There's got to be a better way to wrangle multiple displays in 2018...
October 23, 2018 5:03 AM Subscribe
Tools and tips for managing multi monitor madness please.
I'm finding myself getting unreasonably annoyed with the display management in Windows 10. Currently I have two monitors for normal use (one DVI, one HDMI) plus HDMI to an AV amp, which feeds all of my speakers and a projector, which we use sometimes for family game/film time. The projector is obviously off most of the time. The graphics card is a GTX 1050 Ti, although experience suggests most of the issues are Windows things rather than Nvidia's fault.
Windows, as it stands, just isn't being very helpful or intelligent in helping me deal with this. Issues I've had include:
1. Steam (or other applications) making the projector the main display, and sometimes not setting it back. Often followed by an application opening on or moving to the projector display even though it's switched off.
2. Some applications persistently opening on the wrong display (apparently at random).
3. Applications that open on an inactive display, but are not movable to an active display through any of the usual means (shift-click taskbar icon -> move not working due to non-standard system menu or an open dialog)
4. All of my desktop icons randomly rearranging themselves, often on the wrong display.
5. Loss of sound through my amp sometimes when displays turn on or off (although I suspect this is specific to the way the Nvidia card and the Sony amp play together).
6. Applications (usually games) minimising themselves when the projector goes into standby, and then reopening on a 'phantom' display when the projector comes out of standby.
It seems like there must be tools and techniques to make all of this less frustrating. I'd like a way to say 'this application always opens on this display', or 'automatically move windows from inactive displays to active ones, so I can see them'. I'm aware of software that lets you add all sorts of fancy toolbars and spanning options, but I suppose what I'm looking for is ways of fixing the deficiencies rather than adding complexity. Any suggestions?
I'm finding myself getting unreasonably annoyed with the display management in Windows 10. Currently I have two monitors for normal use (one DVI, one HDMI) plus HDMI to an AV amp, which feeds all of my speakers and a projector, which we use sometimes for family game/film time. The projector is obviously off most of the time. The graphics card is a GTX 1050 Ti, although experience suggests most of the issues are Windows things rather than Nvidia's fault.
Windows, as it stands, just isn't being very helpful or intelligent in helping me deal with this. Issues I've had include:
1. Steam (or other applications) making the projector the main display, and sometimes not setting it back. Often followed by an application opening on or moving to the projector display even though it's switched off.
2. Some applications persistently opening on the wrong display (apparently at random).
3. Applications that open on an inactive display, but are not movable to an active display through any of the usual means (shift-click taskbar icon -> move not working due to non-standard system menu or an open dialog)
4. All of my desktop icons randomly rearranging themselves, often on the wrong display.
5. Loss of sound through my amp sometimes when displays turn on or off (although I suspect this is specific to the way the Nvidia card and the Sony amp play together).
6. Applications (usually games) minimising themselves when the projector goes into standby, and then reopening on a 'phantom' display when the projector comes out of standby.
It seems like there must be tools and techniques to make all of this less frustrating. I'd like a way to say 'this application always opens on this display', or 'automatically move windows from inactive displays to active ones, so I can see them'. I'm aware of software that lets you add all sorts of fancy toolbars and spanning options, but I suppose what I'm looking for is ways of fixing the deficiencies rather than adding complexity. Any suggestions?
I was going to recommend Display Fusion as well, although I don't know if it will solve all of the specific problems you're referring to it is a very powerful tool for use with multiple monitors. It's available through Steam, although you don't need Steam running to make use of it.
It's a little pricey at the moment at $35, if you can wait until the inevitable Steam sale (I'd expect one around Thanksgiving/Black Friday and another one around Christmas/New Year) it might be discounted.
Question: How are your computer/monitors/AV amp connected? I'm guessing:
PC Graphics Card Port 1->HDMI->HDMI Switch Box->Monitor 1 OR ->AV Amp
PC Graphics Card Port 2->DVI->Monitor 2
?
Does the PC have an internal SPDIF cable that connects to the graphics card and feeds the audio along the HDMI cable, or is there a separate connector? If so, what format?
posted by Nice Guy Mike at 8:55 AM on October 23, 2018
It's a little pricey at the moment at $35, if you can wait until the inevitable Steam sale (I'd expect one around Thanksgiving/Black Friday and another one around Christmas/New Year) it might be discounted.
Question: How are your computer/monitors/AV amp connected? I'm guessing:
PC Graphics Card Port 1->HDMI->HDMI Switch Box->Monitor 1 OR ->AV Amp
PC Graphics Card Port 2->DVI->Monitor 2
?
Does the PC have an internal SPDIF cable that connects to the graphics card and feeds the audio along the HDMI cable, or is there a separate connector? If so, what format?
posted by Nice Guy Mike at 8:55 AM on October 23, 2018
Response by poster: Question: How are your computer/monitors/AV amp connected? I'm guessing:
PC Graphics Card Port 1->HDMI->HDMI Switch Box->Monitor 1 OR ->AV Amp
PC Graphics Card Port 2->DVI->Monitor 2
?
