Black screen and flickering on external monitor when connected via HDMI to HP Spectre x360

[wagyu_beef]

I am unable to successfully connect any external monitors to my HP Spectre x360 via HDMI. In Windows 10 Display Settings, it shows that the external monitor is clearly detected but no image appears. Occasionally, the screen will flicker and display an image but it will disappear shortly after and just show a black screen, "no signal". 

Previously I was able to connect external monitors to my HP Spectre without issue. I used to have an old VGA monitor that I connected using a VGA-to-HDMI adapter, but after several months it stopped working, so I assumed the problem was because of the old monitor. I purchased a new monitor, an Acer KB242YA which has both DVI and HDMI inputs, but I am still having the same problem.

I know the problem is not the Acer monitor because I have tried it with other devices and it works successfully.

In Windows Device Manager --> Monitors, both the laptop Internal Display and the external monitor show up as "Generic PnP Monitor" as shown in the screenshot. I am unsure if this could be the issue or not.

When the external monitor screen flickered, I opened Task Manager and it flickered along with everything else on the screen. I have already tried to follow the Microsoft-provided solutions for screen flickering, which is to start the PC in safe mode, uninstall the current display adapter, and then check for driver updates. This did not work.

I also reset the BIOS settings and this did not change anything either.

I am out of ideas and am wondering if I need to reset my PC/Windows 10, or if there are any other solutions I should try first.

[wagyu_beef]

I am bumping my own post because no one has responded yet. Any help or suggestions at all would be very appreciated, thanks!

[Anand_Andy]

Hi @wagyu_beef,

Welcome to the HP Support Community

I understand you are facing a display flickering issue on your external monitor when connected with your HP Spectre 15-Eb0000 Notebook PC. Not to worry I will help you to get a resolution to resolve the issue.

To assist better:

• Was there any recent update on the PC?
• Are all the drivers on HP Support Assistant up to date?
• If not please follow the document to update the drivers: HP PCs - How to Download, Install, and Use HP Support Assistant (Windows)
• Have you tried connecting the PC to your TV using the HDMI cable to make sure the external monitor is not faulty?

While you respond to that please try the below steps:

Update the BIOS & Video card  drivers to resolve this issue

• Here's the link to download and install the above updates: Click here

If the issue persists, then please follow the steps mentioned in this document: HP PCs - Blinking or Flashing Screen After Upgrading to Windows 10

Hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[wagyu_beef]

Hi @Anand_Andy,

Thanks for getting back to me.

• Was there any recent update on the PC?
  No, not to my knowledge. This problem has persisted for a while. I regularly apply Windows and HP Support Assistant updates as needed. I am currently running Windows 10, Version 21H2.
• Are all the drivers on HP Support Assistant up to date?
  Yes.
• Have you tried connecting the PC to your TV using the HDMI cable to make sure the external monitor is not faulty?
  Yes, I tried and the same problem occurs with the TV screen flickering while connected using HDMI.

I also reset my PC through Windows Settings --> Update & Security --> Recovery. I chose the option to save my personal files but the screen flickering still occurs when connected to either the monitor or the TV.

Per your instructions, I updated the BIOS and Video card drivers to the following versions:

(1) Intel UHD Graphics:

Driver Date: 8/20/2021

Driver Version: 30.0.100.9864

(2) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti with Max-Q Design:

Driver Date: 7/21/2022

Driver Version: 31.0.15.1694

(3) BIOS Version/Date: AMI F.14, 4/6/2022

Lastly, I followed the instructions for "HP PCs - Blinking or Flashing Screen After Upgrading to Windows 10" but was unable to continue past Step 3 because the link to download the "fix tool" appears to be broken. When I click the link, a window pops up that says "How do you want to open this?" and when I select my web browser (Google Chrome), it just opens up a new browser window.

So far none of these resolutions have worked for me. Is there anything else that I can do?

[Anand_Andy]

@wagyu_beef,

Thank you for your response, I really appreciate your efforts. As the issue still persists, I'm sending out a private message to assist you with the next course of action. 

Please check your Private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile Next, to your profile Name, you should see a little blue envelope, please click on it or simply click on this link.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos, Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!