HDMI problem? When I switch to a different tv or projector, no video unless windows PC is rebooted

I have a win 11 PC connected to a smart TV. I also have a projector. When i unplug the HDMI cable to the smart TV and plug HDMI cable into projector, I get nothing but a blue screen
When I want to watch the computer on the projector, I must reboot windows 11 then I get video.
Same thing when switching back to smart TV as a monitor, have to reboot windows PC

Is this normal?

Is there anything I can do?
It feels like win11 is only detecting the monitor at boot, not on a replug to a different monitor

Sometimes changing connected hardware does require a reboot to load the correct drivers into memory. I use a NAS drive on my LAN and if a computer, Notebook or Desktop, is shutdown or sleeps for a period I lose the Mapping, sometimes just restarting File Explorer works but sometimes need to reboot a computer.

Is there any fix?

I have tried with a 4 port switch inline and it is the same thing. What is the point of an HDMI switch if you have to reboot windows every time? The switch is therefore useless, not functional and a waste of money. Might as well just using hands plug and unplug cables. Seems non sensical, why would anyone bother with a 4 port HDMI switch?? Something odd about all this.

sdowney717 said:

The switch is not functional and a waste of money

Click to expand...

Maybe just a plain Hub would work

What is a plain Hub?

I asked Chat GPT on reason mode, and seems to suggest something to do with detecting displays, but anyhow the advice seems stupid!

asked the below question,
how to use a 4 port HDMI switch on windows 11 with different monitors

answer is, and says nothing about being forced to reboot windows.
Reasoned about using an HDMI switch with multiple monitors for 9 seconds
It depends on what you’re trying to achieve, because a standard 4‑port HDMI switch is designed to let you select one of several HDMI input sources to display on a single monitor—not to drive multiple monitors simultaneously from one PC. Here are two common scenarios and how to approach each:

---

Scenario 1: Switching Multiple HDMI Sources on One Monitor​

If you have several devices (like a PC, a game console, a Blu-ray player, etc.) that you want to connect to a single monitor:

1. Connect the Inputs:
   • Plug each device’s HDMI output into one of the HDMI switch’s input ports.
2. Connect the Output:
   • Connect the HDMI switch’s output port to your monitor’s HDMI input.
3. Power and Control:
   • Some switches require external power—plug that in.
   • Use the switch’s remote control or manual button to select the desired input.
4. Windows 11 Settings:
   • No special Windows 11 configuration is needed since your PC is just one of the inputs. Just ensure your PC’s display settings are configured correctly when it’s the active input on the monitor.

---

Scenario 2: Switching a Single PC’s Output Between Multiple Monitors​

If you want to connect one PC to several monitors and be able to choose which one shows the PC’s output (for instance, if you have limited ports and want to use different monitors at different times), note that:

• Standard HDMI Switch Limitation:
  A typical HDMI switch won’t let you run two monitors at the same time; it only sends the PC’s signal to one monitor at a time.
• What You Can Do Instead:
  • KVM Switch: Consider a KVM (Keyboard-Video-Mouse) switch that supports multiple displays if you plan to switch your PC’s output between different monitors.
  • Multi-Monitor Adapter/Docking Station: If your PC supports multiple displays (or if you can add a USB‑to‑HDMI adapter or use a docking station), you might connect two or more monitors simultaneously and then configure them in Windows 11’s display settings (via Settings > System > Display).
• Adjust Windows 11 Settings:
  Once connected, if you’re switching between monitors manually, you might need to adjust the resolution or scaling settings in Windows 11 each time you change which monitor is active.
  • Right‑click on the desktop, select Display settings, and choose the appropriate monitor arrangement (such as “Extend” or “Duplicate”) if you’re using them simultaneously.

Well, anyhow the switch is stupid. Does not do what I want. Maybe nothing will except plugging and unplugging and rebooting every time..
I have only been using this HDMI switch to extract DD 5.1 to send to my DD receiver as the sound is much better than TV speakers.

I plan to try a device soon for connecting a second HDMI monitor to a Desktop that has only an HDMI port built in, no VGA, DVI or DP. Can't use an HDMI splitter as the second monitor is wanted to show different data.
It's a USB 3 to HDMI adapter.

I wonder if a splitter is more likely to do what I want as supposedly could take one source, windows 11 and power a signal to 2 or more HDMI displays at same time.
? is, what happens when a display is off and it turns on, does the splitter work or still need a windows 11 reboot?

HDMI splitters: One source, multiple TVs​

If you have one source, and want to send that source's signal to multiple TVs, you need an HDMI splitter. Maybe that TV is in a different room, or maybe in the same room you have a TV to watch during the day and a projector to watch at night. A splitter will duplicate a signal and send it out through multiple HDMI cables. Some splitters are also switches, with multiple "ins" and multiple "outs." We'll talk about those in the next section.

Chat GPT says this, first time an answer mentions how to force a refresh!


s.
o3-mini

You said:​

Does using an HDMI splitter with windows 11 require a reboot of windows when turning on a connected monitor?
Reasoned for 7 seconds
No, generally you don’t need to reboot Windows 11 when you turn on a monitor connected via an HDMI splitter. Windows 11 is designed to handle hot-plug events and should automatically detect the monitor once it’s powered on. If it doesn’t detect the new display immediately, you can usually force a refresh by:

• Pressing Windows + P to open the projection menu and selecting “Extend” or “Duplicate.”
• Using the Display Settings: Right‑click the desktop → Display settings → click “Detect” under the “Multiple displays” section.

In most cases, these steps will suffice without requiring a full system reboot.
o3-mini

It's an Asus known issue on 24H2. a blue screen with an error




move on, forget it.

I moved back to 23H2.