My HDMI cable has stopped working on my Surface Laptop 4 ?

Question

I have this laptop for a year and a half. I have a second monitor that connects to my laptop via a Usb-C adapter with an HDMI port on it. Since I had it, no problem with it. I would connect my second monitor with my HDMI cable to the adapter, the laptop would detect my second screen and it would expend my screen like it's suppose to do.

2 weeks ago, my adapter failed to function. My second screen couldn't be detected. My second screen would turn on but a message appeared and it said ''input can't be detected. Monitor going to sleep''. I assumed it was my adapter since it was old. Bought a new one, same problem. The adapter in itself is working fine, because my keyboard, mouse and other usb connected devices are working perfectly fine on it.

I've tried the adapter on other computers (Lenovo and Macbook) and it works just fine. The HDMI port WORKS on both of these computers by itself or plugged via the new adapter. The HDMI cable doesn't work when plugged to the adapter on my laptop (Surface 4). So my guess is the cable cannot connect anymore to my Surface laptop for some reason.

So far, I've tried to check the usb adapter on other computers (adapter works fine on other computers), checked on the HDMI cable itself (works fine on other computers), checked on newest drivers (everything is updated), deleted drivers and reinstalled them (didn't work) and checking the input on my second screen (was correctly set on HDMI).

I don't understand what is going on!! Hoping for an answer because I'm stuck on this one!

Thank you!

Answer 1

Hi Marie-Christine Harnois,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

It appears that you are experiencing an issue with your Surface Laptop 4. The device is unable to detect the second screen display when using a USB-C to HDMI adaptor.

Let’s work together in finding the best solution to this issue. To further troubleshoot this issue, you can try the following steps:

1. We will connect USB-C to HDMI cable directly to the Surface device with using the adaptor we will if you have any display on your second screen.
2. Check if the USB-C port on your laptop is clean and free of debris. Use a can of compressed air to blow out any dust or debris that may be blocking the port.
3. Please also check Windows update on your Surface device. install any update available and then restart the Surface after install to apply changes.
4. Ensure that the adapter is receiving sufficient power. If the adapter is not receiving enough power, it may not be able to transmit the signal to the monitor.
5. Download and install the Surface diagnostic toolkitto fix any hidden issue on your Surface device.
6. Next, we will be going to download and install also the driver pack on your Surface device. This will help update the hardware of the device.
7. After installation is complete restart the Surface to apply changes and then connect again the second screen to your Surface if you see any display.

If it persists, you can try to use another cable like the USB-C to display port direct to your Surface to second screen.

You can also check this link. Troubleshoot connecting Surface to an external display - Microsoft Support

I hope this helps resolve your issue. Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Kind regards,

Christopher.

Answer 2

Hi. Thank you for your response. Unfortunately nothing worked.

I can't ''test'' the HDMI cable by itself on my Surface laptop because I don't have an HDMI port on the laptop. Hence, why I'm using an Usb-c adaptor to connect my second monitor. I already tested the HDMI cable on other laptops and they detect my second monitor perfectly (HDMI cable by itself or with the adaptor).

I checked for drivers and updates, everything is in order. I did all the steps you mentioned and it still doesn't work.

It really seems like my second monitor isn't able to be detected, but on other laptops, everything is working perfectly fine.

Answer 3

Hi Marie-Christine Harnois,

Thank you for your response. We apologize for any confusion we may have caused. We have checked your device and found that it has one USB-C 3.2 Gen2 port that can support a second screen. You can connect a USB-C cable to the device and the other end of the cable to an HDMI port on the monitor. This is a direct cable without the use of a USB-C to HDMI adaptor. The cable name is USB-C to HDMI, or you can use USB-C to DisplayPort. Please try connecting either of these cables to your device and the monitor. Normally, you will get the second display screen. If that work possible the issue is on our USB-C to HDMI adaptor.

Thank you for your understanding.

Kind regards,

Christopher.

Answer 4

Hello Marie-Christine Harnois

We haven't heard from you, so we assume that your issue has already been addressed. We will not be monitoring this thread moving forward so, if you need further assistance, please create a new thread to discuss these concerns by clicking this link:Create a new question (microsoft.com)Thank you for understanding.

 Regards,

Christopher