3 monitors connected, but 2 are active, the 3rd monitor is forced inactive

I have had the same issue for the last 3 days after several years of no trouble at all -- 3 identical screens with 1 plugged straight into my laptop and 2 into the docking port. I unplugged each screen from each port and plugged it back in, switched around the cables, did a classic IT restart, and double-checked everything was identified and recognized. But it still would not work. HOWEVER... I found that unplugging only one screen forced my 3rd to come on.

It turns out that, somehow, my system display settings had been altered even though there had been no updates or manual changes. It may not solve everyone's problems but I FIXED MINE! (and I'm very proud haha!)

Even if you've done it already, try it again and I'll cross my fingers for you:

Settings > Display > Click on Identify just to make sure which one you're working with > Click the screen # that's inactive > "Extend desktop to this display" > Save Changes

I really hope this works for everyone else because I feel a bit like a newbie for having missed this for more than just a few minutes.

Why is there no answer to this problem? Clearly his linux OS can handle all 3 monitors.

I have kind of the same issue. I have 3 identical monitors and all of a sudden one of them is no longer able to be used by Windows if there are more than 2 active monitors. The monitor has worked for 3 years in a 3 monitor set-up paired with 2 identical monitors. Now it only works if I use it by itself or paired with 1 other monitor. As soon as I try to use 3 monitors, this one monitor keeps being forced inactive with the message "The display settings could not be saved. Please try a different combination of these settings."

What is happening here?

Hello ,

Good to see you in Microsoft Community.

Could you please specify the connection method for these three monitors, whether you're using HDMI cables, DP, or VGA, and whether they are directly connected to the motherboard or the graphics card?

You may pair two of the three monitors separately, then connect only those two and configure them for extended display to confirm if one of the three monitors is causing the issue, preventing all three from displaying simultaneously.

Next, while in extended display mode, adjust the refresh rate individually for each monitor to the lowest supported frequency for that device, or as close to each other as possible.

Or you can follow the steps below to remove its configuration information and then reconnect the physical connection.

1. Open the Registry Editor by pressing WIN + R and typing "regedit". Then navigate to

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers
   

   and locate the following three folders: Configuration, Connectivity, and ScaleFactors. You can directly delete these three folders.
2. Afterward, reconnect your external display by unplugging and plugging it back in, and check the results. Disclaimer*: Generally, modifying registry subkeys or workgroups is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems,* however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click How to back up and restore the registry in Windows (microsoft.com) to view the article.

If anything is unclear, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Best Regards,

Mosken_L - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

I have had the same issue for the last 3 days after several years of no trouble at all -- 3 identical screens with 1 plugged straight into my laptop and 2 into the docking port. I unplugged each screen from each port and plugged it back in, switched around the cables, did a classic IT restart, and double-checked everything was identified and recognized. But it still would not work. HOWEVER... I found that unplugging only one screen forced my 3rd to come on.

It turns out that, somehow, my system display settings had been altered even though there had been no updates or manual changes. It may not solve everyone's problems but I FIXED MINE! (and I'm very proud haha!)

Even if you've done it already, try it again and I'll cross my fingers for you:

Settings > Display > Click on Identify just to make sure which one you're working with > Click the screen # that's inactive > "Extend desktop to this display" > Save Changes

I really hope this works for everyone else because I feel a bit like a newbie for having missed this for more than just a few minutes.

You must be joking thinking the people here are not aware of the settings you are referring to.

I have had the same issue for the last 3 days after several years of no trouble at all -- 3 identical screens with 1 plugged straight into my laptop and 2 into the docking port. I unplugged each screen from each port and plugged it back in, switched around the cables, did a classic IT restart, and double-checked everything was identified and recognized. But it still would not work. HOWEVER... I found that unplugging only one screen forced my 3rd to come on.

It turns out that, somehow, my system display settings had been altered even though there had been no updates or manual changes. It may not solve everyone's problems but I FIXED MINE! (and I'm very proud haha!)

Even if you've done it already, try it again and I'll cross my fingers for you:

Settings > Display > Click on Identify just to make sure which one you're working with > Click the screen # that's inactive > "Extend desktop to this display" > Save Changes

I really hope this works for everyone else because I feel a bit like a newbie for having missed this for more than just a few minutes.

You must be joking thinking the people here are not aware of the settings you are referring to.

Thanks for the comment and the insight. I had considered not including the settings steps, but then I remembered that not everyone knows these things and, perhaps like me, must rely on a likely overworked, underpaid, and slow-to-respond IT department. I also remembered that, like me, some people prefer to learn through research such as reading discussion boards. Lastly, there's also the thought that sometimes you get so caught up in thinking that the problem is something bigger than what it is that you might forget to try the basics. But, maybe that's just me thinking that the purpose of a discussion board is to discuss the things you tried to fix a problem, what worked, and what didn't.

Again, thanks for your comment and insight. It did nothing at all to move the discussion forward with your own troubleshooting and made you seem like a bully. Good job. Have a nice weekend.