Robust hot plug detection for analog displays using EDID

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for automatically detecting whether an external monitor is connected to a video port of an information handling system. In various embodiments of the invention, detection of the display is accomplished by periodic polling to detect the presence of an Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) signal as an indication of whether a display has been plugged in or removed. In embodiments of the invention, hardware polling is implemented to provide the interrupt-driven mechanism, thereby relieving software of the performance degradation associated with polling the video port at very short time intervals.