7 Solutions to Fix PC Monitor No Signal Detected Problem

Introduction

PC Monitor No Signal Detected

Did your quest to find the answer to the question “Why the PC Monitor display showing a “No signal” message?” lead you here. Well, you are at the right place. Because this article is written concerning the above question. Here you will get solutions to tackle this situation, and in great detail. 

Why Does My PC Monitor Display “No Signal Detected On Monitor” or “Monitor No Signal Detected”?

The “PC Monitor No signal Detected” status indicates that your monitor doesn’t receive output data from the CPU. Let’s look for reasons which can cause this issue.

The very first reason that will come to all of our minds is the connection cable. It may be because of a loose connection or a damaged cable.

Other reasons include incorrect Input source setting, unsupported monitor resolution. The display driver of your system is out-of-date or incompatible.

Hardware faults such as loosely fitted Graphics cards might also become a reason. Lastly, your PC Monitor is at fault.

How To Fix The Problem/Issue: “Computer Monitor No Signal Detected”?

Below is a list of solutions that can help you fix the issue of “No signal” status. 

  1. Check the status of the connection cable.
  2. Check Monitor Input Source.
  3. Check/Fix the Monitor Resolution.
  4. Update Drivers of your Monitor Display & Graphics Card.
  5. Test with a different PC Or Test With An Alternative Monitor.
  6. Reset The Monitor.
  7. Check PC’s Hardware Component(Motherboard, DisplayPort).

1. Check The Status Of Connection Cable/Monitor Cable.

Video Cable

Check the status of the connection cable. This is the very first task that you have to do when your PC monitor displays the “No signal” status. A cable that is loosely connected or is in damaged (partial or aged) condition may be the cause behind the issue.

First, check if the cable connection is firmly connected to the port. Most primary monitors use HDMI Port. Also, you can find DVI, VGA, Displayport or USB-C ports out there in the market.

Whatever port you are using, check its status. Now if the connection is firm, but the “No signal” issue persists then try another fix. 

2. Check Monitor Input Source.

An incorrect Input Source is another reason behind the “No signal” error. This stems from the situation where you have connected the cable to HDMI Port. And the Monitor connection port configuration is set to VGA Port. This simple mismatch of connection type will lead to the above issue.

USB, VGA, DVI connector ports

Follow the instruction and check which type of Input Source is set in your PC Monitor.

  • Turn ON the power supply for both the CPU and Monitor.
  • Press the Menu button of your Monitor.
  • Now, navigate to the Input Source section and select the correct one. For e.g, if you are using an HDMI cable, then set the Input Source to HDMI.

3. Check/Fix The Monitor Resolution.

How does Monitor resolution affect your display? A Monitor has a fixed set of resolutions. So you will get a black screen if your PC display output is beyond the Monitor resolution range.

Now, if the output resolution has changed without your notice. Then you can follow the instruction and set the resolution back to its optimal state.

  • In the first step, you need to reboot your PC in Safe Mode. Open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows + R key.
  • Type in “msconfig” and press the Enter button.
Type in "msconfig" then press the Enter key
  • Click on the Boot tab.
Tick the Checkbox option “Safe boot” under the Boot Options section.
  • Tick the Checkbox option “Safe boot” under the Boot Options section.
  • Click on Apply. Then select OK.
  • Now a dialog box will pop up prompting you to Restart. This will apply all the changes that you have made in System Configuration.
Click on the Restart option on the popup window.
  • In Safe Mode, The screen resolution will be in the range that your Monitor supports. Change the Resolution back to the optimal state.
  • To exit Safe Mode, you need to open the System Configuration(msconfig) window. Then tick the checkbox “Normal startup” in the General tab.
Tick the "Normal startup" checkbox under the General section
  • Click on Apply, then on Ok.
  • Again a dialog box will pop up prompting you to Restart the computer. Proceed with it.

4. Update Drivers Of Your Monitor Display Adapter/Video Card/Graphics Card.

Another reason which can lead to your Monitor’s “No signal” status is the Graphics Card driver. The installed version of the driver may be incompatible, or it is out-of-date. So, you need to install a new driver which can support your PC Monitor display.

