A dock charges the laptop but the external monitor is blank. How would you isolate it?

Instruction: Use one-change-at-a-time testing across the display settings, monitor, cable, port, and dock. Preserve work and distinguish charging from a working video path.

Context:

A Windows 11 laptop's internal display works. Its USB-C dock charges it and the monitor's power light is on, but the monitor says No signal. The setup worked yesterday before someone moved the desk. A known-good compatible video cable and an approved spare monitor are available. The dock also carries Ethernet and an external drive with an active file copy.

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I'd explain that charging and a monitor power light do not prove a working video path. Because the dock also has an active file copy, I would start with display and connection observations without unplugging it. I'd confirm the selected monitor input and arrange a safe stopping point before testing the cable, dock, and laptop output separately...

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