Your pen display turns on.

The Windows or macOS desktop appears correctly on the screen.

You can extend or mirror the display without a problem.

But when you touch the screen with the stylus:

nothing happens.

The cursor does not move.

Pressure sensitivity is missing.

The pen display software may even say:

Device not connected.

This symptom is confusing because the screen is clearly working.

But a pen display is not just one device.

A pen display can receive video successfully while its separate USB data connection for pen input is completely unavailable.

That is the key to diagnosing this problem safely and quickly.

Treat the Pen Display as Two Devices

For troubleshooting, mentally split the pen display into two functions.

If the picture appears normally, you already know something important:

The video path is working.

That does not prove the USB data path is working.

Wacom's official connection guidance makes this separation explicit. For Cintiq models connected through HDMI or DisplayPort, Wacom requires a separate USB connection and states that data is communicated by the USB connection. 

That is why:

HDMI works

can coexist perfectly with:

Pen input does not work.

Read the Symptom Before Changing Anything

Use the working and non-working functions to identify which path deserves attention.

If HDMI works but other USB devices connected to the hub also fail, the issue is broader than the pen display. The related guide on a USB-C hub where HDMI works but USB ports do not explains that partial-function failure in more detail.

Check the Pen Display's Original Connection Diagram

Before moving cables, check how your specific pen display is designed to connect.

Many pen displays use a 3-in-1 or similar cable arrangement.

A typical setup looks like:

Pen Display

→ HDMI → Computer

→ USB Data → Computer

→ Power → Adapter

For example, Wacom's Wacom One setup requires both USB-A and HDMI when using its 3-in-1 connection method.

Huion uses the same general principle on several Kamvas models: its official setup instructions tell users to connect the USB data cable and HDMI cable to their respective computer ports, with power handled separately when required. 

So inspect every branch of the pen display cable.

Do not assume:

HDMI plugged in = complete connection.

Restore the Missing USB Data Path

If the screen works but the stylus does not, focus on the cable responsible for data.

Suppose your connection currently looks like:

Laptop

↓

USB-C Hub

├── HDMI → Pen Display
└── USB-A → Pen Display

Check the USB branch first.

Make sure it is connected to a real data port such as:

USB-A 2.0

USB-A 3.0

USB-C Data

and not a port labeled only:

PD

Power Delivery

Charging

A PD input can look almost identical to a USB-C data port but may not communicate with peripherals.

If the pen display's USB data connector is accidentally plugged into a charging-only port, the result can be exactly:

screen on + no pen input.

Use the “Keep HDMI, Move USB” Test

This is one of the most useful tests for this particular symptom.

Leave the video connection unchanged:

Pen Display HDMI → USB-C Hub

But move only the pen display's USB data cable:

Pen Display USB → Laptop Direct

Now test the stylus.

Pen Input Immediately Returns

You have learned something very specific.

The pen display, stylus, HDMI video path, and basic driver stack can work.

The missing part is somewhere in:

Hub USB port → Hub USB controller → Host USB data path

That is much stronger evidence than simply unplugging the entire setup.

Pen Input Still Does Not Work

The hub may not be the main issue.

Continue with:

USB cable → driver → device recognition → pen display configuration

while keeping the video path unchanged.

This is the advantage of treating the pen display as two separate signal paths.

Verify That the Computer Actually Sees the Pen Display

A working screen tells you that the GPU can see a display.

Now determine whether the operating system sees the pen device.

On Windows

Open:

Device Manager

Look under relevant sections such as:

Human Interface Devices

Universal Serial Bus devices/controllers

and any manufacturer-specific pen/tablet device category.

Disconnect and reconnect the USB data cable.

Watch whether a device disappears and reappears.

If nothing changes at all when the USB cable is removed and reconnected, the USB data path deserves more attention.

Also test a simple USB device such as a mouse or flash drive in the same hub port.

If that port cannot detect any USB device, this is no longer primarily a pen-driver problem.

Driver Recognition Comes After USB Recognition

Pen displays generally require the manufacturer's driver for full features such as:

pressure sensitivity

pen buttons

calibration

screen mapping

and application-specific settings.

But there is an important order:

The operating system must establish the USB data connection before the pen-display driver can communicate reliably with the hardware.

So do not spend an hour reinstalling the tablet driver if Windows or macOS is not detecting the USB device at all.

First establish:

USB data present

then:

manufacturer driver installed

then:

pen functions configured.

Use only the current driver supplied by your pen display manufacturer.

If the device is recognized but pen pressure is missing only inside Photoshop, Illustrator, Clip Studio Paint, or another drawing application, the problem has moved beyond the USB-C hub into application or driver settings.

Single-Cable USB-C Pen Displays Are a Different Case

Some modern pen displays can use a single full-featured USB-C connection.

This can combine:

Video + USB Data

through one cable, with power supplied through the same or an additional connection depending on the model.

But the words:

USB-C port

do not guarantee that a port carries video.

Wacom currently specifies that supported single-cable setups require a USB-C host port capable of DisplayPort Alt Mode, while HDMI-based setups use HDMI plus a separate USB data connection.

This becomes especially important with USB-C hubs.

A downstream port labeled:

USB-C Data 5Gbps

may carry USB data but not DisplayPort video.

