Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2019 July 3

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July 3

Laptop with a dock only forwards to external monitors sometimes?

Hello! My work computer is a laptop connected to a dock via USB-C that forwards the display to two monitors. 90% of the time there's no problem but on some days like today I'll show up and it simply will not forward no matter how much power cycling and unplugging and Windows+P I do. It's a Dell Latitude 7490 and the dock is a Dell WD15. This has been a hard problem to google since it generally does work, so there's not a compatibility issue. I know that sometimes I've gotten it to work by restarting with the lid open but sometimes that doesn't do it either. Thanks for any insight! NIRVANA2764 (talk) 14:51, 3 July 2019 (UTC)

It never hurts to reboot everything, in case it's a software issue.

What I can suggest is that you try, one by one, replacing items in the setup, such as the cords, monitors, and finally laptop. If you have extras handy, this is easy to try. If not, then maybe just buy new cords (connecting dock to laptop, monitors, etc.), as they are the least expensive, and you probably wouldn't mind have extras anyway. If you find a defective component, replace it permanently.

Another possibility is that some type of interference is causing the connection to be lost. Try the setup elsewhere to determine if it's an outside source. Or, perhaps the monitors or dock are the source.

And power supply issues are a potential problem, too. If power drops out or has the wrong voltage, the monitors may not boot. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) would address this, but they are expensive and don't last many years. SinisterLefty (talk) 14:57, 3 July 2019 (UTC)

Another thing it never hurts to check is the connections. Maybe one of the plugs or sockets is slightly damaged so that the plug may shift out of its proper position, for example. --76.69.117.113 (talk) 02:49, 4 July 2019 (UTC)

Good point. USB cords are particularly prone to having a loose fit, as they lack any type of clip or screw to secure them properly. If the connector wiggles in the plug, it's not secure. SinisterLefty (talk) 10:12, 4 July 2019 (UTC)

I'm currently having the same issue but with hp kit. Various models of laptop but all using the hp usb3 dock. Most work just fine. A couple have intermittent issues as you described. On one I rolled back to an earlier version of DisplayLink and that fixed it. On another laptop I turned off "Hybrid mode" for the GPUs in the BIOS so it uses only one GPU. That worked. But I still have 2 laptops that I haven't been able to fix. All Windows 10. Problem does not happen in Windows 7. 41.165.67.114 (talk) 12:11, 4 July 2019 (UTC)

Lack of error reporting

This reminds me of a general problem in our modern world, a lack of error reporting. What should happen is your laptop should display a message like "Connection between Dell WD15 dock and (make and model number) external monitor has been lost.". But I get problems all the time with electronic equipment and have no clue as to the cause. Maybe my printer doesn't print. Maybe my cell phone won't download my pics to PC. Maybe my DVR won't record today. But no matter what the problem is, I get no explanation as to why. SinisterLefty (talk) 14:36, 4 July 2019 (UTC)