dual monitor setup and Windows, handling monitor AB switching

sriesch

I have a dual monitor setup, and also switch the monitors between multiple PCs. However, I have noticed that Windows does not like this, and likes to do things like disable one monitor entirely if it is switched to the other PC at startup, and/or and make the 2nd monitor the primary monitor and rotate it 90 degrees (or technically, un-rotate it 90 degrees). Do any of you with both dual-monitor setups and monitor A/B switches have a nice way to resolve this issue?

The obvious answer is of course to make sure to always have both monitors turned on and switched to the PC right before it boots. (Or to not be easily annoyed.) However, realistically I cannot remember to do this every time, so this keeps biting me every so often, and I haven't found the un-annoying switch yet.

Years ago I had issues with Windows changing my monitor resolution, lowering the refresh rates, and shuffling desktop icons around. This problem was easily solved by using Dsub monitor extension cables with pin 12 (auto-detect I think?) ripped off which worked great for years. However my newer monitors cannot handle this; one refuses to run at all, and the other works but then Windows/Nvidia refuses to allow you to set the resolution to the actual resolution of the monitor, you are only allowed to pick from a list of incorrect settings that will distort the image.

Not a big deal, but less annoyance is always appreciated in life.

Richard Haseltine

You can't switch in the monitor? I don't use it, but my dell has the ability to connect multiple devices and to switch which of them is going to the display (and to show one of the others in a mini-window, too, I think). If you could do that you could effectively leave the monitors connected to each PC that used them, as far as the PCs were concerned, though you'd end up with more cables going to the monitors (but no switch boxes)

Granville

If you are talking about windows 7, you could consider purchasing Display Fusion. I have 3 monitors connected to my Win8 computer. They don't have that problem.

sriesch

Currently I'm having trouble with the system running XP. I haven't tried shuffling monitors and connections around yet such that I would have that issue on the Windows 7 system, although that will likely eventually happen.

One monitor does have built-in A/B switch button on the front and is connected to two PCs. Another monitor has only one connector, and to save money the A/B switch for that one is actually just me switching off the monitor, unplugging one cable and plugging in the other and turning the monitor back on (for the moment, that's an experiment to see if that'll work for me, I might end up getting a real switch eventually.)

Oddly it's inconsistent too. This morning I forgot to turn on the 2nd monitor, but when I did, it worked fine rather than claiming nothing was connected, although yesterday I (thought I) verified I could get this to happen on command (and no, I didn't just have it plugged into the wrong cable, it didn't work on either cable until after a reboot). The rotate thing has happened but I don't know excactly how. It seems there is some other test condition that must be met to trigger these issues that I haven't yet identified.

Gusf1

You really shouldn't switch monitor cables with the equipment running. They aren't like thumb drives. I have a dual 'monitor' setup as well. My monitors are actually tvs though. Windows 7 shouldn't have the problem with detecting the monitors if you switch them after booting. My tvs are turned on by one remote, but not being the same brand, have significantly different start up times. If I turn them on after booting the computer, the secondary monitor actually starts first. windows displays everything on that one until the main monitor starts and then resets them to the correct display. I'm not really sure what you can use to switch 2 monitors between 2 (or more) computers. Maybe 2 KVM switches?
Gus