I've been using my laptop with two external monitors for about two years now, always duplicating the laptop screen on the first monitor and extending the third one. However, recently—without any new updates—I've found that I can't duplicate the laptop screen anymore; it only lets me extend it. When I try to duplicate it through the Windows settings, the screens briefly show up as duplicated, but then the second monitor switches back to extended mode, even after I confirm to keep the settings. The resolutions match for both screens, and all three monitors are detected and arranged correctly. I can still duplicate the two external monitors easily, but not the laptop. I heard suggestions about using the NVIDIA tool, but that doesn't work since it only shows the two external monitors. Has anyone else experienced this issue or have suggestions on how to fix it?
2 Answers
You might want to test the laptop screen by itself. Try plugging in just the laptop to see if it can duplicate with no external monitors connected. This can help you see if the issue is with the laptop screen or the external configurations.
Have you tried checking your display cable connections? Sometimes a loose connection can cause issues like that. Also, make sure your graphics drivers are up to date. Even if there weren't any recent updates, it might help to reinstall the graphics driver to clear out any bugs.
I checked the cables and they seem fine. I’ll give the graphics driver a reinstall a try.
I did that, but it’s the same problem. It duplicates briefly and then switches back. I tried it with both monitors too.