Display 2 isn't active

Question

When I try to connect my Surface Pro 9 to an external display, nothing will display. Under advanced settings, the system shows that there is a second display connected, but I get the message that the display isn't active. Everything I have tried doesn't fix the issue: duplicating the screen doesn't work, sending the signal to Display 2 only doesn't work, changing the USB-C to HDMI connector doesn't work, clearing the display cache doesn't work, trying multiple different external displays doesn't work. I even reinstalled Windows 11, and that didn't work.

***Move from Windows / Windows 11 / Devices and drivers***

Answer 1

Hi Joe,

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

It seems like you're facing a persistent issue where your Surface Pro 9 detects an external display but can't activate it. Since you've already tried many troubleshooting steps, let’s explore some additional solutions:

First of all, can you tell me what the resolution and refresh rate of your external monitors are? Please make sure they are not more than 3840 x 2160 60Hz. In addition, when you connect these two external monitors separately, can they display normally? You can try to swap the order of the first external monitor that was able to display normally before and the second external monitor that cannot display, and connect them one by one to see if the problem still occurs.

With your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a specific direction to resolve your current situation.

Your Sincerely

Hahn. W - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 2

Thank you for your reply. None of the displays I have tried have resolutions and refresh rates more than what you listed. I use my Surface to write on when I lecture to my classes, and I have been using it with displays in different classrooms with no issues for over a year. Then one day last week I was simply not able to project anymore.