# Weird Windows 10 dual-monitor issue **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 22, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-windows-10-dual-monitor-issue/787226 "2017-05-22T19:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-windows-10-dual-monitor-issue/787226/1 "2017-05-22T19:16:49Z")
Out of nowhere today, I lost my second monitor. It was fine when I got to the office this morning, then it suddenly… wasn’t. Two identical monitors, Dell P2312s, running extended desktop. The thing is… If I choose to “Duplicate these displays”, both monitors work fine. Show only on Display 1, fine. Show only on display 2, fine. Extend this display? One of them shuts off. I reinstalled my video drivers, no change. During boot, all my startup splashes and BIOS readouts show up fine, on both monitors. I am seriously lost on what is happening here. So, has anybody experienced this and managed to fix it? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-windows-10-dual-monitor-issue/787226/2 "2017-05-22T19:22:04Z")
Have you tried changing the resolution on the second monitor? Maybe it was accidentally set to something it can’t support (or an update borked the settings) and so when you try to force it to display that unsupported resolution, it shuts off to self-protect. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-windows-10-dual-monitor-issue/787226/3 "2017-05-22T19:34:05Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Have you tried changing the resolution on the second monitor? Maybe it was accidentally set to something it can’t support (or an update borked the settings) and so when you try to force it to display that unsupported resolution, it shuts off to self-protect. The second monitor was listed at 1920x1080, but after setting it to extend and dropping it to 1600x900, it displayed… then I set it back to 1920x1080 again, and all is well! So… thanks! I wish I knew what happened 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-windows-10-dual-monitor-issue/787226/4 "2017-05-22T19:36:32Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > Out of nowhere today, I lost my second monitor. It was fine when I got to the office this morning, then it suddenly… wasn’t. Two identical monitors, Dell P2312s, running extended desktop. > > The thing is… If I choose to “Duplicate these displays”, both monitors work fine. Show only on Display 1, fine. Show only on display 2, fine. Extend this display? One of them shuts off. > > I reinstalled my video drivers, no change. During boot, all my startup splashes and BIOS readouts show up fine, on both monitors. I am seriously lost on what is happening here. > > So, has anybody experienced this and managed to fix it? Windows 10 recently pushed an update through - that might have something to do with your problem (looks like someone had a similar problem here [Windows 10 Creators Update common installation problems and fixes | Windows Central](http://www.windowscentral.com/windows-10-creators-update-common-problems-and-fixes)) ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-windows-10-dual-monitor-issue/787226/5 "2017-05-22T21:54:20Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > The second monitor was listed at 1920x1080, but after setting it to extend and dropping it to 1600x900, it displayed… then I set it back to 1920x1080 again, and all is well! > > So… thanks! I wish I knew what happened 😕 Weird! Hah, glad the random suggestion worked. Windows has a tendency to self-bork with updates, and it’s only getting worse ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-windows-10-dual-monitor-issue/787226/6 "2017-05-22T22:05:31Z")
Mine did this also after the creator update Was annoying ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-windows-10-dual-monitor-issue/787226/7 "2017-05-22T22:50:00Z")
Funny thing is, I _JUST_ downloaded the new update, waiting to apply until end-of-business today. It just randomly decided today that it was Monday, and it didn’t want to play nice. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-windows-10-dual-monitor-issue/787226/8 "2017-05-22T23:41:48Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > Funny thing is, I _JUST_ downloaded the new update, waiting to apply until end-of-business today. It just randomly decided today that it was Monday, and it didn’t want to play nice. Yeah. Microsoft has become more and more draconian about their updates. Windows-as-a-service is their new thing, and it helps force people off older hardware as newer updates break older things. Sucky, but well, that’s what you can do when you have a near monopoly in the business space.