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
    2011-07-18T13:02:13+00:00

    This is not what this thread is about. We all know how to change the main screen. This thread is about the second screen which is always black when your screen is locked or at the login screen.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-06-02T17:35:04+00:00

    There is a solution for changing the background for the Windows 7 login/lock screens...

    1. open up the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\

    Authentication\LogonUI\Background

    1. Make a DWORD key called "OEMBackground" and give it a Hex value of 1
    2. Navigate to %windir%\system32\oobe
    3. Create a folder called "info"
    4. Enter that folder, create another folder called "backgrounds"
    5. Find your image file, copy it to this directory and name it "backgroundDefault"  It must be a jpeg file less than 245kb in size.

    I haven't tried enforcing this with GPO etc, but if you are creating/sysprepping an image, it may be a possibility for some simple UI customization.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-12-30T02:21:52+00:00

    "If you can't beat'em, join'em"

    I created a black background with car dsahboard at night:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/DQFtcZ3Dtpr-1tboDSwexbVgcNlAQlftIfkBEG662kw?feat=directlink

    You can also try sun/moon rising, etc.  May be you can try with the "check engine" light since it's Microsoft :-P

    Hope this helps.

    Rio

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-12-21T00:01:24+00:00

    Some replies (like this one quoted) are rediculous and a waste of our time.  Whether you think it makes sense to "worry" or not about what your dual monitor setup does or displays, is your issue and not on topic.  

    I too find it annoying that in lockmode, OR, when booted up, my second monitor with Windows 7 Pro, is black.   It does this at bootup when I use Display Fusion, or both bootup and lockdown with default system handling the extended monitors.

    DelaCombo

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