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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.
Had the problem on my mine with 2 x Geforce 8400. 2 19" Dells and a Samsung 2433. Switching the KVM would blank the samsung until redetected. As above it was after an update so removed all NVidia and reinstalled from the original CD the cards came with. Now all stable again.
I have been following this thread for a couple of months now, having similar problems and getting more and more frustrated. However, I have just discovered something which seems to have resolved it for me and thought I would share on the off-chance that it helps someone else out.
My setup:
Desktop machine with Nvidia GTS250 - 2 outputs, 1 DVI and 1 VGA running Windows 7.
HP Laptop (work machine) running Vista.
1 ancient, but solid and reliable, Belkin OmniView 4-port KVM (PS2/VGA)
1 LG W1934S monitor (VGA connector only), connected directly to the desktop machine.
1 Philips 170C (VGA and DVI inputs) connected to both machines via the KVM (VGA).
I had the monitors on the desktop machine connected so that the LG was identified as device 1 and this is the main monitor - port 1 on the card is the DVI connector and this was attached to a VGA cable using a standard adaptor. The Philips was device 2 and the desktop was extended on to it when the KVM was switched to the desktop.
The laptop used its own screen as the primary and extended to the Philips when switched.
This setup has worked perfectly for me for years - Windows XP had no issues with it. I skipped Vista on the desktop and went straight to Win 7 and the KVM/monitors continued to work just fine for over a year and a half. The desktop hardware has been the same for since I upgraded to Win 7.
Around 3 months ago, it started playing up on the desktop machine whenever i switched back to it. This was after Windows Updates but i'm not sure exactly what triggered it. I often take driver updates for the display adaptor so that might have been it. Since then, the behaviour has been as described in previous posts - The primaray (LG) monitor shutdown, everything switched over to the secondary (Philips) and often with the display falling back to default resolution. The simplest workaround was right-click/Screen Resolution/Detect, which I had to do every time I switched back to the desktop. I would also have to rearrange any windows whcih had been running on the extended display. I discovered this thread and other discussions about these issues on the web. My attitude was, 'This hardware and OS combination used to work OK. It must be a software change that has broken it. Why can't I have the original behaviour back?' Incidentally, the laptop has never had any problems whatsoever.
I tried various fixes documented here and elsewhere. None of which would work for more than one switching cycle. The last things I tried were getting the very latest NVidia drivers a few days ago and also disabling all the NVidia services (not missed any of them, I never used them and don't have the need for 3D at the moment). One or both of these actions made things worse. I still had the KVM issue but now the displays would also screw-up on return from sleep. My wall had many head-shaped dents in it by this point.
Today, for reasons which I'm not entirely clear about, I decided to swap the two monitors around on the desktop machine - i.e. the Philips is now plugged into the DVI adaptor and the LG into the VGA port on the GTS250. Nothing else was changed. Now, my LG identifies as device 2 and the Philips as device 1. However, it still recognises that the LG is my 'main' monitor and the desktop extends onto the Philips. Now, I can switch back and forth on the KVM and EVERYTHING STAYS WHERE I LEFT IT. No resolution issues, no monitors being deactivated. Put it to sleep, wake it up again, and everything now working as it should. I've tested a few times and the problem has definitely gone away. I don't even want to think about why this works, I've lost too many brain cells to the problem already.
I have decided not to update the display drivers unless I absolutely have to. And pray that nothing else in Windows Update mucks this up again.
Fingers crossed.....
I had a similar problem (switching with the KVM made my primary monitor disappear and my secondary become my primary. It was due to an update driver from NVIDIA for my GeForce 7600 GT. Rolling back the driver fixed the problem.
I have the same issue! I bought This KVM USB Switch from ebay which doesn't have a brand and I have the same problem. any suggestion?
I had the KVM monitor re-arranging thing from adopting Win & last year. At some point, I think this year, the problem went away. It came back yesterday. Anyone else find that happened?
