KVM switch + Windows 7 creates monitor switching nightmare

Similar problem here: I have a Linkskey 4 port dual monitor KVM switch, one is DVI and the other is VGA. I have in my dual setup on each box, the DVI as primary, and the VGA as secondary.

port1: Win server 2003 w/ dual monitors

port2: Win XP x64 machine w/ dual monitors

port3: Windows 7 64 w/ dual monitors

port 4: Mac Pro snow leopard with one monitor (I have an apple 30" cinema display on the one port of that and the 2nd into 2nd port of the KVM)

For years the port 3 was also win xp x64 machine, everything worked like a charm. I upgraded one machine to windows 7 64 as I had a software upgrade in my studio requiring it. Now if I switch away from the Win7 machine to ANY of the other 4 ports and return, it returns on one monitor only (always to the the VGA monitor that is *not* selected as the main monitor in my setup, the DVI one is left "off"). So EVERY time I switch I then have to go to "Screen Resolution" and then click "Detect" and it will return them to the original state. Quite annoying.

I just came across this issue as well...this is ridiculous..I have to hit Detect to have the 1900x1200 Resolution be visible again just for it to disappear every time i switch between Windows 7 and WIndows XP Machines..and the Windows XP holds the setting fine.

Interesting how this question was started October 29, 2009 and not one solid resolution has evolved. Who actually reads these other than the posters?

I have had the same setup on my Windows 7 system for a very long time. My problem started after a series of Windows updates about 2-1/2-3 months ago.

There seems to be a very common set of standards listed:

1. More than one monitor (brand/model does not seems to make a difference).
2. KVM switches - Cheap or expensive (all relative to the individuals budget)
3. Multiple output video card (brand/model does not seems to make a difference).

SO THE ABOVE FACTORS SEEM TO RULE OUT HARDWARE AND DRIVER ISSUES.

Maybe I am reading the 35 plus posts here different than Microsoft, but I would conclude that it could be recreated and a solution could be found and made available.

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.....