How to fix "Your PC can't project to another screen" error in Windows?

Windows shows "Your PC can't project to another screen" when you press Win + P or plug in a monitor and the display driver cannot drive a second screen. In most cases the graphics driver is missing, stopped or broken, not the monitor. Open Device Manager, read Display adapters, then reinstall the driver from your PC or graphics card maker.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What "Your PC can't project to another screen" means

In Windows, "project" means sending the picture to a second screen. The Project panel opens with Win + P and offers PC screen only, Duplicate, Extend and Second screen only. When you pick one and the graphics driver cannot open a second output, Windows shows this message instead.

The full text is "Your PC can't project to another screen. Try reinstalling the driver or using a different video card." The second sentence is the real hint. Windows itself blames the driver or the graphics hardware, not the cable or the monitor.

Why your PC can't project to another screen, most common cause first

The table ranks the causes by how often they show up in the reports we read and in Microsoft's troubleshooting order, each with the fix that matches it.

How to fix "Your PC can't project to another screen"

Fix 1 takes two minutes and helps when the setup worked before. If Device Manager shows Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, go straight to Fix 3. Fixes 5 and 6 are for the hardware side, Fix 7 is the general repair at the end.

Fix 1. Reset the graphics driver with Win + Ctrl + Shift + B and restart

2 minutesNo riskSetups that worked before and stopped after sleep, a game or unplugging the monitor.

Microsoft lists this key sequence first for an external monitor setup that suddenly stopped. It restarts the graphics driver without closing your apps, and a hung driver is a common reason the Project panel fails.

1. Leave the monitor or projector connected and switched on.
2. Press Win + Ctrl + Shift + B at the same time. The screen goes black for a second and you hear a short beep.
3. Press Win + P and select Extend or Duplicate.
4. If the message comes back, select Start > Power > Restart.
5. If a restart does not help, select Start > Power > Shut down, wait 10 seconds and turn the PC on again with the monitor connected.

Fix 2. Check the graphics card in Device Manager and turn it back on

3 minutesNo riskEveryone whose message came back after Fix 1, and anyone who wants to know the cause first.

The message tells you to reinstall the driver, but Device Manager shows why first. A disabled card, a card Windows stopped, or a generic driver each need a different next step.

1. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
2. Select the arrow next to Display adapters. Microsoft notes you see the maker's name and the name of each adapter here.
3. If your card has a small down arrow on its icon, right-click it and select Enable device.
4. Right-click the card, select Properties and read the Device status box on the General tab.
5. If it says "This device is working properly", the driver loads. Go to Fix 5.
6. If it shows an error code or the list shows only Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, go to Fix 3.

Users in a Microsoft Q&A thread on this exact message report that Device Manager showed "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)" for the graphics card. Code 43 means Windows stopped the card, so the Project panel had nothing to drive.

Fix 3. Reinstall the display driver from your PC or graphics card maker

10 to 20 minutesLow riskMicrosoft Basic Display Adapter, an error code on the card, or a driver that stays broken after Fix 1.

This is what the message itself asks for. Microsoft's steps remove the adapter together with its driver, so Windows loads a clean copy instead of the damaged one.

1. Download the current graphics driver first. For a laptop, use the laptop maker's support page for your model. For a desktop card, use NVIDIA, AMD or Intel.
2. Right-click Start and select Device Manager, then expand Display adapters.
3. Right-click your display adapter and select Uninstall device.
4. Tick Attempt to remove the driver for this device and select Uninstall. The screen may flicker and drop to a lower resolution.
5. Restart the PC when Windows asks.
6. Run the driver installer you downloaded. If you have none, open Device Manager, right-click the adapter, select Update driver and then Search automatically for drivers.
7. Restart again, connect the monitor and press Win + P.

Windows Update also offers some display drivers. Open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates and look under Driver updates for a display or graphics entry. On Windows 10 the path starts at Settings > Update & Security.

More on update, roll back and reinstall in Device Manager: Update, roll back or reinstall a driver.

Fix 4. Roll back the display driver after a bad update

5 minutesLow riskThe message appeared right after Windows Update or the maker's app installed a new graphics driver.

Microsoft recommends returning to the previous display driver when the problem starts after an update. A new driver can break the second output while the laptop screen still works.

1. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Display adapters, right-click your display adapter and select Properties.
3. Open the Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver.
4. Pick a reason, select Yes and restart the PC.
5. If Roll Back Driver is greyed out, Windows kept no older driver. Use Fix 3 instead.

Fix 5. Check the cable, the port, the input source and any dock

10 minutesNo riskDevice Manager shows the real card with no warning, but the second screen still gets nothing.

Microsoft's basic hardware checks cover this case. A dock, dongle or adapter between the PC and the screen can conflict with the driver, and a bad cable hides the screen from Windows.

1. Unplug every dock, dongle, splitter and adapter. Connect the monitor or projector straight to the PC if the ports allow it.
2. Make sure both ends of the cable sit firmly in the ports.
3. On the monitor or projector, pick the input that matches the cable, such as HDMI 1 or DisplayPort.
4. Try another cable. If the new one works, the old cable was faulty.
5. Try another video port on the PC, for example HDMI instead of USB-C.
6. Connect the monitor to another computer. If it fails there too, the monitor is the problem.

Fix 6. Plug the monitor into the graphics card and pick the right adapter

5 minutesNo riskDesktops with a separate graphics card, and laptops or PCs with two display adapters.

