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

Anonymous
2010-02-03T17:25:23+00:00

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.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2015-02-28T12:44:10+00:00

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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  1. Anonymous
    2015-07-26T16:45:38+00:00

    Yep, the issue is still present in Windows 10 as of build 10240.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-08-14T10:06:11+00:00

    I use HDMI to connect to a 60" Sharp TV. Before upgrading to Windows 10 from 8.1 and before that 8 and before that Windows 7 and before that Vista, all of my open browsers and desktop Yahoo thingies retained their size and position when my computer resumed from hibernation and TV was switched on. After the upgrade to 10, am having the same problems described in the thread. I have installed the latest Catalyst software and drivers. My motherboard has onboard nVidia graphics but Windows 10 reverted it to MIcrosoft Basic Display adapter. I use an AMF Radeon 7700 graphics card made by XFXForce so the nVidia is moot..not used.

    So, for me, the issue SEEMS to be Windows 10 related. Any ideas to fix this problem?

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-03-17T06:09:03+00:00

    Does anyone know if this is still broken in Windows 10?

    I can confirm that the bug still exists in Win 8 and latest Win 8.1, with all updated and latest AMD-drivers.

    And running extra apps to move the windows back over and over, is NOT a fix.

    For example;

    If you have windows with virtual computers like virtualbox, and they are resized, then the windows inside those are also resized and moved into a pile.

    So you have to rearrange all windows on your desktop, AND all windows in all the virtual computers too.

    This is a ridiculous amount of extra work created by a tiny bug that should have been fixed years ago.

    But  I guess Microsoft are busy drawing new ever flatter icons, and moving stuff one pixel to the left, and back again.

    this is indeed still broken in Windows 10, 10586.164 build. nvidia card. the work around is never turn off your screen.

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