At the creation of this article, the standard configuration for computer monitors across PVCC is one hub monitor, model Dell U2424HE, and one companion monitor, model Dell U2424H.
Tip: Use this article when: your laptop screen and your main Dell monitor are working fine, Windows shows a second monitor as connected in display settings, but the second monitor stays black — as if it is asleep. These steps are safe, take about 5–10 minutes, and do not require administrator access.
What’s happening
In this setup your laptop plugs into the U2424HE (the “hub” monitor) with a single USB-C cable. A second cable then runs from the hub monitor to the U2424H (the second monitor). This chain-style connection is called daisy-chaining. When the second screen is black but Windows still “sees” it, the image usually just isn’t making it down the chain — most often because of the second monitor’s input setting, the cable between the two monitors, or a connection that simply needs to be re-woken. The steps below fix the large majority of these cases.
Try these steps in order
Work through them one at a time. After each step, check whether the second monitor lights up before moving on.
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Wake the screen and confirm power
Move your mouse and press a key to make sure the screen isn’t just asleep. Then check that the second monitor’s power light is on. Press its power button once; if there is no light at all, confirm the power cable is firmly plugged into both the monitor and the wall/outlet, and that any power strip is switched on.
Why: a monitor with no power (or a power-saving sleep) can look identical to a “no image” problem.
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Select the correct input on the second monitor
Using the small joystick or buttons on the back-right edge of the second monitor (U2424H), press to open the on-screen menu, choose Input Source, and select DisplayPort (DP). Give it a few seconds to switch.
Why: if the monitor is set to the wrong input, it will sit on a black screen even though a cable is connected. This is the single most common fix.
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Reseat the cable between the two monitors
Find the cable that runs from the hub monitor (U2424HE) to the second monitor (U2424H). Unplug it at both ends and firmly plug it back in until it clicks. Make sure it goes from the hub monitor’s DP-OUT port to the second monitor’s DP-IN port (direction matters).
Why: a slightly loose cable — or one plugged into the wrong direction — can let Windows detect the monitor while no picture gets through.
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Reseat the USB-C cable at your laptop
Unplug the single USB-C cable from your laptop, wait about 10 seconds, then plug it back in firmly. Watch the second monitor for 15–20 seconds afterward.
Why: this re-starts the whole connection from the laptop down through both monitors and often re-wakes the second screen.
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Ask Windows to re-send the image
Press the Windows key + P, choose Duplicate, wait a moment, then press Windows key + P again and choose Extend. This nudges Windows to re-send the picture to the second screen. You can also open Settings > System > Display and click Detect.
Why: switching display modes forces Windows to hand off the image again, which can jog a stuck second monitor back to life.
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Power-cycle both monitors
Turn both monitors off, unplug their power cables for a full 30–60 seconds, then plug them back in and turn them on. Let them fully wake before checking.
Why: a short power drain clears temporary glitches in the monitor’s memory that a normal on/off doesn’t reset.
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Restart your laptop
With everything still connected, restart the laptop (choose Restart, not just Shut Down). Sign back in and check the second monitor.
Why: a restart reloads the display software fresh and resolves many one-off connection hiccups.
Note: Not daisy-chained? If your second monitor is plugged straight into your laptop or a docking station instead of into the hub monitor, Steps 2 (input source), 3–4 (reseat cables), 5 (re-send image), 6 (power-cycle), and 7 (restart) still apply — just reseat the cable at the port it actually uses.
If the second monitor still won’t display
You’ve done the right first steps — this one likely needs a closer look. In the meantime you can keep working on your laptop screen and the main hub monitor.
When the Help Desk reopens, submit a ticket and include:
- Your laptop’s service tag or asset number (usually on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop).
- Which steps above you already tried and what happened.
- When the problem started (for example, after moving your desk, a Windows update, or a new cable).
Caution: Please don’t open the monitor, force any connector, or swap cables between coworkers’ desks to test — that can create new problems. If a step here doesn’t help, simply move on to the next one, and let the Help Desk take it from there.
Need More Help?
Connect with PVCC Technology Services:
434.961.5400
help@pvcc.edu
Room M832 in the Main Building (Campus Map)