I am working off of a laptop and have a second monitor to extend my displays. I have been using this set up for two years now and have not had a problem until last night. It seems that my attached monitor only (main monitor on laptop is not affected) will go black for a few seconds before turning back on and showing my screen. It should be noted that my laptop does not reset the display to place the windows back onto the main screen when this happens but the extended monitor goes black at random. Note that I am running Windows 10 and unable to upgrade to Windows 11 as of now. So far, I have tried the following solutions but still cannot figure this out. Bought brand new chords (HDMI + Adapter) Bought a brand new second monitor (issues happening with both old and new monitor) Checked for updates on all drivers Reinstalled both graphics drivers Rolled back graphics drivers Checked basic settings (sleep/power/screen saver settings) Disabled all services in background apps in "System Configuration" Restarted Windows explorer This means I have spent time replacing and even buying new equipment to get around this issue but cannot seem to figure it out! This is very important since I work at home as well. Please let me know if there is anything else I can possibly do outside of hard resetting the computer (which I cannot do for a few reasons). Thank you!

OK, one more confirmation. Something I assumed but have never tried. I had the same display on open laptop screen as external monitor. When the external blacks out, the internal laptop does not flinch and stays steady. So it is between the video output ports, dock, cable, monitor. I think GPU can be ruled out. Power settings: Turn off display after 30 minutes. Turn off PC never on AC power. Should not be an issue there. Next test DP cable. I'm HDMI today. I am going to assume that DP to MDP will be no difference than DP to DP. I could use either. I ordered the DP to MDP as was included with the monitor. Figured that might have had a reason for that choice.

Monitoring GPU temp and the high is 78C which should be OK. Monitor blacking out for those 2 seconds more often today. Unsure why. This time in Firefox with a page with no videos. Ordered a DP cable to test Sunday. Would love more ideas as I am sure all of us afflicted would :)

Windows 10 22h2 Lenovo Laptop with Intel and Nvidia GPU Lenovo Dock, latest firmware Latest drivers all CLEAN installed External Dell monitor Currently connected HDMI. Have tried DP but a long time ago Refresh rate fixed at 59.55 Had an issue where signal would get lost when clicking a Hulu movie, for example, and HDCP being checked. NEW driver, clean install and that is cleared. No longer an issue. At least under HMI at this moment. AND, the screen blanking for a second or two is MUCH better. I can reboot and go MANY hours without the issue. But happens in Firefox and Lightroom and once it starts, happens again in a few minutes give or take until I reboot and start the game over. I have not seen this in another app. NVIDIA turned off (use power saving in settings) for Firefox and off in Preferences in Lightroom. So "should" be using Intel Integrated GPU) I believe all cable to be fine If not, why would they work for 8-10 hours before the first "flicker"? Thought it could be heat. I monitor the CPU cores and never above 78C. Usually 42-54C. I have nothing that monitors the GPU, though its rarely used. The IGPU is used 99% of the time. Update. Just found a way to monitor. Have not yet tried when issue happens. Was REALLY hoping to read this did not happen with DP, which I am about to try after a few years of HDMI. I searched my last DP cable purchase and seems to have included audio. Oddd, I wonder if that has any effect? Will try DP likely Sunday when more time.

FIXED IT! I have two monitors, both on DisplayPort. My primary display blacks out / turns off at random moments, and you can hear the notification sound that a hardware device is removed, force pushing all my active windows to the other display. Less than annoying when I'm doing office work, more so when I'm gaming. Initially I thought it was the GPU - and everyone on the internet suggested so - but nothing in the logs showed that and everything graphical works fine actually. Then I figured, since I game on the primary display, I need to swap it with the secondary display so if the primary blacks out, at least I don't need to turn my head to the secondary, waiting for it to switch my active window back to the primary. I wanted to physically swap the displays, believing the monitor was faulty, so I pulled out the power cable and the Displ.. Wait, I need to isolate the PSU first and check that. And without physically swapping the monitors, I only swapped the PSU plug that goes into the monitor. That's how I finally found out that the culprit was the power supply unit: the cable that plugs into the monitor was chewed on by one of my cats, barely visible. Indeed, now the other, secondary display blacks out. There's nothing wrong with either monitors. And when it does happen I only need to wiggle that chewed part a bit and I can force the display to turn on again. FFS. I ordered one new PSU.

Thank you but i only have one other moniter and I connect it to my laptop and even when I duplicate my laptop screen it still goes on for 2 seconds and then suddenly goes black but thank you though

Second monitor keeps on temporarily going black at random

Anonymous

I am working off of a laptop and have a second monitor to extend my displays. I have been using this set up for two years now and have not had a problem until last night. It seems that my attached monitor only (main monitor on laptop is not affected) will go black for a few seconds before turning back on and showing my screen. It should be noted that my laptop does not reset the display to place the windows back onto the main screen when this happens but the extended monitor goes black at random. Note that I am running Windows 10 and unable to upgrade to Windows 11 as of now.