No, the graphics card has three ports (2 HDMI + 1 DVI), so I can run all three displays at the same time. The projector connection is PC Graphics Port 3 -> HDMI -> AV amp -> Projector.
Does the PC have an internal SPDIF cable that connects to the graphics card and feeds the audio along the HDMI cable, or is there a separate connector?
No, there's just a driver that allows audio output ('Nvidia high definition audio') through HDMI. No internal cable required. This is why the audio cuts out when the card stops detecting a display at the other end, I suspect.
posted by pipeski at 9:35 AM on October 23, 2018
PC Graphics Card Port 1->HDMI->HDMI Switch Box->Monitor 1 OR ->AV Amp
PC Graphics Card Port 2->DVI->Monitor 2
?
No, the graphics card has three ports (2 HDMI + 1 DVI), so I can run all three displays at the same time. The projector connection is PC Graphics Port 3 -> HDMI -> AV amp -> Projector.
Does the PC have an internal SPDIF cable that connects to the graphics card and feeds the audio along the HDMI cable, or is there a separate connector?
No, there's just a driver that allows audio output ('Nvidia high definition audio') through HDMI. No internal cable required. This is why the audio cuts out when the card stops detecting a display at the other end, I suspect.
posted by pipeski at 9:35 AM on October 23, 2018
Best answer: If you set the Amp/Projector output to always on (force on, disable detection, whatever looks similar) in the nVidia control panel, you should find it all stabilizes. Your problem is that Windows tries to remember desktop layouts depending on what monitors are available, and the HDMI port is sensitive to what's on or off rather than just plugged in.
Alternatively, you could mirror one of the normal displays to the projector. That will mean that you can always see the whole desktop, even when the projector is off, so you can grab windows and move them around as necessary. This works best if the mirrored display and projector are the same native resolution.
[Windows Key]-P will pop up a useful set of monitor controls when Windows utterly fails to send the right signal to the right monitor.
And I also recommend Display Fusion. I use it basically everywhere. You would probably like the "Move All Windows To Current Monitor" function, as well as the rules for positioning windows when you launch an app.
posted by krisjohn at 1:00 AM on October 24, 2018
Alternatively, you could mirror one of the normal displays to the projector. That will mean that you can always see the whole desktop, even when the projector is off, so you can grab windows and move them around as necessary. This works best if the mirrored display and projector are the same native resolution.
[Windows Key]-P will pop up a useful set of monitor controls when Windows utterly fails to send the right signal to the right monitor.
And I also recommend Display Fusion. I use it basically everywhere. You would probably like the "Move All Windows To Current Monitor" function, as well as the rules for positioning windows when you launch an app.
posted by krisjohn at 1:00 AM on October 24, 2018
Response by poster: krisjohn, I marked yours as a best answer, as it led me down a productive rabbit hole, even if it didn't entirely fix my issues.
It turns out the current nVidia control panel lacks the option to disable display detection, although it seems that in some (older?) versions, this may be possible.
It used to be possible to disable detection through the registry on Windows 7 (Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\TMM). This registry setting is missing in Windows 10, and won't work if it's added, so that's another dead end. Microsoft seem unresponsive about providing a fix.
Finally, display detection can be defeated via a hardware dongle (also Google 'EDID Emulator').
I've followed the suggestion of mirroring one of my two monitors to the amp/projector display, which at least stops the annoyance of off-screen windows. Also installed DisplayFusion, which I haven't had time to delve into yet, but it does seem to offer lots of options to tweak things.
Icons still jump about when the projector goes on or off, but I think I may have to live with that, unless I opt for the hardware fix above.
posted by pipeski at 7:09 AM on October 24, 2018
It turns out the current nVidia control panel lacks the option to disable display detection, although it seems that in some (older?) versions, this may be possible.
It used to be possible to disable detection through the registry on Windows 7 (Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\TMM). This registry setting is missing in Windows 10, and won't work if it's added, so that's another dead end. Microsoft seem unresponsive about providing a fix.
Finally, display detection can be defeated via a hardware dongle (also Google 'EDID Emulator').
I've followed the suggestion of mirroring one of my two monitors to the amp/projector display, which at least stops the annoyance of off-screen windows. Also installed DisplayFusion, which I haven't had time to delve into yet, but it does seem to offer lots of options to tweak things.
Icons still jump about when the projector goes on or off, but I think I may have to live with that, unless I opt for the hardware fix above.
posted by pipeski at 7:09 AM on October 24, 2018
« Older Help me find some boots that don't wear out in 6... | Cancer second opinions via telemedicine Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
I assume you've tried managing your monitors through the Nvidia Control Panel instead of Windows? Sometimes that works better for me. (Sometimes it doesn't. Managing monitors sucks.)
posted by nosila at 8:03 AM on October 23, 2018 [2 favorites]