On many desktops the motherboard's own video ports are switched off when a graphics card is installed. A monitor there gets no signal, and Windows reports that it cannot project.

1. Look at the back of the desktop. The graphics card's ports sit in a horizontal row lower down, apart from the USB ports.
2. Move the monitor cable from the motherboard port to a port on the graphics card.
3. If Device Manager lists two display adapters, right-click the desktop and open the software of the second adapter, such as the NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Software.
4. Check which adapter drives which output. Microsoft says the steps to change the default adapter vary by device, so the PC maker's manual has the exact menu.
5. Press Win + P and select Extend.

Fix 7. Install Windows updates and repair system files

15 to 30 minutesLow riskPCs where the driver and the hardware look right but the message stays.

Microsoft says to make sure the device is up to date before display troubleshooting. Damaged Windows display files are a rare cause, and DISM and SFC replace them from a clean copy.

1. Open Settings > Windows Update, select Check for updates and install everything offered.
2. Restart the PC.
3. Search for cmd, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
4. Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, then sfc /scannow, and restart.

Step by step, with what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files.

Still broken: when it is the graphics hardware or the driver support

If a clean driver from the maker does not load, or the card keeps stopping with an error code, the message's second advice may apply: "using a different video card". That points at the hardware or at a driver that no longer supports your Windows version.

• The card stops again after every reinstall. An error code that returns after a clean driver install points at the graphics hardware or the laptop's mainboard. Contact the PC maker's support.
• The maker's installer finds no compatible hardware. Older graphics chips may have no driver for current Windows 11 builds. The PC maker's support page lists the last supported driver.
• One external monitor works, a second one does not. Microsoft says some graphics cards cannot drive more than one external monitor. The card or PC maker states how many it supports.
• Windows 10. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025, so new graphics drivers for it may stop coming.

Before you contact support, collect the card name from Display adapters, the text of the Device status box and your Windows version from winver. Microsoft also asks users to report remaining multi-display problems through the Feedback Hub.

How to stop "Your PC can't project to another screen" from coming back

Most cases come back after a Windows reinstall, a driver update or an unplugged dock. A few habits keep the second screen working.

Frequently asked questions

What does "Your PC can't project to another screen" mean?

It means Windows could not send the picture to a second screen when you chose Duplicate, Extend or Second screen only in the Project panel. The message adds "Try reinstalling the driver or using a different video card" because the graphics driver is what opens the second output. In most cases the display driver is missing, stopped or damaged. Device Manager shows which one under Display adapters, and Fix 2 explains what each state means.

Why can't my PC project to another screen?

Most often Windows has no working graphics driver. After an update or a reinstall it may run on Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, which cannot extend to another screen. Less often the card was stopped with an error such as Code 43, a new driver broke the second output, or the cable, port or dock is at fault. On a desktop with a graphics card, the monitor may be plugged into the motherboard port. The causes table ranks them.

How do I fix "Your PC can't project to another screen. Try reinstalling the driver"?

Do what the message says, in a clean way. Download the graphics driver from your laptop maker or from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel. In Device Manager, uninstall the display adapter with Attempt to remove the driver for this device ticked, restart and run the installer. Before that, try Win + Ctrl + Shift + B and a restart, which Microsoft lists for setups that stopped working. Fix 3 has every step.

How do I fix "Your PC can't project to another screen" in Windows 11?

The steps are the same as in Windows 10. Press Win + Ctrl + Shift + B, restart, then right-click Start and select Device Manager. Expand Display adapters and reinstall the driver if you see Microsoft Basic Display Adapter or a warning sign. Driver updates from Microsoft sit in Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates. The Project panel still opens with Win + P in Windows 11.

Does the same fix work for "Your PC can't project to another screen" on Windows 10?

Yes. The message, the Project panel and Device Manager work the same way on Windows 10 22H2. The only difference is the Settings path for optional driver updates, which starts at Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. Keep in mind that Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025. Graphics makers may stop releasing new drivers for it, so an old card on Windows 10 can run out of fixes.

Why can my laptop not project to another screen or a projector?

Laptops usually fail for one of three reasons. The graphics driver from the laptop maker was replaced by a generic or newer one, the USB-C port or dock does not carry video, or the projector is on the wrong input. Use the driver from the laptop maker's support page for your model, connect the projector straight to the laptop, and pick the matching input on the projector. Users report this error most often on laptops with two graphics chips.

Is "Your PC can't connect to another screen" the same error?

Usually yes. People often type the Project panel message from memory with "connect" instead of "project", and the fixes on this page apply. A real wireless display connection that fails, such as casting to a TV, is a different problem with its own causes, like Wi-Fi and Miracast support. Microsoft keeps a separate troubleshooting page for wireless displays and docks.

Can a bad HDMI cable cause this message?

It can, but less often than the driver. A broken cable or an adapter that does not carry video can hide the second screen from Windows, so the Project panel has nothing to extend to. Microsoft suggests trying another cable, another video port and the monitor on another computer. If the monitor works everywhere else and your Device Manager shows the real card with no warning, the cable is the likely cause.

Do I need a new graphics card to fix it?

Rarely. The message mentions "a different video card", but most cases are fixed by a clean driver. A new card or a repair is only needed when the card keeps stopping with an error after a clean reinstall, when no driver exists for your Windows version, or when the card cannot drive as many monitors as you connect. Check those signs in the still broken section before buying anything.