A blank HDMI screen on the HP Fortis x360 11 inch G5 often comes down to the monitor's selected input or ChromeOS display settings.
Connect the monitor directly, select its matching HDMI input, then open Settings > Device > Displays to see whether the Chromebook detects it.
This Fortis is a Chromebook. Windows + P, Windows graphics drivers and HP USB-C Dock G5 instructions apply to other equipment. No signal needs different checks from a screen showing a desktop background without your windows.
In this guide
1. Connect directly and select the monitor's input
Open the Chromebook in its normal laptop position and keep the built-in screen visible. Connect an HDMI cable from the Fortis's HDMI port directly to the monitor or TV. For this first check, leave out any dock, switch or adapter.
Use the display's own Input or Source button to choose the socket you used. With the cable plugged into HDMI 2, select HDMI 2 on the monitor too. The selected input should match the label beside the cable.
Read what the external display actually shows. No signal means it isn't receiving a usable picture through that selected connection.
A desktop background or pointer means video is arriving, even if your browser is still on the Chromebook screen.
HP's Fortis documentation identifies an HDMI output and USB-C display output on this model. The HDMI socket sends the Chromebook's picture to another screen; it doesn't turn the Fortis into a monitor for a game console or another computer.
If the display now shows a desktop, continue to the mirror setting. If it still says No signal, check detection and then compare the cable and display before changing more settings.
I'd use a direct cable for this first attempt. It leaves fewer parts to check and gives you a useful comparison if a dock was part of the original setup.
2. Check whether ChromeOS can see the monitor
Select the clock in the Chromebook's lower-right corner, then open Settings. Choose Device > Displays. Look for the external monitor's name alongside the built-in display controls.
Google says the mirroring option appears after a monitor connects. If the external screen is absent, check the connection before trying to move windows.
If the monitor is listed, select its name to adjust that screen. Keep the built-in display selected only when you intend to change the Chromebook's own panel. Otherwise it's easy to change the wrong screen and think the control did nothing.
Disconnect and reconnect HDMI once while watching this page. If the monitor only appears when you tilt the plug, have the cable and socket checked. Stop bending the connector to keep it working.
If no external display appears, leave the settings page and move to the cable comparison. If it does appear but the external screen remains black, use the supported resolution choices in section 5 after checking the cable.
3. Mirror the built-in display for a presentation
In Settings > Device > Displays, select Mirror Built-in Display when you want matching pictures across the two displays. Open a browser window on the Chromebook and check that the external screen shows the same page.
With mirroring off, ChromeOS can extend the desktop across the two screens. An empty background on the monitor can be normal: your windows are still on the built-in screen. Move a window to the external screen or enable mirroring.
This distinction matters for a classroom projector. A projector showing the wallpaper is already receiving video. Reinstalling anything won't move your presentation onto it; choosing the intended display mode will.
If the picture appears but audio stays on the Chromebook speakers, use the clock menu's audio output selector to choose the connected display when that display supports audio. Video and audio output choices are separate.
A display without speakers won't produce sound simply because HDMI carries an audio signal. Once the picture works, check the monitor's specifications before troubleshooting its volume.
4. Compare the cable and a second display
Try a different HDMI cable that works with another device. Keep the same monitor input selected. If that change restores the image, replace the original cable rather than resetting ChromeOS.
Next, connect the Fortis directly to another monitor or TV. Select that display's HDMI input too. If the picture works there, check the first display's input and settings, including whether it supports the video mode you've chosen.
If possible, connect another video source to the original monitor using the same cable and input.
If neither device produces a picture, the cable or monitor needs attention. If the other device works, focus on the Chromebook and its selected video mode.
Jot down what happens with each connection. Changing the cable, dock, monitor and settings together can restore a picture without identifying the faulty part.
For a USB-C alternative, use an adapter that supports display output and Chromebook use. A USB-C charging cable alone isn't enough. If direct HDMI works while an adapter fails, check that adapter's video support before blaming the laptop.
5. Lower the selected mode, then restart and update
When ChromeOS detects the monitor, return to Device > Displays and select its name. Choose a lower offered resolution and, where available, a lower refresh rate. Confirm the result using the on-screen prompt.
The connection can work at one mode but fail at a more demanding one. Choose from the modes ChromeOS offers for that display. An adapter won't necessarily support every resolution and refresh rate listed for the monitor.
After saving open work, restart the Chromebook normally and reconnect the monitor. Open Settings > About ChromeOS > Check for updates. If an update is offered, let it install and complete the requested reboot.
If this is a school-owned Fortis, give the administrator the HDMI comparison results and ChromeOS version. Don't Powerwash a managed Chromebook to test a display fault; that erases local data and may require school enrollment afterward.
For a broader connection chain, the HDMI cable checks explain why a working lower mode matters.
If the built-in panel also fails, use the Chromebook screen checks to compare the laptop screen with the external display.
If two working cables and two displays fail directly from HDMI, ask HP or the school's repair provider to check the Fortis's HDMI output.
Include whether USB-C video works and whether the monitor ever appears in Displays. That helps them check whether the port is faulty.
The Short Version
Select the monitor's correct HDMI input, then check ChromeOS Displays. Mirror the screen if only the background appears. Compare a direct cable and another display before trying a lower mode, updates or an HP port inspection.
Checked November 12, 2026.
