My Monitor Does Not Work When Plugged Into an Adapter
Computer monitors can connect to one or more of the following sockets: video graphics array, digital video interface and high-definition multimedia interface. Some televisions that function as monitors can connect to S-Video sockets. If the monitor fails to work when connected to the socket attached to the video adapter, the monitor or the video adapter could be defective.
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Equipment Setup
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Monitors connect to the computer and an electrical outlet. One end of a power cable -- identical to the kind of cable used to plug a desktop computer into an electrical outlet -- connects to the bottom or back of the monitor. The other end should connect to a working outlet or power strip. If the video cable connecting the monitor to the socket comes with thumbscrews, tightening the screws in place ensures that the monitor maintains a solid connection with the PC. If the monitor is using S-Video, you must plug the 7-pin S-Video connector into the computer and the 4-pin S-Video connector into the TV monitor.
Dual Monitors
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Some motherboards or video adapters provide two video sockets that connect to the monitor, enabling the PC to use two monitors at once. Not all video adapters or video chips, however, support this. Motherboards with a built-in adapter that features both HDMI and DVI sockets, for example, are more likely to have dual monitor limitations. The manual included with your computer or video adapter will reveal whether the component supports dual-monitor configurations.
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Disabled Adapter
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If the computer comes with both an integrated and dedicated video adapter, you may be plugging the monitor into a disabled socket. Integrated video adapters are built into the motherboard, while dedicated video adapters are expansion cards that connect to the motherboard via a peripheral component interconnect express or accelerated graphics port slot. As the computer can't run a dedicated adapter and an integrated adapter at the same time, at least one socket on the back of the board won't work. The Device Manager, accessible from Control Panel, will show which adapter the computer is using; video adapters appear under the Display Adapters section.
Laptop Computers
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Most modern laptop computers have at least an analog socket for an external monitor. Certain settings, however, can prevent the desktop from appearing on the monitor. Laptops often come with a set of hotkeys to quickly configure installed hardware; on most notebooks, the Fn and F7 or F5 keys toggle between the different video outputs on the laptop. If the video output is set to the notebook screen, video feed won't appear on the external monitor. In addition to confirming that the laptop is configured to use the external monitor, you can look up the product documentation on the manufacturer's website if the Fn and F7 or Fn and F5 keys don't change the video output settings.
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