I need to use my single monitor (HDMI, Samsung SyncMaster B2430) and keyboard / mouse (USB, Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic) with 2 laptops, to be able to switch between the two easily with one click of a button.
My 1st laptop is my old Samsung Series 9 NP900X4C, running Windows 10 Home (with a micro HDMI port).
My 2nd laptop is a Dell Precision 5520, running Windows 10 Enterprise (with full HDMI port)
Up till a few months ago I was using a cheap HDMI Switch, (3-port Duronic).
It was working fine (I was switching the keyboard separately by swapping the dongle), but at some point it stopped recognising my Samsung Laptop. I thought it was something wrong with the HDMI switch, given its such a cheap device, and didn't bother doing any more troubleshooting.
Instead I went ahead and bought a Bowu 2 USB HDMI KVM-Switch. This one also takes USB so with one button I also switch the keyboard and mouse, not just the monitor.The USB switching works perfectly between the two laptops on the new KVM switch.
The problem is that when I connect my Samsung laptop through the new switch the monitor does not recognize the signal. But when I connect them directly it works, so I know that the HDMI port on my laptop is not busted. It is also strange that both HDMI switches are behaving in this way.
Samsung Laptop -> Monitor = OKSamsung Laptop -> KVM Port 1 -> Monitor = NOKDell Laptop -> KVM Port 2 -> Monitor = OKDell Laptop -> KVM Port 1 -> Monitor = OKSamsung Laptop -> KVM Port 2 -> Monitor = NOKI also tried swapping cables to eliminate the possibility of a faulty cable.
Given that this used to work before with my old HDMI switch, and suddenly it stopped, I am starting to suspect it must be some driver or windows update issue that screwed this up, or some display setting which somehow is not compatible, although I don't recall changing any resolution or display settings.
Is there any way or any tool I could use to debug what is going on when the HDMI handshake takes place between my laptop and monitor through the KVM?