The whole display adapter tab missing in Device Manager? Not to worry. You can fix the problem easily. Try the following methods and may find the method that can fix the error.
Method 1: Show hidden devices from Command Prompt
Method 2: Use the Add Legacy Hardware option
Method 3: Update chipset drivers and graphics card drivers
Method 4: Restore BIOS
Method 1: Show hidden devices from Command Prompt
When the Display Adapter tab is missing from Device Manager, the device may be just hidden. To make it appear, you can show hidden devices from Command Prompt and see if it helps. Follow these steps:
1) Press Win+R keys to open the Run box.
2) Type “cmd” into the Run box.
3) On your keyboard, press Shift+Ctrl+Enter at the same time to open Command Prompt as administrator.
4) Type “devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1” and press Enter.
5) Open Device Manager and check to see if the display adapter tab shows up. If it shows up, you may see the device disabled, then you’ll need to enable the device manually. To enable the device, just right-click on the device and select Enable device.
If Method 1 doesn’t work for you, try Method 2.
Method 2: Use the Add Legacy Hardware option
To solve the Display Adapter tab missing from Device Manager problem, you can use the Add Legacy Hardware option in Device Manager to add the display adapter category and the graphics card manually. Follow these steps:
2) Click the Action menu at the top and select Add legacy hardware.
3) At the Add Hardware window, click Next.
4) Select Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced), and then click Next.
5) Select Display adapters and then click Next.
6) In the “Manufacturer” section, you’ll see multiple options for you to choose. If you see the option that matches your graphics card, select it, for example, Intel, AMD. If not, select Microsoft. Then select the Model corresponding with the selected Manufacturer.
Then click Next. Then the device will be installed on your computer. Wait for the process to finish.
7) Once done, check to see if the display adapter tab and the graphics card device shows up in Device Manager. If the graphics card doesn’t show up correctly, you’ll need to update the graphic card driver. If you have no idea how to update the driver, move on to Method 3.
Method 3: Update chipset drivers and graphics card drivers
The display adapter tab missing in Device Manager error can be caused by faulty chipset drivers and graphics card drivers. You can try updating the chipset drivers and graphics card drivers and see if it helps.
You can go to the PC manufacturer’s website to download the drivers. Usually, drivers can be downloaded from the Drivers, Support, or Download section.
Alternatively, you can search “PC model + driver” using your preferred search engine, then you can find the driver download page of your PC directly from the search results.
Method 4: Restore BIOS
Incorrect BIOS settings can be the one of the causes of the display adapter missing error. To fix the error, you can try restoring BIOS to default. The specific steps to restore BIOS vary depending on the computer manufacturer. But you can refer to the steps below to give it a try.
IMPORTANT: Modifying BIOS incorrectly may cause serious system issues. Ensure you know what you’re doing. If not, it’s recommended you contact the manufacturer for help.
1) Enter BIOS.
First, boot your computer. If your computer is already on, restart it.
After booting your computer, on the load screen, you should see a notification telling you what key you can press to access BIOS (F2, DEL, F8, etc.). Keep pressing that key then you can access BIOS.
2) Once you’re in the BIOS, you can press F9 or F5 to bring up a prompt that’ll allow you to restore the BIOS. You can also find the option under the Security tab or the Exit tab.
The name of the option allowing you to restore BIOS varies depending on what motherboard you have. It could be Reset to Default, Load Factory Defaults, Load Setup Defaults, Load Optimized Defaults, etc.
3) Use the arrow key to select Yes, then BIOS will be restored to default.
4) Once done, press the key next to Save and Exit.
5) Reboot your computer and check to see if it fixed the error.
Hopefully you find the article helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below. I’ll get back to you ASAP.