KVM switch + Windows 7 creates monitor switching nightmare

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.

Hmm that does sound worth a try then.. thanks for the headsup.

I normally use just one monitor. I tried plugging in another one, and everything does appear to work OK. The primary monitor is connected through the KVM switch using the EDID override, and the other one directly. I just plugged it in, didn't do anything else.

I extended the desktop to both monitors, and if I now turn off the primary one, or switch to the XP box, the secondary monitor stays secondary, basically nothing happens. Turning on the primary monitor or switching back to W7 box restores the desktop the way it was.