Surface Pro 7 with Windows 11 not detecting LG 34UM68-P

Hi Sean Lawton,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum. I understand how frustrating this can be, especially when the monitor works with other devices and you’ve already updated, restarted, and adjusted settings.

From what you’ve described, this doesn’t look like a failure with the LG 34UM68‑P itself. With this particular monitor and the Surface Pro 7, issues may be most often related to how the video signal is passed through an adapter or docking station, rather than a problem with Windows or the display hardware.

I noticed Q&A Assist has already provided a few suggestions, so I wanted to add a couple of additional recommendations that are often helpful in this situation.

If you’re currently using a docking station, it’s worth temporarily connecting the monitor directly to the Surface Pro 7 using a single adapter. Docks can sometimes interfere with the video handshake process, especially with ultrawide monitors, and this helps rule that out early.

If you have the option, using a DisplayPort connection tends to be much more reliable on Surface devices than HDMI. HDMI—particularly through passive adapters or older cables—can prevent the monitor from being detected even when everything appears connected correctly.

On the LG monitor itself, please make sure the input source is selected manually using the on‑screen menu. Auto‑input detection doesn’t always switch correctly, and manually choosing the active port can make a difference.

If the monitor shows up in Windows Display Settings but the screen remains blank, setting a lower resolution such as 1920 × 1080 at 60 Hz can sometimes allow the image to appear. Once it’s visible, you can then switch back to the native 2560 × 1080 resolution.

It’s also important to confirm that Surface firmware updates are fully installed. These are separate from standard Windows updates and can directly affect external display compatibility. You can check this by opening the Surface app and reviewing the available updates under Help & Support.

Please keep me posted on how it goes, and feel free to reach out if you need any further assistance. 

If you have any further questions regarding this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: If you'd like to receive email notifications about this chat, follow the steps in our documentation to enable email notifications.

If your Surface Pro 7 is not detecting the LG 34UM68-P monitor, here are a few troubleshooting steps you can try:

1. Check Connections: Ensure that all cables are securely connected. Sometimes a loose connection can prevent detection.
2. Use the Detect Option: Go to Display Settings and click on the Detect button to see if Windows can find the monitor.
3. Keyboard Shortcut: You can also try using the keyboard shortcut Win + Ctrl + Shift + B to refresh the display.
4. Update Drivers: Even if your system is updated, check for specific graphics driver updates from the manufacturer’s website, as they may have newer versions that improve compatibility.
5. Different Port: If your docking station has multiple ports, try connecting the monitor to a different port to rule out port-specific issues.
6. Resolution and Refresh Rate: Ensure that the resolution and refresh rate settings for the monitor are compatible with the Surface Pro 7. Sometimes, settings that are too high can prevent detection.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider testing the Surface Pro 7 with another monitor to determine if the problem lies with the Surface or the LG monitor itself.

References:

• Docking and multi-monitor Experiences
• Surface USB4 Dock overview