So far, I have tried the following solutions but still cannot figure this out.

Bought brand new chords (HDMI + Adapter)
Bought a brand new second monitor (issues happening with both old and new monitor)
Checked for updates on all drivers
Reinstalled both graphics drivers
Rolled back graphics drivers
Checked basic settings (sleep/power/screen saver settings)
Disabled all services in background apps in "System Configuration"
Restarted Windows explorer

This means I have spent time replacing and even buying new equipment to get around this issue but cannot seem to figure it out! This is very important since I work at home as well. Please let me know if there is anything else I can possibly do outside of hard resetting the computer (which I cannot do for a few reasons). Thank you!

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157 answers

Anonymous

2024-08-31T01:26:15+00:00

OK, one more confirmation. Something I assumed but have never tried. I had the same display on open laptop screen as external monitor. When the external blacks out, the internal laptop does not flinch and stays steady. So it is between the video output ports, dock, cable, monitor. I think GPU can be ruled out.

Power settings: Turn off display after 30 minutes. Turn off PC never on AC power. Should not be an issue there.

Next test DP cable. I'm HDMI today. I am going to assume that DP to MDP will be no difference than DP to DP. I could use either. I ordered the DP to MDP as was included with the monitor. Figured that might have had a reason for that choice.
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Anonymous

2024-08-31T00:23:25+00:00

Monitoring GPU temp and the high is 78C which should be OK.

Monitor blacking out for those 2 seconds more often today. Unsure why. This time in Firefox with a page with no videos.

Ordered a DP cable to test Sunday.

Would love more ideas as I am sure all of us afflicted would :)
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Anonymous

2024-08-30T20:12:21+00:00

Windows 10 22h2
Lenovo Laptop with Intel and Nvidia GPU
Lenovo Dock, latest firmware
Latest drivers all CLEAN installed
External Dell monitor
Currently connected HDMI. Have tried DP but a long time ago
Refresh rate fixed at 59.55

Had an issue where signal would get lost when clicking a Hulu movie, for example, and HDCP being checked. NEW driver, clean install and that is cleared. No longer an issue. At least under HMI at this moment.

AND, the screen blanking for a second or two is MUCH better. I can reboot and go MANY hours without the issue. But happens in Firefox and Lightroom and once it starts, happens again in a few minutes give or take until I reboot and start the game over. I have not seen this in another app.

NVIDIA turned off (use power saving in settings) for Firefox and off in Preferences in Lightroom. So "should" be using Intel Integrated GPU)

I believe all cable to be fine If not, why would they work for 8-10 hours before the first "flicker"?

Thought it could be heat. I monitor the CPU cores and never above 78C. Usually 42-54C. I have nothing that monitors the GPU, though its rarely used. The IGPU is used 99% of the time. Update. Just found a way to monitor. Have not yet tried when issue happens.

Was REALLY hoping to read this did not happen with DP, which I am about to try after a few years of HDMI. I searched my last DP cable purchase and seems to have included audio. Oddd, I wonder if that has any effect? Will try DP likely Sunday when more time.
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Anonymous

2024-08-30T09:06:51+00:00

FIXED IT!

I have two monitors, both on DisplayPort. My primary display blacks out / turns off at random moments, and you can hear the notification sound that a hardware device is removed, force pushing all my active windows to the other display. Less than annoying when I'm doing office work, more so when I'm gaming.

Initially I thought it was the GPU - and everyone on the internet suggested so - but nothing in the logs showed that and everything graphical works fine actually.

Then I figured, since I game on the primary display, I need to swap it with the secondary display so if the primary blacks out, at least I don't need to turn my head to the secondary, waiting for it to switch my active window back to the primary. I wanted to physically swap the displays, believing the monitor was faulty, so I pulled out the power cable and the Displ.. Wait, I need to isolate the PSU first and check that. And without physically swapping the monitors, I only swapped the PSU plug that goes into the monitor.

That's how I finally found out that the culprit was the power supply unit: the cable that plugs into the monitor was chewed on by one of my cats, barely visible. Indeed, now the other, secondary display blacks out. There's nothing wrong with either monitors. And when it does happen I only need to wiggle that chewed part a bit and I can force the display to turn on again. FFS. I ordered one new PSU.
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Anonymous

2024-08-27T02:54:43+00:00

Thank you but i only have one other moniter and I connect it to my laptop and even when I duplicate my laptop screen it still goes on for 2 seconds and then suddenly goes black but thank you though
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