only” option selected.

Update display drivers

One of the most common problems why Windows 10 is not able to detect our monitor connected by HDMI is that the graphics drivers are outdated or obsolete. To solve it we must start the Windows quick access menu, pressing the Windows key + X and select Device administrator.

Once inside, we display the option “Display adapters”, right-click and select Update driver.

Automatically

In the new window we select Search for drivers automatically to install the latest drivers for our computer from the Internet. Once the drivers for the display adapter are installed, we restart the PC and reconnect the monitor via HDMI to verify if the problem has been solved.

Manually

We must go to the manufacturer’s website and navigate to its download page, look for our graphics card and download the drivers. Once downloaded, we double-click on them to install them or from the Device Manager we select the option to Browse my PC in search of drivers.

Use a program like Driver Genius Professional

This program is responsible for recognizing more than 80,000 devices so it is capable of detecting and downloading drivers for our video card, among other computer components such as the motherboard, the sound card, etc. We can download a trial version from this link.

Problems with viruses or malware

Another cause of HDMI connection problems is malware, so it is advisable to perform a full system scan in order to detect it. This is something that we can do directly with Windows Defender. To do this we write “Windows Security” in the search engine next to the Start menu.

In the menu on the left we select “Virus and threat protection”. On the right side we select “Quick scan” to be in charge of searching and finding any hidden malware that is affecting the HDMI cable connection.

Go back to a previous version of Windows 10

Sometimes it may happen that a Windows 10 update has caused the problem with our connection via HDMI. In this case, the best solution is to go back to the previous version. For this we must download the tool Media Creation Tool, since this link. Once downloaded we open it and click on Update this equipment now and we click Next.

Subsequently, we select Download and install updates (recommended) and click Next. We follow the instructions that appear until we reach the screen of Ready to install. Here we click on Change what you want to keep. We must make sure that we select the option of Keep files and personal apps and we click Next. Finally, we follow the instructions that appear on the screen until we complete the update process.