How to Swap Display Identity (Identities)

I am having the same issue, but my need is much simpler. I just want to be able to watch movies on my TV and still use my laptop, but because Windows 7 assigns identities, my desktop is on my TV which totally defeats the purpose. If someone has a resolution, I would appreciate it. We are hooked up through HDMI from the laptop to the TV.

What the **** is wrong with Microsoft? Can't they see that users are actually experiencing much grief and difficulty? Why must they break what was working before? This is a very simple fix that they chose to ignore. The silence is deafening! This is not the way to treat your customers.

Yes I agree, this is absurd. I'm in the same situation of having a TV attached to a PC, which becomes monitor 1 whenever it's turned on. It DOES matter, for example  MPC-HC has a switch to determine the display to open on - I want it to open fullscreen on the TV, not too much to want.  I had thought that Microsoft had gone to some effort with 7 to make entertainment well, umm, enjoyable. (I made an entry for various file types in the context menu to "Play on TV", that's so convenient apart from this numbering problem).

This same question has popped up in many forums it seems, never with a satisfactory answer; this just happens to be the most recent discussion I've found so far. And this forum has Microsoft in it's name, do any MVPs or any MS staff ever read this?

The only cogent information I've found is that swapping ports on the display card can change the monitor number, but that's just not workable.

What I did to get my Display 1, tv connected by HDMI and my Display 2 monitor to "switch" is:

I right clicked on background and selected "screen resolution"

clicked "Identify" to make sure both displays were working.

Set Multiple displays to "Extend these displays"

I moved the Display 2 in front of Display 1 in change the appearance of your displays.

** I personally moved Display 2 in front of Display 1 because physically on my desk that's how they are set up (monitor on left and TV on the right of my desk).  That way I can move objects right off my monitor on to my TV and left off on my TV to my computer.   If you have your TV on the left and monitor on the right.  You probably want to keep Display 1 in front of 2. 

***** This is important *********   Clicked the box "Make this My main display"  making sure Display 2 ( monitor is showing up in Display) 

*** This box is what changes which monitor will gets the desktop or "makes it your Main Display", the one listed in Display box will get the desktop ***********

If you have the Display number that you want in Display and no box is available for "Make this My main display."  It will read under the Multiple Displays.  "This is currently your main display."  Which means you don't need to switch it.