Acer Chromebook - complicated puzzle: USB C port not feeding video to external monitor

Rod77

Acer Chromebook Spin 13. Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620
Summary: Left USB C port was working fine until I experimented with a new hub so I could connect 2 monitors via the left port and since then the left port is not sending any video signal. Exhausted all options including Power Wash and even after that the problem persists.
Details: Device has 2 USB C ports. I had 2 external monitors connected via HDMI, both of them are the Dell Ultrasharp 32 4K USB-C U3219Q. I had one connected to each USB C port, one on the left and one on the right. On the left side I have a regular USB adaptor made by Apple, which is USB C to USB A, USB C, and HDMI. On the right side I have a VSTYLE hub which has several ports including one for HDMI. With this setup both have always worked well. The graphics card can support 3 monitors so I decided to try a third Dell monitor, the Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Monitor - U2718Q (same model line as the others but a year older and smaller). The plan was to keep the lid closed and then have 3 externals. Since the Chromebook has only 2 ports I had to use an adaptor that has more than one connection since the ones I have now both have only 1 HDMI and they do not have DisplayPort. I tried the Cable Matters 4K Triple USB C Hub with 100W charging pass-through. It has 1 HDMI port and 2 DisplayPorts, can support triple 4K 60Hz resolution. I tried connecting the 3rd monitor and though the monitor flickered and tried connecting as it recognized being connected, the screen stayed black, and the Chromebook gave me an error message that the ‘connected device is not compatible’. I tried again, and it behaved the same except the screen gave me only the task bar across the bottom and everything else was blacked out, and the laptop ‘froze’; all the screens were still and the mouse and keyboard would not respond. When I disconnected the hub the computer ‘unfroze’ and was fine. When I plugged in the third monitor using either of my original two adaptors, it worked perfectly at 4K. I then tried various combinations using the Cable Matters, with DP or HDMI to the 32 inch and 27 inch monitors and got the same error message when attempting to connect via the new hub, whether one monitor or two, and I tried all combinations on the left USB C port of the computer and also the right. All combinations gave the same error. At first I thought I would just need to return that Cable Matters hub and find a new one. However, when I reconnected back to my original configuration the computer was not giving any video signal from the left USB C port. I swapped cables etc and through process of elimination found that it was not a problem with the monitor or the cable, but indeed the USB C port. I also noticed a new message I never saw before in the Chrome notification centre that said “Powering USB-C device left port”. I rebooted the computer, and the same notification popped up, and the monitor on the left side was still not getting any signal. After tons of research on the web and scouring all the settings I could not figure it out so I did the last resort and did a full Power Wash and started over. To my dismay when I logged in, I got the same notification again “Powering USB-C device left port” and still no video signal from the left port. I guess that somehow during all the connecting and disconnecting something happened with the left port; it really did not like the experience or there was some kind of fault that happened with the Cable Matters hub and it did something to that port. Any idea on how to fix this and get that port working properly again?

Rod77

SOLVED: For the benefit of anyone who sees my post, I found the solution which reset the USB port and made it work perfectly: Power off. Hold refresh button when powering on.