Internal Display Wont Detect Unless Plugged Into External Monitor

[jodaphone]

Hello, 

I was wondering if anyone could help me:

For the past two days my laptop internal display has not been working correctly:
- Laptop boots past post fine (windows logon sound) keys light on, AC adapter powers on, fans on, everything as expected.
- BUT no screen - The laptop screen backlight powers on - No picture. Black screen. Nothing. Ziltch.
- On two days extensive restarting resulted in a success - The windows logo appeared. Laptop worked fine.

Today I am getting absolutely no result:

- Tried to do a cold restart to push it into repair mode - Didn't work. Won't go into recovery mode (turn on and off with the 15s hold)
- Tried to do a restart and launch the bios - Didn't work either.

- FINALLY got some success plugging in an external monitor - Display now showing on the external screen.

- With access to the laptop I then...
- Checked HP updates - Update BIOS to latest version, updated firmware to latest version.
- Checked Windows Update - All up to date, recent updates passed and installed successfully.
- Checked Device Manager - Display drivers are all up to date, working fine.

- Checked Display settings - ONLY the external display is registering as identified. The internal display does not exist.
- I checked the advance settings - 'Internal display is not active' very perplexing.
- Downloaded original 2020 display drivers from the HP website to try roll back to earlier version. - Didn't work.
- Downloaded original Intel graphics drivers from Intel website to try roll back to earlier version - Didn't work.
- Tried pausing windows updates & uninstalling the display drivers.
- Did a restart and this didn't work.
- Proceeded back to the display settings and tried detecting displays. Nothing.

- Tried duplicating displays. Nothing (again the black backlight is still working)
- I go to the advanced settings - The display doesn't say 'not active' anymore -It has identified it exists. I then try changing the refresh rate. from 50hz to 40hz (this hadn't be changed before)
- SUDDENLY - Picture appears.😁

SO: Now I am trying to get the internal display to stay working when unplugged from the external monitor....

- I tried a windows update, HP update and driver check again.
- Laptop internal display is only working when duplicating display and the external monitor plugged in.
- Unplugging the external display results in the black screen again without fail.
- External display won't remain on during boot to start in safe mode. Run repair mode or anything
- I have tried a soft reset (reinstalling windows but keeping files) - No change, lost software. So sad. 
- Haven't tried a hard factory reset (would prefer not to if I can)


THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION IS:
- I believe an update or a driver or something beyond me has resulted in the refresh rate change and the laptop having an issue keeping the display drivers running when the EXTERNAL monitor is unplugged.
- I am struggling to see this as a core DRIVER issue as I tried updating and rolling back these drivers. Unless I was looking at the wrong ones I don't know.
- Equally the soft reset (reinstalling windows) in my opinion should have covered things. So I am pretty much stumped

For reference it is a - HP Pavilion Gaming - 15-dk0010na (Windows 11 64 bit)

Please any advice and solutions would be eternally appreciated 🙏 
Whomever supplies the ultimate solution and fix will be rewarded best I can 🌟

Thank you