KVM switch + Windows 7 creates monitor switching nightmare

Anonymous
2009-10-29T16:44:18+00:00

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).

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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  1. Anonymous
    2009-11-10T00:28:52+00:00

    This is a ridiculous answer "Buy new hardware".  I have a single monitor (HP 2408) and a $200 KVM from IO Gear that is only about a year old.  When I switch between my devices the Windows 7 device reverts to 1024 x 768 and I can't override it.  I used to be able to just go to device manager in Vista and tell it to scan for hardware changes and then the screen resolution would allow me to switch the device back to 1920 x 1200.  Now I can't do that in Windows 7.  I really just want to know if there is a way to force Windows 7 to let me try a higher resolution that what it thinks is possible. Any way to do this?

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  2. Anonymous
    2009-11-09T03:56:49+00:00

    I too now suffer from this annoying affliction as a result of upgrading (re-installing) 64-bit Windows 7 Enterprise from 32-bit Vista Business.  Exactly the same hardware (machine, screen, KVM) as I was running under Vista where the problem never occurred.  Now whenever I switch to my Win7 computer on the KVM my desktop windows are all resized to 1024x768 and shifted to the top-right of the screen.  Very frustrating.

    For the record here's my setup:

    • Gefen DVI KVM (EXT-DVIKVM-241)
    • nVidia GeForce 7900GT
    • Dell 24" LCD @ 1920x1200

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  3. Anonymous
    2009-11-08T15:48:21+00:00

    You're answer is buy a new switch? You're kidding, right?

    Can't MS put out a patch to stop the polling of the monitors for EDID info (which is

    what I think is happening with my system)  I have a DVI monitor connected directly, and

    a vga monitor going thru an old Belink OmniView KVM which is set up for extended desktop,

    and whenever you open a window  (ie for example) on the VGA, the system moves the

    window back to the DVI and flashing of both monitors start happening. Can't work with this and I

    haven't seen a 4 port KVM with DVI for less than 250$ (Belkins SOHO, but not sure if that's w7 compatible)

    Thanks

    Gary

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  4. Anonymous
    2009-11-02T19:13:28+00:00

    I have a co-worker with the exact same computer, KVM switch, and Windows 7 and he says he did something and it fixed the problem (Unfortunately he can't remember what he did).  I have verified that to be true and I've used his KVM and I still have this problem.  This seems to prove that there IS a way to make this work in Windows 7 with my KVM switch.  If Microsoft's only answer is buy a new switch, which is quite expensive, then it's more feasible for me to install my previous version of Windows that worked fine.   Windows 7 isn't worth buying a new KVM switch for.

    Thanks anyway.

    P.S. I just checked out those KVM switches that were recommended and the only ones available have VGA input/output instead of DVI which my current switch has.  Definitely not acceptable in 2009!

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  5. Anonymous
    2009-10-31T00:00:48+00:00

    Afzal, thanks for the official answer, and I appreciate mdorais for asking this first. I've been following threads on this same topic because I have the same issue.

    Unfortunately, I don't know of a KVM switch that'll fit my configuration and has "FULLTIME/Active DDC", which is used to switch between my Windows 7 machine and my Mac Pro. In addition, the KVM switch was costly to begin with, so price is a big issue.

    Is there simply a way to revert to older behavior or ignore this annoying resize problem?

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