So this setup:

Laptop → Hub → USB-C Data Port → Pen Display

may not reproduce the pen display's original single-cable USB-C mode.

If your pen display is designed for a single full-featured USB-C cable, connecting it directly to a compatible full-function USB-C laptop port is often the cleanest diagnostic reference.

For more information on this distinction, see the guide to checking whether a USB-C port actually supports video output.

Do Not Forget the Power Connection

Power is the third part of the setup.

Some pen displays require:

HDMI + USB Data + External Power

Others can receive some or all required power through USB-C.

Follow the manufacturer's connection diagram for the exact model.

Do not assume that because the panel lights up, every internal function is receiving the ideal power configuration.

If the pen display:

• restarts;
• flashes;
• disconnects under load;
• turns off when brightness increases;

check its required power source separately from the USB data issue.

A completely stable image with a completely dead pen, however, still makes the USB data path the first place to investigate.

When a USB-C Hub Fits This Setup Better

A hub becomes particularly useful for pen displays that use:

HDMI + USB-A Data

because both connections can be kept together at the laptop.

For a fixed creator desk using a pen display plus several USB peripherals, a USB-C hub with HDMI, four USB 3.0 data ports, and Power Delivery pass-through provides a straightforward port layout.

The LENTION CB-C35H combines four USB-A data ports rated up to 5Gbps with HDMI up to 4K@30Hz and up to 60W PD pass-through.

That type of layout makes sense when the workstation contains:

Pen Display HDMI

Pen Display USB Data

Keyboard / Mouse

Other USB Accessories

through one host connection.

For a more portable creator setup, a USB-C hub with 4K@60Hz HDMI, three USB-A data ports, one USB-C data port, and up to 100W PD provides another option.

The LENTION CB-CE35p supports HDMI up to 4K@60Hz and four simultaneous data connections across its USB-A and USB-C data ports. Its USB-C data port is explicitly data-only, not a video-output port.

That last detail is especially relevant here:

Do not connect a single-cable USB-C pen display to a data-only downstream USB-C port and expect video output.

Use the pen display's required HDMI + USB data arrangement, or connect a full-featured USB-C display cable directly to a compatible host port when the manufacturer supports that mode.

Neither hub should be described as guaranteed compatible with every Wacom, Huion, XP-Pen, or other pen display model. Always verify the display manufacturer's cable, power, resolution, and driver requirements first.

If Other USB Devices Fail Too

Suppose the setup is:

HDMI → works

Pen USB → fails

Mouse through same hub → fails

Flash drive → fails

Now the pen display is probably not the unique problem.

The shared failure is:

USB data.

At that point, check:

Laptop USB-C port

→ Hub host connection

→ USB controller

→ Hub data ports

The existing guide on USB keyboard or mouse not working through a USB-C hub can help verify whether ordinary USB peripherals are also failing on the same path.

If all USB devices are missing but HDMI remains perfect, do not keep reinstalling the pen driver.

Fix the common USB data path first.

The Connection Map to Remember

For an HDMI-based pen display, think:

SCREEN IMAGE

Laptop → USB-C Hub → HDMI → Pen Display

and separately:

PEN INPUT

Pen Display → USB Data → USB-C Hub → Laptop

plus, when required:

POWER

Power Adapter → Pen Display

Now the symptom becomes much easier to understand.

If:

Screen = Yes

Pen = No

then:

Video Path = Passed

USB Data Path = Investigate

That is a much more precise diagnosis than:

“My drawing tablet does not work through my dock.”

Quick Answers

Why does my pen display show an image but the stylus does nothing?

Because video and pen data may use separate connections. HDMI can deliver the image successfully while the USB data connection required for pen communication is missing.

Does HDMI carry pen input?

No. In common HDMI-based pen-display setups, HDMI carries video while a separate USB connection handles device data. Wacom explicitly documents USB as the data path in its HDMI configurations.

Why does the pen work when USB is connected directly to the laptop?

That strongly suggests the display and driver can work and that the problem is somewhere in the hub's USB data path or port configuration.

Can I plug my pen display into the hub's USB-C PD port?

Not if the port is charging-only. Use a port specifically labeled for USB data.

Why does a single USB-C cable work directly but not through the hub?

The direct laptop port may support DisplayPort Alt Mode plus USB data, while the hub's downstream USB-C port may support data only.

Should I reinstall the pen driver first?

Not if the operating system does not detect the USB device at all. Establish the USB data connection first, then troubleshoot the manufacturer driver.

Final Takeaway

If a pen display shows video through a USB-C hub but the pen does not work, stop treating the pen display as one connection.

Treat it as:

Video Path

USB Data Path

Power Path

For an HDMI-based setup:

A working picture proves the video path is active. It does not prove the USB data path required for pen input is working.

Keep HDMI connected and test the USB data cable separately.

If pen input returns when that USB cable is connected directly to the laptop, investigate:

hub data port → host USB data path → power → USB enumeration

If direct USB data also fails, move toward:

pen-display cable → device detection → manufacturer driver

The key rule is simple:

Video works + pen fails = verify USB data before blaming HDMI.

Once the two paths are separated, this “half-working pen display” problem becomes much easier to diagnose.