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
    2010-02-25T07:08:08+00:00

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-02-26T11:20:09+00:00

    Thanks for the info gobot.

    I ordered two for my dual screen setup.

    Got the Gefen DVI Detective now and it's working great. But I _don't_ consider it as the solution, just a workaround and an expensive one.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-02-27T09:38:42+00:00

    Hi, I've been reading this thread and here are my observations from my problem :

    I have a system that dual boots Vista & Win7 Home Premium (64 bit versions).

    I was using this system fine on my Novaview 4 port KVM. Recently my monitor starting screwing up, so I replaced it. THAT's when my problem began.

    I will be in Win7 at 1920 x1080. I will switch to another machine, which can be running any res, and as I switch away from my main PC, I hear Win7 make the "hardware unplugged" sound which Vista didn't do. When I switch back to my screen, it's on Generic PnP monitor running at 1400 x 1050 (which is significant in my opinion). If I go to screen resolution settings and hit DETECT, it goes back to my AOC 22 monitor at 1920 x 1080.

    Recently I have built another Win7 machine, it runs on my screen at 1920 x 1080. I have both of these machines on my KVM. When I switch from my main machine to THIS machine, I hear the hardware unplugged sound, the second machine is happily on 1920 x 1080, I switch back to mine and it's on 1400 x 1050. If I switch back to the second machine, it's rock solid on 1920x1080 and NEVER makes the "hardware unplugged" sound or changes resolution.

    The difference between the two machines that is significant, is that my main machine once HAD a monitor on it that ran at 1400 x 1050 as it's native resolution (which I replaced).

    Win 7 seems to remember this and won't "let go" of that. I have tried deleting the drivers in device manager - still no joy. I really do not think this is KVM related - that's just a good way of seeing this behaviour more often to the point of irritation. This is a Win 7 BUG.

    I have looked in the registry under the ENUM - DISPLAYS section, but it won't let me delete anything or change permissions so I can delete stuff and it won't let me even SEE the "properties" of display let alone change it. This, in my opinion, is a Windows 7 "improvement" on screen detection that hasn't been tested properly and is BUGGY. I have no idea why this section of the registry is so locked down, all I want to do is let my Win7 see ONE MONITOR and not hang on to the settings of the first display I had on the machine as it's default! This is just STUPID. I may go back into Vista and look around at how IT behaves and if I CAN look at the registry entry / modify it as I want.

    PLEASE MICROSOFT - FIX THIS BUG.

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-02-27T10:38:32+00:00

    Right, I've been in to my Vista HP setup and guess what? The resolution stays the same (1920x1080) when I operate the KVM. In other words, same hardware, different OS, which means it is 100% a WINDOWS 7 BUG, unless I've had a logic bypass. It's NOT the KVM, it's NOT my hardware, it's NOT my cables. It's Windows 7 getting confused with its monitor detection routine - you're ok as long as you use just ONE monitor on it and never replace it, it would seem......

    Microsoft?? Any thoughts / comments?

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  5. Anonymous
    2010-02-27T12:18:03+00:00

    you're ok as long as you use just ONE monitor on it and never replace it, it would seem......

    Unfortunately, not even then.  I've only got one monitor and I've never connected a computer with native resolution of 1024x768, but that's what it reverts to.  Sometimes.  Sometimes it's something else.  Sometimes, hitting "detect" will detect the connected monitor, sometimes hitting "detect" will elicit a reply that there is no second display detected.  I tried an older video card driver.  It kept the resolution, but insisted that it was a "generic non-PnP monitor" instead of the Dell monitor.  Then I reinstalled the latest driver but got an "out of range" message from the monitor after it started windows (ie everything displayed normally until windows started, and then it reported that it was out of range).  The whole thing seems very strange.

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