New Surface Dock Does Not Work via mini displayport to HDMI & DVI

Anonymous

The specific device I am referring to, is the new Surface Dock for Surface Pro 3/4 and Surface Book. I have described the issue here on Reddit, and a number of others are also experiencing the same problem. Basically, the new dock doesn't work when the monitor is connected using mini displayport to HDMI. The monitor is detected correctly and the correct resolution is set, but the screen remains black. In my case, I randomly get some image on the monitor, but it's compressed to one side of the screen and garbled. The mini displayport to HDMI adapter works properly when connected directly to the Surface, so the adapter itself is fine. If I instead connect the mini displayport to VGA adapter to the dock, the monitor displays correctly. I have tried using a straight mini displayport to DVI cable and the issue remains. Additionally, I have connected a Surface Pro 3 to the dock and experience the same issue.

So to summarize, the dock does not function correctly when using a mini displayport to HDMI adapter to connect the monitor, but does work with a mini displayport to VGA adapter. This problem is repeatable using both a Surface Book and Surface Pro 3.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

I purchased an active mDP to HDMI adapter from Amazon (Plugable is the brand) and so far the external monitor is working correctly through the dock.

Moderator Edit (11/3/2015): If you are using a passive MDP to DVI adapter and experiencing difficulties, you may need to switch to using an active adapter.

If you switched from a passive to active adapter and continue to experience difficulties using Surface Dock to display to external monitors please consider making some changes to your cabling: different lengths, different quality, different adapters, etc. If adjusting your cabling fails to resolve please consider sharing the following:

Make and model of external displays
Make/model of adapters if present
Make/model of cables

For more troubleshooting info and steps to confirm your Dock is updated, please view our Troubleshoot Surface Dock article.

Thank you,

Josh

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hi,

We suggest that you contact our Surface Answer Desk team for further assistance or visit the nearest Microsoft Store if you are in the US. In case you're offshore, contact our Global Customer Service team.

0 comments

315 additional answers

Anonymous

2015-10-28T13:44:29+00:00

The specific device I am referring to, is the new Surface Dock for Surface Pro 3/4 and Surface Book. I have described the issue here on Reddit, and a number of others are also experiencing the same problem. Basically, the new dock doesn't work when the monitor is connected using mini displayport to HDMI. The monitor is detected correctly and the correct resolution is set, but the screen remains black. In my case, I randomly get some image on the monitor, but it's compressed to one side of the screen and garbled. The mini displayport to HDMI adapter works properly when connected directly to the Surface, so the adapter itself is fine. If I instead connect the mini displayport to VGA adapter to the dock, the monitor displays correctly. I have tried using a straight mini displayport to DVI cable and the issue remains. Additionally, I have connected a Surface Pro 3 to the dock and experience the same issue.

So to summarize, the dock does not function correctly when using a mini displayport to HDMI adapter to connect the monitor, but does work with a mini displayport to VGA adapter. This problem is repeatable using both a Surface Book and Surface Pro 3.

I am having the exact same problem when attempting to use two (2) monitors via Mini Display Ports. I was told by tech support that I probably had a defective Dock, and that the Mini Display Port on my Dock is defective. I think he had just exhausted all of his knowledge on the subject and needed to get me off of the phone. Will Microsoft repair/replace this repeatable situation? I love the Surface Book, and am attempting to replace my MacBook Pro (Retina) with my Surface Book, but feel that this could really give it a black eye (if not addressed immediately)...
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2015-10-28T14:24:01+00:00

A user posted on the Reddit thread that after talking with Microsoft support, it seems that the dock does not work with passive adapters. However, using an active one, they were still unable to get it to work properly. I have ordered an active adapter to test this, so I'll write back if it works. Microsoft also said that they were working on a fix and that updates would be released the second week of every month. That being said, I do not understand how Microsoft could sell this device. If they knew it didn't work with their own adapters, why not say so? And if they didn't know, how could they not test this device before releasing it?
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2015-10-28T15:11:07+00:00

I'm having similar issues.

In the beginning I was trying to run my two additional monitors with an HDMI connector, but the monitors wouldn't display video. My Surface Book recognized the screens, but wouldn't give me a display option. My latest try was to switch both monitors to DVI connections, and I was able to get both monitors to display, but I wasn't able to save the display when I tried to adjust the screen layout. I forget the exact message I was getting, but I'll update this as soon as I'm home and can try again.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments