Surface Pro 3 dock not detecting external monitor

Anonymous
2014-08-13T15:12:33+00:00

I have a new surface pro 3 and I purchased two docking stations. 1 for the office and one for home. Neither docking stations allows the pro3 to detect a monitor that is plugged into it.   I can plug the monitor directly into the pro3 and it detects if fine both at home and at the office.   I can tell you that its a serious interruption professionally, and personally and does not bode well for MS's desires to serve the business community.   What I need is a solution.

Surface | Accessories | Surface Dock

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Anonymous
2015-10-25T14:03:15+00:00

I have a new surface pro 3 and I purchased two docking stations. 1 for the office and one for home. Neither docking stations allows the pro3 to detect a monitor that is plugged into it.   I can plug the monitor directly into the pro3 and it detects if fine both at home and at the office.   I can tell you that its a serious interruption professionally, and personally and does not bode well for MS's desires to serve the business community.   What I need is a solution.

hey guys

I had exact same issue and I did this and the issue magically solved!!

a two button restart:

  • Power off the Surface Pro
  • Hold Volume Up and the Power button for 10 seconds
  • Release buttons
  • Wait 5-10 seconds
  • Power on the Surface

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Anonymous
2014-08-13T23:38:43+00:00

Hi will-eman,

Thank you for visiting the Microsoft Community! Sorry to know that your Docking Stations are not detecting your external displays. I can certainly understand why this is an inconvenience, especially when, as you mention, it is used in a business environment and for professional purposes. I’d like to help and hopefully provide the best possible solution!

Please try the following:

  • With the Surface and external display connected to the Docking Station, unplug the Docking Station from the power outlet, leave it unplugged for 30 seconds to a minute, then plug it back and see if the displays are recognized.
  • Please make sure all and latest Windows updates are installed. If so, verify all updates were taken while the Docking Station was connected to the Surface.
  • When you connect the external monitor, do you have any other devices connected to the Docking Station as well? And if so, have you tried removing all devices and connecting the external monitor only?
  • Have you tried connecting other external displays to the docking Station? Are ALL displays or devices not recognized?
  • Have you tried the what Ed Bott - MVP suggests?

 Additionally, please read the following support article:

We hope this information works! Please keep us posted!

We are always here to help!

Best Wishes,

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-02-18T00:11:36+00:00

    I experience this problem at least once per week.  It's completely ludicrous.  I switched from a laptop to a Surface Pro 3 as my full time professional work device and I totally regret it.  The amount of time that I spend trouble shooting makes me furious.

    In regard to the monitors not being recognized, this often occurs when I lock my desktop (e.g. Windows + L) and leave my desk to go to a meeting.  I come back and, to my chagrin, the monitors are not working and then I go through a series of trouble shooting steps which includes:

    (1) rebooting

    (2) disconnecting the multi-monitor adapter from the docking station

    (3) disconnecting the power supply to the docking station.

    Sometimes one or another of these steps works, and other times none of the steps work.  I can't figure out how/why.

    And this isn't the only problem with this device.  When I lock the device (again, Windows + L), it automatically goes to sleep within a few seconds/minutes.  But then sometimes I can't get it to turn back on.  I hit the power button briefly, and sometimes it works, but other times it doesn't.  Then I tap some keys on my keyboard, and sometimes it works, but other times it doesn't.  Then I move my mouse around, and sometimes it works, but other times it doesn't.  Then I hit the Windows button, and sometimes it works, but other times it doesn't.  Again, I can't understand why/how any one of these actions sometimes works and when it doesn't.

    And then the resolution between the docked device (which acts as monitor #3) and the other connected monitors (which act as #1 and #2) is so different that one or the other of them is basically unreadable (e.g. if the docked Surface Pro 3 is at the correct resolution, then connected monitors #1 and #2 have resolution that is gigantic; if connected monitors #1 and #2 are at the correct resolution, then the Surface Pro 3 screen is tiny).

    If anybody asked me my opinion about this device, I'd say that its only benefit (as compared to a laptop) is its light weight.  Otherwise it's a complete nightmare.  And now, I've lost another 10 minutes of productivity vis-a-vis this rant!

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-02-03T12:26:55+00:00

    This was helpful, I just wish the issue did not reoccur every 5 days!

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-02-02T21:18:43+00:00

    Okay, folks, seems to be fixed  - for now.

    I'm on Windows OSX , Insider build 10586.63, last updated in January.

    The display dock worked fine this morning when I got into work I had it connected to one monitor and keyboard / mouse with Ethernet.  I unplugged, went to a few meetings, then when I connected to the dock, nothing appeared.

    I downgraded some Windows updates, checked for the display driver (same as before) and noticed that I'd either get the mouse, keyboard, monitor, Ethernet, or some combination of the three but not all four items working.

    I powered off the machine, held down power for ten seconds and tried again. nothing.

    I then went to my other dock, and tried there. Again, nothing. I went ahead and plugged in a mini display paort monitor directly into the SP3 along with a USB mouse/keyboard.  Those worked. However, I had no Ethernet, since the dock wasn't doing anything. I eventually rebooted a few more times, had a coffee (I can sleep when I'm dead.) and prayed to Thor. 

    Eventually, on the tenth or eleventh reboot, everything came back. I did this will fiddling whit the display port connector.

    Dunno what's going on.

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