Docking Station Not Detecting Monitor: 3 Ways to Fix It

If your external monitor isn’t showing up through a docking station, your PC isn’t detecting it at all. This often comes down to driver conflicts, display configuration errors, or compatibility issues between your hardware and the dock.

There’s no one-size-fits-all fix, but the steps below cover the most common causes and how to deal with them, whether you’re using USB-C, Thunderbolt, HDMI, or DisplayPort.

How do I get my monitor to work with my docking station?

1. Manually update the driver

1. Go to the Nvidia official download center and download the latest Nvidia GPU driver.
2. Then, left-click the Start button, type Device Manager, and press Enter to open it.
3. Expand the Display Adapters entry for the driver, right-click on the Nvidia driver, and select Update driver from the drop-down.
4. Further, click on Browse my computer for drivers from the options on the new window.
5. Then, navigate to the location of the downloaded driver file and click Next.
6. Click the Install this driver software anyway option and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Installing the Nvidia GPU driver version 531.18 will fix bugs affecting it and install the latest features to resolve the docking station issues.

Further, check other steps for updating graphics drivers on Windows 11 if you have any issues.

2. Run the hardware troubleshooter via the CMD

1. Left-click the Start button, type Command Prompt, and click the Run as administrator option.
2. Click Yes on the User Account Control (UAC) prompt.
3. Type the following and press Enter to open the Windows Hardware and Device Troubleshooter: mysdt.auxiliary diagnostic device
4. Click Next to proceed with the scan and troubleshooting process.
5. After the troubleshooting, try to perform the task and check if it works.

Running the troubleshooter will resolve hardware connection issues responsible for the Dell Docking station not detecting external monitors.

For more help confirming that Windows can actually see your dock, you can follow this guide on how to find your docking station in Device Manager, then come back and continue with display troubleshooting.

Kindly read our guide on how to fix Command Prompt not working on your PC.

3. Check the display settings

1. Firstly, press Windows + I key to open the Settings app.
2. Select System from the menu, then click on Display.
3. Then, check the Multiple Displays option, then press the Detect button.
4. Select the correct source for your monitor’s controls so that you’re using the appropriate video port.

The above steps will enable the Multiple Displays feature on the computer and help select the correct device.

Alternatively, we have a comprehensive guide on Windows 11 not detecting docking stations and the steps for fixing the problem.

In conclusion, if the docking station is not working on your PC, go through the solutions in this article. Also, we have a review of the best docking stations for Windows laptops.

Other monitor issues? Check out these fixes for monitors turning off randomly, not being detected after sleep, or not working on Dell laptops, Surface Pro, or Chromebooks.

Should you have further questions or suggestions regarding this guide, please drop them in the comments section.