Question HP Pavillion won't recognize 2nd monitor - Says "display 2 isn't active" in the advanced display menu ?

[Citysurvivor]

My Windows 10 HP Pavilion laptop (link to specs) won't recognize my 2nd monitor (link to specs) when I plug it in. I have tried multiple displays but the laptop always says "Display 2 isn't active" in the advanced display options. The monitors say "no video input", and in Device Manager, the 2nd monitor shows up as a "Generic PNP Monitor".

Things I've tried:

• Pressing the Windows key + P shortcut to use the Project menu - No change.
• Restarting and unplugging the monitor and laptop from the wall - No change.
• Unplugging everything from my laptop except the monitor and then rebooting - No change.
• Uninstalling the monitor's driver in Device Manager and then restarting (to auto-reinstall the driver) - No change.
• Going to Windows update, opening "optional updates", and installing all the display and monitor-related driver updates - No change.

Note: I use a HDMI-to-VGA adapter to connect my laptop's HDMI port to the monitor's VGA port. I know that the adapter, cables, and monitor work because they worked instantly on another laptop when I plugged them in. So it seems like my laptop is the culprit.

Any ideas?