  1. Update Graphics Card Driver Automatically-
  • Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows + R key.
  • Type in the keyword “devmgmt.msc”, then click on the Ok button.
Type in "devmgmt.msc" then press the Enter key.
  • Search for the term “Display adapter” and expand it.
Expand the Display Adapter option.
  • Right-click on the listed display adapter model.
  • Select the option “Update Display Software…”.
Click on the first option "Update Driver software..."
  • Click on the first option “Search automatically for updated driver software”.
Click on the first option "Search automatically for updated driver software"
  • Next, you will get notified if there is a new and better driver version available online. Follow the on-screen instruction and install the latest version of the driver.
  1. Update Graphics Card Driver Manually- 

The first task before proceeding with manual installation. Gather the details about your current Driver Date and Driver Version.

  • Open the Device Manager of your PC. Type in “devmgmt.msc” in the Run dialog box, then click on Ok.
  • Search for the term “Display adapter” and expand it.
  • Right-click on the listed display adapter model.
  • Click on the “Properties” option.
Right-click on the device. Select the Properties option.
  • Navigate to the Driver tab. Here you will find various information related to your graphics driver. Note down the details of Driver Date and Driver Version.
Navigate to Driver tab. Here you will see the details such as Driver version and Driver date.
  • Now that your knowledge about two important driver details. Next, you need to visit the Graphics Card manufacturer’s website.
  • The three most commonly used Graphics card website are as follow:
  1. Intel® HD PC Graphics Card.
  2. AMD Radeon Display Drivers.
  3. NVIDIA Drivers.
  • Search for the latest version of the Graphics driver and download it to your drive.
  • Open the Device Manager of your PC. Type in “devmgmt.msc” in the Run dialog box, then click on Ok.
  • Search for the term “Display adapter” and expand it.
  • Right-click on the listed display adapter model.
  • Click on the “Update Driver software…” option.
  • Click on the second option “Browse my computer for driver software”.
Click on the 2nd option "Browse my computer for driver software"
  • Select the option “Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer”.
Left-click on the option "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer".
  • Left-click on the option “Have disk…” located in the lower right corner.
Click on the "Have disk..." option from the lower right corner.
  • Choose the drive, then click on the Browse option.
Click on the "Browse" option and select the latest driver software(.inf format)
  • The driver file(s) will be in *.inf format. Click the Open option. Then click on Ok.
  • Next, your PC will start the installation process. During installation, your screen will be blank several times.
  • Restart after the installation is complete.

5. Test With A Different PC Or Test With An Alternative Monitor.

Disconnect your Monitor from the PC then connect with another one. If the “No signal” status persists, it may suggest that the fault lies with the Monitor. In this case, you should seek further assistance from your Monitor’s manufacturer.

This solution can also be in a different way. Instead of testing your monitor with a different PC, you can test with an alternative monitor. Depending on the result obtained you can pinpoint the source of this issue.

6. Reset The Monitor.

Resetting your Monitor is another way to resolve the issue. Some users experimented with this solution and reported its feasibility. The reset process varies depending on the Manufacturer.

In this article, a general guide is written about the Monitor Reset. If this guide doesn’t work, you need to refer to the Monitor Manual or visit the Support Website.

  • Access the MENU by pressing the MENU button on the side of the Monitor. Note: Disable the MENU LOCK feature if it is enabled.
  • Navigate to the Reset icon by pressing the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW buttons.
  • On the Reset page, select either of the two options OK or ALL RESET. 
  • Press the OK button then press on MENU.

7. Check PC’s Hardware Component(Motherboard, DisplayPort).

If the issue remains unchanged after trying the previous solutions. Then Hardware fault check is the final solution that you are left with. Cut Off the power supply then open your CPU Cabinet.

Here the first hardware component you should check is the Graphics Card. Check if it’s loosely connected. Then you can check other components such as RAM Slots, PSU, Motherboard, Output Ports, etc. 

Conclusion

Getting a “No signal” message displayed on your PC Monitor is annoying. Don’t fret over this issue. Follow the solution written in this article, identify the reason behind the issue. Then apply the corresponding solution. You don’t need to spend a single cent hiring experts to deal with this issue.