Dual Monitor blacks out the second monitor in locked mode

Anonymous
2010-06-25T15:36:04+00:00

Hi There,

We work in support environment and use dual monitors setup. WIN7 heard to have very good support for such setup and easy to use functionalities. However at some point something which was great has gone troubled.

We can use both the monitors while working on it however just the time its locked it blacks out the second monitor background and screensavers set if any. I tried looking for any config changes but in vain. Looking out for answer to this here.

Thanking you in advance.

Kunal Pathak

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2010-10-02T20:28:13+00:00

There is no built in way to change this functionality. **When locked, one screen will be black.**There may be some 3rd party software that may do this however it would not be supported by  Microsoft.

Matthew Arkin - Windows Answers Moderator - Windows Desktop Experience MVP - http://twitter.com/Microsoft\_Cares

This forum post is my own opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinion or view of Microsoft, its employees, or other MVPs.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-01-15T20:46:49+00:00

    I'm honestly at a complete loss that anyone, and I mean anyone out there, is that bothered by this missing functionality.

    I have a good reason, which is why I found this thread.  I work at a hospital and we have special high-resolution medical displays to look at DI images (X-Ray, CT, MRI, etc).  One of them is in our OR, which only needs that system for certain procedures.  These monitors, when not active, go into an automatic test mode that rotates test patterns on the screen.  This is very distracting to a doctor who is trying to perform delicate surgery a few yards away.  They have started pulling the power plug, but that will reduce the lifespan of these very expensive monitors.

    Often, when a person asks a specific question, there is a reason for it.  Incredulity at the request is not generally helpful.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-10-20T01:32:49+00:00

    I am pretty sure I understand the issue, since I was looking around for the same thing. Through trial and error, I found no way to choose a static image for the extended display.

    There is a solution I found that involves the SLIDESHOW function, though. I picked a folder with a few pictures in it, and I told my Windows 8.1 to do a slideshow of that folder. It began with the second monitor looking bland, as usual. However, at the end of the first picture on the main monitor, a picture appeared on my second monitor. From there, they were both going through a slideshow.

    This did not simply duplicate the original monitor, which I was happy about. I am personally satisfied with this solution. It's not the ideal thing that we were all looking for, but it is better than nothing. Hope this helps. I'll add some pictures of my experience.

    Original issue Above.

    Selected option above.

    Proof of solution working above.

    As I said, I'm sure not everyone will be satisfied. Just know that I understood the issue and tried for a solution. Though, my system is Windows 8.1. I cannot vouch for those still using Windows 7.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-05-21T15:54:06+00:00

    any change to this?

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-10-09T15:57:03+00:00

    Any update on a solution to this problem?

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