

If you’re using a third-party graphics card, check that the card is seated fully in the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) slot and that you have the very latest version of all the necessary drivers.

If yes, then this strongly indicates that the problem lies with your external monitor. If you have access to a second external display, try attaching it to your Mac to see if it works. If your monitor is buggy, temperamental, or outright broken, then no amount of adjusting your Mac’s settings is going to fix the problem! You can also check that the brightness isn’t cranked down on your external display using the Ctrl + F2 keyboard shortcut. Try attaching your MacBook to a power outlet to see whether this gives your laptop the juice it needs to power an external monitor. If you’re running your MacBook from its internal battery, it may not have enough power to push pixels to an external monitor. If you’re experiencing issues with an external display, then it’s always worth detaching your cable and adapter and then re-attaching them firmly.

Even a slightly loose connection can prevent your Mac from recognizing the attached display.

Just because a cable looks connected doesn’t mean that it is connected securely.
