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I have a problem with Windows 7 and my KVM switch (Iogear model# gcs1764) which is makes switching via KVM an absolute nightmare. The iogear KVM does not use drivers nor are any available on their website.
Here's what happens:
I switch from Win 7 (2 monitors) to XP (1 monitor) via KVM. When I switch back to Win 7 (2 monitors) sometimes Win 7 will throw my desktop to the 2nd monitor (1st monitor goes blank) and opening up display settings only shows the 2nd monitor as existing. It's as if the 1st monitor is now unplugged which it isn't. At this point I have to go into display settings, click Detect, and then it re-detects my 1st monitor and "extends" my desktop back out over 2 monitors. All windows have now been thrown to my 1st monitor and i have to rearrange all my work back across 2 monitors. This is why KVM switching in Win 7 makes my work life a living nightmare. This isn't all of it either...
When everything gets thrown to my first monitor, it takes any windows that were maximized and resizes them to about 1/4 my screen size. Due to compatibility issues between Win 7 and SQL Server Management Studio, Management Studio has a redraw bug that doesn't "re-size" the query window correctly. So even though I maximize the app, when I start typing in the query window my text disappears about 1/4 the way across the whole window. The only way to fix this is to save all my work, close the app, and then re-open the app with all my work. So basically every time I switch computers there's about a 1/5 chance I have rinse and repeat everything I just typed above. Fun times.
So are there any future fixes planned for this? I have tried everything and nothing fixes this problem. I have all the latest Nvidia drivers (my card: Nvidia GTS 250).
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
Looks like it's a usable workaround.. we'll see what side effects come into play with driver updates etc, monitor configurations, if any.
I hope Microsoft is at least listening and puts some simple support into the O/S to allow disabling of this functionality soon.
I'll make mention of it in the other two threads related to problems caused by EDID.
The solution presented by Xenubite, as others have also stated, does work for me. While it may not be an official or authorized 'fix' assuming Microsoft even deems a 'fix' is necessary, given their seeming lack of positive information in this thread, this 'fix' is a good enough solution for me. I will continue to monitor this thread for further developments, but not daily as i used to do. Many thanks Xenubite for not only finding this solution but also for posting it here for others to take advantage of.
I recently bought a Dell XPS desktop (Windows7; 64 bit) which came with both DVI and VGA output and I have a company laptop (Win 2000) which only has VGA output. My monitor (Dell 24 inch) fortunately has both DVI and VGA input so here is how I could share monitor without the KVM switch.
I connected Dell XPS to monitor via DVI cable only and connected old laptop to monitor via VGA cable. Then in windows 7 I right click on desktop, go to screen resolution, Advanced setttings, monitor and uncheck the box that says "hide display that display card cannot show". Close the screen resolution window, open it again and it showed multiple display box and in drop down menu in that box I have 4 different selection possibilities. 1. Duplicate display, 2. Extend display, 3. Show desktop on 1 and show desktop on 2. My desktop 1 is DVI and desktop 2 is VGA. So if I am using Desktop 1 then I can switch to 2 by just selecting it. If I am using old laptop (Desktop 2) with win 2000 the right clicking and selecting display option and selecting it to show notebook will switch me back to my XPS (Desktop1). Sounds bit confusing but its really not.
I also share wireless keyboard and mouse which I connect using usb connection that came with Belkin Flip (Flip did not work for me for sharing monitors between windows 7 and 2000) but I can share keyboard and mouse.
So if you happen to have one computer with DVI and one with VGA output and monitor with both inputs then you should be able to bypass the KVM switch to share a monitor.
Xenubite's solution does appear to work.
I just applied it to my primary workstation and rebooted without the KVM set to that computer. Once it had time to fully start up - I went back and lo and behold I was at 1920x1200 :)
To me this is more of a workaround - basically you are tricking the system into believing that the Default Monitor has the same specifications as your existing monitor. This solution could cause issues with Notebooks if you move between locations with different monitors.
Once I get caught up from my vacation I just got back from - my next test will be to install Windows 7 drivers and see if the system still displays - my bigger concern was that I couldn't even see anything with Windows 7's Built-In (or NVidia Windows 7 Updated) Drivers. I had to install the last Vista Drivers without the KVM installed in order to get the system working.
Joseph W. Leathlean
Looks like W7 is able to suck the EDID info from a directly connected monitor even when the monitor is off, and even when the power cord is unplugged. Only when I unplug the VGA cable from the second monitor the desktop readjusts to fit everything into the primary monitor.
So with EDID info W7 can tell between "on", "off but plugged", and "unplugged" states. When the info is not available, like when going through a KVM switch, it can only detect "on" and "off", which it appears to interpret as "unplugged".
The EDID override helps, because then W7 will always think the monitor is either on, or off but plugged. I really wish there was some easier way to get it to work though. Perhaps a reg or INF file that would fill the required fields with some generic VESA compliant EDID info.
