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I don't want the application windows to be moved to the main monitor when I turn off the monitors.

On my Windows XP dual monitor system, I can turn off the monitors, and when I turn them back on, the application windows are in the same locations on the same monitors as when I turned the monitors off.

On the Windows 7 system, every time I turn off the monitors (or just the second monitor), all of the application windows are moved to the "main" monitor.

After experimenting with the settings, I've found one process that enables me to turn off the monitors and still keep my application windows laid out in my chosen locations on the two monitors:
1) Switch the display setting to a single monitor.
2) Turn off the monitors.
3) Turn on the monitors.
4) Switch the display setting back to "Extend these Displays".

After step 4, the application windows that I had laid out on the second monitor are moved back to their original locations on the second monitor.

Is there a Windows or Nvidia setting that would leave the application windows on the second monitor so that I don't need to switch the display settings every time I turn off the monitors?

Specifications:

  • Windows 7 64-bit
  • Dual monitors (1 DP, 1 DVI)
  • Desktop (most questions seem to be about laptops)
  • Nvidia Quadro 2000
  • Nvidia Control Panel
  • Nvidia nView Control Panel

Solution:

User Darth Android pointed me in the right direction (see his answer below). I had multiple computers attached to the second monitor. When I disconnected the other computer, things worked as desired.

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4
  • This title is poor. I strongly suggest you think of a better one. I have no problem with my applications being moved from monitor to monitor when I turned them off. Thus this would indicate the problem is the Nvidia Control Panel software.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Sep 7, 2012 at 15:27
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    Actually the title says exactly what I want, did you bother to read the question? I don't want the application windows moved to the main monitor when I turn off the second monitor. The way the title had been rewritten said the problem was that the application windows weren't being moved to the main monitor, which is exactly what happens and is not what I want to have happen.
    – codewaggle
    Commented Sep 7, 2012 at 15:35
  • This sounds a lot like your monitor is misbehaving or not wired correctly. Windows only moves windows around when it detects that a monitor is disconnected, but will leave them alone if the monitor is connected, but turned off. Are you killing power completely (i.e., unplugging the monitor)? Which monitor is misbehaving (DVI or DP)?
    – Darth Android
    Commented Sep 7, 2012 at 15:52
  • @DarthAndroid Excellent! You tipped me off to the problem. I have another computer attached to the HDMI input of the second monitor which must have confused Win 7. When I removed the cable for the other computer from the second monitor, it left my application windows in place when I turned the monitor off. Please answer the question so I can accept your answer.
    – codewaggle
    Commented Sep 7, 2012 at 17:13

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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This sounds a lot like your monitor is misbehaving or not wired correctly. Windows should only move windows around when it detects that a monitor is disconnected, but should leave them alone if the monitor is connected, but turned off. Are you killing power completely (i.e., unplugging the monitor)? Which monitor is misbehaving (DVI or DP)?

Edit: I imagine the second monitor "disconnects" from the main computer when it is scanning connected inputs for signals on power-up or something to that effect, which was no longer necessary once you disconnected the second computer. Pure speculation, though.

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  • Does it have to do with input type (e.g. hd, dvi, vga)? I have the exact same setup as my brother, same OS. His behaves the desired way, while I have the problem the OP has. I looked into microsoft silverlight, since it has to do with allowing full screen on a second monitor without closing when you click on the other monitor. But I didn't see any options for what the OP is talking about in silverlight.
    – ahnbizcad
    Commented Aug 22, 2014 at 21:28
  • @gwho5150 I doubt Silverlight would be messing with this, and I don't know if it has to do with the input type.
    – Darth Android
    Commented Aug 22, 2014 at 21:34
  • yeah, silverlight is an added program, while this is more of a hardware/low level detection. his 2nd monitor is vga, while mine is hdmi
    – ahnbizcad
    Commented Aug 22, 2014 at 22:08

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