4 Ways to Fix Dual Monitor is Not Extending in Windows 10

Updating your display drivers is a quick way to fix this issue

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Key notes

  • The dual monitor might not extend because you have not enabled the feature in the Project menu.
  • You might need to update or reinstall your display drivers to fix this issue.
  • Another effective fix is to enable the Extend option from the Project menu on your PC.
Dual monitor is not extending windows 10 11

There are a series of ways to use dual monitors on Windows 10/11. For example, you can use a dual monitor software or the default Duplicate option on your PC.

If your second monitor shows a copy of what’s on the main screen and you’d instead it act more like an extension, it’s frustrating to see that the Extend function won’t work correctly in Windows 10 or 11.

A second monitor could prove to be very helpful for work and entertainment. However, The Windows 10 dual monitor is not working in some situations. Therefore, it’s time to take the matter into your own hands.

Following these steps, you should be able to fix any issue related to your dual monitor not extending Windows 10.

Why is my dual screen not extending?

There are various reasons your monitor can duplicate but not extend. One of the obvious ones is that you might not have selected the Extend option under the project menu.

Another known cause of the issue is outdated or faulty display drivers. But, again, you can fix this quickly by updating or reinstalling the drivers.

Why am I getting no signal on the second monitor?

If the second monitor isn’t detected, you might get this error message. This can happen on any PC; many reported that their laptop won’t detect the second display.

This can be a driver issue, but it can also appear if you have a bad cable. In that case, there would be no HDMI signal from your device, thus causing the issue to occur.

This can cause all sorts of issues with dual-monitor setups, including a dual-monitor setup with the laptop, but hopefully, this guide will help you duplicate or extend the display on Windows 10.

What can I do when my dual monitor is not extending?

Before getting into the actual software tweaking, make sure you cover these simple steps:

  • Check if the video cables are correctly plugged into the right ports.
  • Make sure that the settings of the monitors correspond to the input port. For example, if you connect it to the HDMI port, set it as the input. Most monitors autodetect those settings, but it is not bad to check.
  • Use the graphics card control panel software like Intel Graphics Command Center, NVIDIA Control Panel, or AMD Catalyst Control Center to set up the dual displays instead of the Windows Settings app.
  • Turn off the two displays before connecting them. This is because some devices do not work with hot swapping with other monitors turned on.

Let’s apply the methods below if none of these preliminary solutions worked.

1. Make sure Extend is selected under the Project menu

  1. Press the Windows key + P to bring up the Project menu.
  2. Select the Extend option.
    option dual monitor wont extend
  3. Now, check if the issue is fixed.

These same steps above can be used to change to duplicate if you’d change your mind later.

2. Use the graphics control center

  1. Click on the Start button, type intel graphics, and open Intel Graphics Control Center from the results.
  2. If the second monitor is not detected, ensure it’s powered, connected to the right port, and click on Detect.
  3. To extend the image on the first monitor on the second one, click the three horizontal points, select Extend, and choose Monitor 2.
  4. If this doesn’t work and the image duplicates but won’t extend, click on Display 2, then access the Scale drop-down menu.
  5. You have a few options here. You may toggle between Maintain Aspect Ratio and Mentain Display Scaling and check again if you can set the image to extend from Step 3 in this solution.

As you may have noticed, you have more options in the graphics control center than in Windows Settings, and they allow a bit more tweaking.

The problem with the image not extending to the second monitor is that it doesn’t have the same aspect ratio or it has a much lower or higher resolution than the first. By playing with these settings, you will even them for both and will be able to work together.

We chose Intel Graphics Control Center, but you will find these settings in the NVIDIA Control Panel, or AMD Catalyst Control Center.

3. Update the graphics card driver

3.1. Update drivers manually

  1. Press the Windows key + X and select Device Manager.
  2. Double-click on the Display adapters option to expand it.
    display adapters
  3. Right-click on each of the drivers there and select Update driver.
    update driver
  4. Now, choose Search automatically for drivers.
    search automatically dual monitor wont extend
  5. Wait for the scan to complete and install the updates.

More often than not, the inability of your dual monitor to extend in Windows 10 has to do with the graphics card driver. The steps in this guided walk-through should help you update it properly.

Intel, NVIDIA, and AMD frequently release new graphics drivers that significantly improve performance, so take advantage of that. Remember that you must be logged in as an administrator to perform these steps.

3.2. Update driver automatically

As good as the Windows built-in driver updater is, it cannot be compared to a dedicated tool. And when talking of top-notch, reliable driver update software, none can match the complex Outbyte Driver Updater.

It is an excellent driver updater that ensures your drivers are constantly firing. It automatically scans, updates, and fixes broken, outdated, and missing drivers on your PC.

It only recommends original drivers from trusted manufacturers from its database. All you have to do is vet the installations of the drivers, and the tool will take care of the rest.

Get Outbyte Driver Updater.

4. Reinstall drivers

  1. Open Device Manager and double-click the Display adapters option.
    display adapters
  2. Right-click on the drivers there and select Uninstall device.
    uninstall device
  3. Now, click the Uninstall button.
    uninstall button
  4. Restart your PC, and the driver should be installed automatically.
  5. If it does not install the driver, open Device Manager again.
  6. Finally, click the Scan for hardware changes icon in the top menu. This will help install the driver.
    scan dual monitor wont extend

If updating the drivers doesn’t work, you need to reinstall them. Apply this on the monitor that isn’t working as intended and confirm the change.

Can’t windows automatically find and download new drivers? Follow the simple steps from this guide and fix the issue in no time.

How do I set up my dual monitors to be extended?

  1. Right-click on any space on your desktop and choose Display settings.
    display settings
  2. Scroll down to the Multiple displays.
    multiple
  3. Now, select Duplicate these displays or Extend these displays.

The second monitor is not detected, but the mirroring issue can be frustrating, as it can reduce your productivity considerably. However, with the fixes in this guide, you should be able to solve the problem effortlessly.

Do you want to know how to set up 3 monitors in Windows 10? Then, check our detailed guide for quick and easy ways to do it.

Also, if you have an even older OS, here’s our guide on how to fix extended desktop issues in Windows 7.

Let us know if you have any other questions or suggestions using the comments below.

More about the topics: fix monitor, Multi-monitor guides, windows 10