How to Fix Dual Monitor Not Keeping Settings in Windows 10 & 11

If your second monitor keeps disconnecting, resets after a reboot, or won’t turn on at all, you’re likely dealing with a common issue affecting many Windows users.

Whether your dual monitors are not keeping settings, or your second monitor suddenly stopped working, this guide will walk you through the most effective solutions.

What can I do when dual monitors are not keeping settings?

1. Power cycle the entire setup

On occasions when you experience various problems, it becomes necessary to power cycle your equipment before it will function properly again. This may sound like a strangely simple solution, but you’ll be surprised to see that it solves a lot of issues.

Therefore, you need to shut down your computer and take out the main power supply for it and the two monitors. Also, try plugging out all the connectors between your computer and the monitors.

Once you’ve done that, wait a few minutes for any residual power to drain from your devices. Next, you will need to connect them back and power the setup on.

2. Update your graphics driver

1. Boot into Safe Mode
   • Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and hit Enter.
   • In the Boot tab, check Safe boot, then restart your PC.
   • Alternatively, hold Shift and click Restart from the Start menu to enter Advanced Startup and select Safe Mode from there.
2. Uninstall the Current Graphics Driver
   • Open the Start menu, search for Device Manager, and launch it.
   • Expand the Display adapters section.
   • Right-click your GPU and select Uninstall device.
   • Confirm your action when prompted.
3. Restart Your PC
   • After uninstalling, reboot your system normally.
   • Windows will attempt to reinstall a basic version of the driver automatically.
   • You can also go to the GPU manufacturer’s website to download and install the latest version manually.

While Windows 11 can detect and install basic display drivers, it’s not always reliable in delivering the latest or most compatible version. For full functionality and bug fixes, a manual update is often necessary.

Automatic Method (Recommended for All Users)

If you want a faster, safer alternative that prevents mistakes and ensures your GPU always runs on the latest version, consider using PC HelpSoft Driver Updater.

• It scans your entire system for outdated or incompatible drivers.
• Automatically downloads and installs the correct drivers, including those for display adapters.
• Helps avoid problems caused by installing the wrong driver version.

3. Run the Hardware and Device Troubleshooter utility

1. Go to the Start screen and select Control panel.
2. Select the option of Troubleshooting from the control panel.
3. Now on the left side of the window, select the View all option to list all the troubleshooting packs available on your computer.
4. Click on Hardware and Devices from the list of options available.
5. Select Next to run the troubleshooter.
6. If any issues are found, you will be prompted to apply this fix.
7. When finished, the items able to be fixed and those that could not be fixed will be listed. You may click to Explore additional options to continue troubleshooting any issues with items not fixed.

Does the Troubleshooter stop before completing the process? Fix it with the help of this complete guide.

If none of the methods has resolved your issue, we recommend using the Hardware and Device Troubleshooter. This is a utility present in the Windows operating system. It detects problems with your existing hardware and tries to resolve it after following a series of steps.

Do you know any other insights on solving this? Just leave a message in the comments section below to share them with other users so they can also try them.