PC Shows a Black Screen After Switching HDMI From a 4K TV to a 1080p Monitor
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MapleRidge42
My Windows 11 PC has an RTX 3060 and was working normally while connected to a 4K TV over HDMI. While the computer and TV were still powered on, I unplugged the HDMI cable from the TV and connected it to a 1080p monitor. The monitor showed nothing, and reconnecting the cable to the TV now produces the same black screen. I have rebooted several times, held the power button for about 40 seconds, tried four different HDMI cables, and used Windows+Ctrl+Shift+B to reset the graphics driver. There were no previous graphics problems. I have also ordered a DisplayPort cable to test another output.
Answers
The graphics-driver reset shortcut is worth trying, but it will not help if Windows is not outputting a signal at all. Since it produced no beep or picture, test the DisplayPort connection when the cable arrives and confirm that the cable is plugged into the RTX 3060 rather than a motherboard video port. If possible, also try another port on the graphics card.
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Hot-swapping the HDMI connection while both displays were powered on may have left the HDMI handshake or display output in a bad state. Try shutting the PC down completely, turning off and unplugging the monitor or TV for a few minutes, then reconnecting everything before powering it back on. Also make sure the display is set to the correct HDMI input.
MapleRidge42: The TV was still on when I swapped the cable, so that is possible. I’ll try a complete power-down and unplug both displays before testing again.
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MapleRidge42: I already tried the driver reset shortcut without any change. I’m hoping DisplayPort will help identify whether the problem is limited to the HDMI output.