KVM switch + Windows 7 creates monitor switching nightmare

For my simple setup, a notebook with a second monitor on its HDMI port, I can avoid problems when I want to turn off the monitors at night by first clicking on "Show Desktop" bar at the far right of the task bar to get all windows hidden, then turning off the second monitor, and then the notebook display.

To come back up without collapsing all windows to the notebook display, reverse the process.  Turn notebook display on, turn second monitor on and then click the "Show Desktop" bar.

Pure and utter nonsense that such ____ is necessary.  And worse that it remains so.

This is exactly the position I am in driven2040, however for me I am able to fix my resolution manually every time Win7 screws it up.

I dont like it. But I dont like running xp more.

I can afford this workaround because it's just my system.

I would never roll out a work around like the one I am using to end users.

I sympathise with you for being unable to make the transition at this time due to such a seemingly simple limitation.

I only hope Microsoft are motivated to resolve it quickly. At least now the bottom line impact is visible as penetration of multiple monitor deployments is clearly increasing in the market.

The implementation of the "feature" in Windows 7 means our company cannot migrate to Windows 7, and so we need to stay with Vista or rollback to XP.   I'll check this thread in 6 months to see if this is solved and in the meantime, we are halting any further testing and debugging of Windows 7.  Not worth wasting more time on this absurd issue. 

If you have multiple monitor systems on high resolution DVI monitors, Windows 7 is unworkable in its present state.

...

So, the auto detect for us is the problem- when I switch monitors, Windows 7 sees that the first screen is gone and resets.  I just need to be able to tell Windows 7 not to care about monitor detect.

Any updates on when this will be fixed or do we need to stop the rollout to Windows 7?  My users are all upset with us in IT and think we are idiots because we are telling them we cannot upgrade, and they still think we are idiots because we first went with Vista when service pack 1 was released.  I feel betrayed by Microsoft on such a simple issue- how can this be such a hard thing to fix?

I concur with this assessment and second the request for Microsoft to respond to the community on when a seemingly simple "no dvi detect" solution can be made available to solve this and the other problems caused by dvi detection linked in this thread.

I have similar issues.  My company has many two monitor systems that use a 4 port DVI switch (IO Gear GCS1764) to switch one of the monitors between 1 to 3 laptops and a desktop.  The desktop uses both monitors, one of which is set as monitor 2 and monitor one is set to go through the KVM switch.

Old behavior under Vista 64 Ultimate:  Right Monitor always desktop screen 2 in portrait mode and monitor one switches based on KVM to show landscape as switched.  The right screen shows an application that the users need to always need to be able to see, and the left screen shows the KVM switch controlled single screen.

New Behavior under Windows 7 Ultimate: When switched, right monitor goes to landscape and shows desktop as screen one.  Left monitor works as expected.  When I switch back to Desktop, all goes back ok but windows are all resized and moved to screen one as if it was a 800x600 monitor and not a 1920x1200. 

Problem- I can't read my right screen when I am not on the desktop (it is sideways) and each time I switch systems I have to resize and reposition my windows.  So, Windows 7 is useless to me and I need to go back to Vista (now that is a pain and also who could imagine that Vista is better than Windows 7.)

So, the auto detect for us is the problem- when I switch monitors, Windows 7 sees that the first screen is gone and resets.  I just need to be able to tell Windows 7 not to care about monitor detect.

Any updates on when this will be fixed or do we need to stop the rollout to Windows 7?  My users are all upset with us in IT and think we are idiots because we are telling them we cannot upgrade, and they still think we are idiots because we first went with Vista when service pack 1 was released.  I feel betrayed by Microsoft on such a simple issue- how can this be such a hard thing to fix?