Troubleshooting multiple monitors on a Surface Dock 2 (Surface Pro 7)

I am in charge of purchasing computers for a small team of accountants and insurance professionals.

We started with the Surface Laptop 2 and Gen 1 Surface Dock combo - both worked well.  Some Issues now and then but they could always be fixed with a flip of the docking station connection or a reset of the computer.  Totally acceptable for an otherwise awesome product.

Then the Surface Laptop 3 dropped.  We hired a new team member and decided to purchase one as an initial test.  When it came, it was a notable improvement from the Surface Laptop 2.  However, this user began encountering issues with the use of dual monitors with the Surface Laptop 3 and Surface Dock Gen 1.  I figured it was due to the resolution increase of the new screen on the surface laptop 3 now much higher than the monitors.  However, I went through all the recommended troubleshooting steps: reinstalling graphics drivers, clearing caches, everything Microsoft recommended and it actually fixed the problem significantly.  However, the user still had more issues than me with monitor reliability - running Surface Laptop 2 with Gen 1 Dock.

At the same time as I was observing this, the Surface Dock 2 dropped.  Loving the Surface Laptop 3 and assuming that the new Dock would address the monitor reliability with the Surface Laptop 3,  I decided to jump in with both feet with the new generation products, ordering 2 Surface Laptop 3s and 3 Surface Dock 2s to upgrade my set up and our last team member still on a PC tower.

Now finding myself in a situation with the Surface Laptop 3 and 2, both generation docking stations and monitors from HP, Acer and Dell - I can confidently say that this is a pervasive issue with the Surface Dock 2.  My Surface Laptop 2 and 3 have the described issues of monitors not connecting blacking out, etc when using all of my surface dock 2s.  No Issue with Surface Dock Gen 1.

So Microsoft please turn your team into emergency mode to address the firmware of this product.  I do not want to return 3 Surface Dock 2s.  All of your products are great, but your Surface Dock 2s do not currently work with dual monitors which is totally unacceptable and incredibly disappointing.

To sell the surface dock 2s with two monitor ports is totally misleading as only one will work at a time.  Fix this firmware issue or recall the Surface Dock 2 and stop selling it with two monitor ports as seems to not work for most or all users.

Just to agree with what has already been said by several others, the dock does not appear to handle two monitors. I can run one monitor from either port with no problem. The second I add the second monitor either I lose both or the second does not come on.  I, too, am now stuck running my second monitor from the usb-c port on the surface. 

It would be nice to see Microsoft acknowledge the issue at a minimum.

Hello friends,

Just to share my similar experience with Surface Dock 2 driven by a Surface Book 3 -upgraded to latest firmware. Connected to two same monitors Dell U2415 (1920 by 1200), I had the same results (2nd monitor would show up but inactive, occasionally it would work but after going to sleep again one of the two monitor would remain inactive -it was not always the same).

Connections I tried were:

• HDMI cable with Surface USB-C to HDMI converter
• USB-C to HDMI cable (no converter and certified up to 4K @60Hz)
• USB-C to DisplayPort cable (no converter and certified up to 4K @60Hz)

My success ratio was a bit better with USB-C to DisplayPort but again there was no consistency to get reliable operation.

My monitors being a bit older, I decided to upgrade them to Dell U2518D (2560 by 1440) but after getting initially more consistent operation, I am now back to same problems. A "hack" that sometimes work in Windows 10, is to Project (Win-Key + P) to "Second Screen Only", sometimes the 2nd screen gets signal (with the Surface Book's inactive) and reverting again via the same menu to "Extend" two screens may remain active and Surface's too.

Very disappointing not to be able to get two monitors to work without any issue working with the Dock 2, while I used to have the two monitor setup with trouble-free operation for years on older laptops.

Hi Crest

I have had the Dock 2 replaced with a new one. It is still doing the same thing. I have noticed that there are several other people reporting the same problem on the forums - is this a known hardware issue?

Thanks

Hi Crest

• The monitors are the same model (QG241Y).
• There are two HDMI ports on each monitor, I have tried plugging the cords into each of the different ones.
• Yes, it usually says no signal. Bizarrely though, *occasionally* it will work - but then the screen just turns off again. The Surface still recognises that it's there though. Often one screen might be on and the other off. There is only once I've been able to get them to both turn on at the same time, together with the Surface, but when I turned the Surface off it didn't work again when I turned it back on.
• Yes, I have updated the firmware for both the Dock 2 (1.0, published 8 June 2020) and the Surface (2004).
• Yes, I have cleared the display cache.
• Yes, I have uninstalled and reinstalled the monitor drivers.

Currently, the left hand monitor is working, but if I restart the tablet, the right one might turn on and the left one not. 

Hi Crest_Z,

I have similar issues as DJG_84,   Surface Pro 7 and Suface Dock2.   I have two exact same HP Monitors using the HDMI to USB-C connectors in my home office.  In my work office, i pugged in the same Surface Pro7 with the 1st Gen Dock, and they work fine with the mini-display ports.     I've also ran the exact same troubleshooting step as DJG_84.   It worked after i updated the firmware, once.   After I try to wake the surface after Sleep, only 1 external monitor would work.  the other just has a dark screen.  I"ve tried to reboot, and same thing happened..  Is dual external monitors via USB-C a known issue with Suface Dock2?