Windows 7 Dual Monitors - Turning off a monitor causes desktop to rearrange resulting in significant amounts of lost productivity.

Anonymous

I have 2 monitors connected to a nVidia FX 580 card running Windows 7 Pro 64-bit. One monitor is connected via DVI and the other via DP (Display Port).

If I turn off the DP monitor, I hear the windows sound indicating hardware was "removed". When I turn the monitor back on, I hear the new hardware sound, windows re-detects the monitor as if I just installed it, and my entire desktop icon layout and any windows I had open are then all rearranged and takes a significant amount of time re-organizing to get back to where I was.

I leave my PC on 24hrs a day for several reasons - and for years have always just turned my monitors off when not in use.

I need to be able to turn off my monitors without windows deciding that I have "removed" a monitor.

I work for a medical imaging software company where we provide complete hardware and software solutions for use in Radiology departments in hospitals. These systems typically have 3 or 4 monitors connected, all via DP these days. Because of the possibility of the users desktop getting messed up if they happen to turn off a monitor, we are unable to install systems with Windows 7.

While many may see this as nothing more then a inconvenience, this is a show-stopper as far as we are concerned. As of yet I have not found a workable solution to this issue.

So here's the question: How do we disable this new behavior in Windows 7 and allow it to understand that the monitor hasn't gone away and that the desktop should not be rearranged simply because the monitor was turned off?

Thank you.

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Anonymous

I've written a little utility to address this issue. It's still very thrown together, but opensource, so you can compile from sources if you've got any security concerns.

Hope it works out for you!

http://www.ninjacrab.com/persistent-windows/

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68 additional answers

Anonymous

2012-08-02T02:39:14+00:00

I think I have the same issue.

I have Win7 and a GeForce 7300 LE vid card.

I have one LCD on VGA and the other DVI (main...on left).

I have a motion sensor that turns off the LCD's after a certain amount of time. When I come back into my home office...both panels turn on...but only the VGA panel (right...non primary) gets the signal.

If I hit Windows Key + P...and select extend...all is good again.

So how do I force Windows 7 to have extended desktop every time I power up the LCD's. Very annoying.

And in case anyone asks...having the motion sensor turning off complete power to the LCD's extends their life by YEARS...so don't even question that.

Has to be some registry tweak, etc.
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Anonymous

2012-07-03T08:24:18+00:00

I have it while using my 15 pin analog RGB connector, just not always... Seems to randomly decide to screw up my desktop arrangement!
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Anonymous

2011-09-27T13:13:42+00:00

The idiotic "answers" by MS Support:

You were told repeatedly to stop advising people to update Drivers or whatever. The problem is a documented moronic feature of Windows7, having zilch todo with drivers !!! hOW MANY TIMES DO YOU NEED TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE DEAF & BLIND, MS SUPPORT GUY?

There's a "feature" or should we say problem, whereby Windows7 detects any monitor connected via modern digital ports (DP, HDMI, TB) beign turned off, and forces moving entire desktop to monitor still being on, in multimonitor environment - which happens to be prevalent in our industry (Engineering e.g. CAD/Design), Graphics design, Medical, and MANY home users also, these days.

Use brains when reading bug reports, dear MS idiot.

Fix the bug and quit blaming nVidia, AMD (ATI), Intel HD, or "drivers". I hold MSEE degree, near-complete PhD and you tell me I forgot to update da** drivers?

Read this line again, Microsoft idiot:

This is a feature (by design) whereby PnP monitor connected via DP/HDMI/TB to Windows7 is being polled for powerOn/Off state, it may or may not use DDC signal by the way, we can't tell. YOU should know better than us, customers !!

I tried to disable DDC in my high-end IPS $1000+ monitor, but no effect. I seroed Registry Keys used in nVidia or ATI monitor status polling - no effect.

The stupid feature of WIndows7 which moves desktop to another display, when one is turned off in multimonitor setup - is more than retarded, it is actaully a showstopper for professional folks.

I am tired of rearrangign desktop everytime one of the monitors is turned off, so tired I don't care to run spell check in this post.

I am angry. It seems WIndowsXP developed by Microsoft in Israel, was the best OS in history, now that it aged, there's no equally well-designed equivalent.
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