Read on to learn about the causes of and fixes for Generic PnP Monitor errors in Windows 10.
What Is the Generic PnP Monitor Driver?
PnP (Plug and Play) is a part of your PC that enables the system to adapt to hardware changes. It allows you to add and remove external devices without having to configure or install suitable drivers manually.
The Generic PnP Monitor Driver helps specifically ease the process of connecting external monitors to your device. When it’s functioning properly, you should be able to connect external monitors without any issues.
What Causes the Generic PnP Monitor Driver Error?
The Generic PnP Monitor driver issue arises when your PC struggles to recognize an external monitor. Identifying this problem is easy. It starts with the “failed to load hardware monitor driver” error message. Also, you’ll see a yellow exclamation mark next to your Generic PnP Monitor driver in the Device Manager.
Here are the several causes for this error:
Corrupted or outdated Generic PnP Monitor driver Faulty VGA/HDMI/DVI cable Faulty external monitor Faulty or incorrect connections
Now that you know the several causes for the Generic PnP Monitor driver error, let’s explore how you can resolve it.
1. Check Your Connection to the External Monitor
Before trying the advanced fixes, start by checking the basics. Check if your video cable is connected properly to both the external monitor and your PC. Alternatively, unplug your monitor and reboot your device. From there, reconnect the monitor.
Also, check whether this is a system-specific issue or not. To do this, connect the external monitor to another PC and check if it works. If the issue persists, either the monitor or the cable is faulty. Test the monitor using various cables. If this still doesn’t resolve the issue, then the problem could be with the external monitor.
2. Update the Generic PnP Monitor Driver
There’s a high chance that a faulty or corrupted driver is causing this issue. To resolve the problem, update the Generic PnP Monitor driver using the following steps:
Type Device Manager in the Start menu search bar and select the Best match. Expand the Monitors section. Right-click the Generic PnP Monitor driver and select the Update Driver option.
In the next window, select Search automatically for updated driver software. From there, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. Restart your PC when you finish.
3. Uninstall the Generic PnP Monitor Driver and Scan For Hardware Changes
Instead of updating the PnP Monitor driver, you could uninstall it and scan your PC for hardware changes. This should help install a compatible driver.
Follow these steps to uninstall the Generic PnP Monitor driver:
Type Device Manager in the Start menu search bar and select the Best match. Expand the Monitors section. Right-click the Generic PnP Monitor driver and select the Uninstall device option.
Next, hit the Action tab and select the Scan for hardware changes option.
Restart your PC when the process is complete.
4. Update the Display Adapters
The “failed to load hardware monitor driver” error is usually associated with the Generic PnP Monitor driver. However, the issue could also stem from the display adapters. As such, updating your display adapters could help.
Here’s how you update your display adapters:
Type Device Manager in the Start menu search bar and select the Best match. Expand the Display adapters section. Right-click your PC’s display adapter and select the Update Driver option.
In the next window, select Search automatically for updated driver software. From there, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. Restart your PC when you finish.
5. Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter
Windows Troubleshooting tools can help you resolve various system issues. In this case, you can resolve this error using the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter.
To get started, press Windows Key + I to open the Setting panel, then head to Update & Security > Troubleshoot. Select Hardware & Devices from the options. From there, press Run the troubleshooter.
Connect Your External Monitors Without Trouble
Connecting an external monitor to your device can help to streamline your work and make it easy for you to multitask. If you ever run into the Generic PnP Monitor driver issue, the fixes above will help you to resolve the error quickly with minimal downtime.
