Question Weird issue with multi monitor and our work computers

[Red Squirrel]

For whatever reason this only happens on our work computers, I've never experienced this issue on any other Windows machine, but even after getting upgrades at work it always does it. I don't know if this is some kind of weird setting that they push or if it's just a coincidence.

Basically, when you have multiple monitors hooked up, and you turn one off, or even switch the input, it causes Windows to go haywire, and it will shuffle around all your open windows and essentially act like you completely unplugged the monitor, rather than just staying normal.

This is proving problematic with my work from home setup as I would like to be able to switch inputs on my monitors to switch between home stuff and work stuff. I have a KVM but it's HDMI and the work stuff is all DP. Waiting for proper adapters to come in but it could be a while.

 

[mxnerd]

Dummy adapters to the resue? Plug them in before you go home.

Amazon.ca : dummy displayport

 

[Red Squirrel]

Not sure that would help, since the cable is still plugged in. It's when the monitor is switched off, or the input selector is set to another port that it does it.

Though now that I know this is a thing, I wonder if the DP to HDMI adapters I have on the way will actually act the same way and fix this...

So is this issue a displayport thing? Never seen it with VGA or DVI, and don't think with HDMI either.

 

[VirtualLarry]

It IS, AFAIK, a DP thing. When the monitor is OFF, it acts as if the cable was actually UNPLUGGED.

 

[mxnerd]

So is this issue a displayport thing? Never seen it with VGA or DVI, and don't think with HDMI either.

Saw someone posted the same question in the forum a few years back and another came up with these dummy adapters (don't remember if it's HDMI or DP) as solution. No personal experience.

reviews

DisplayPort Headless Ghost Display Emulator for PC 4K DP Dummy Plug (fit Headless 3840x216017hz)-3Pack: Amazon.ca: Electronics

DisplayPort Headless Ghost Display Emulator for PC 4K DP Dummy Plug (fit Headless 3840x216017hz)-3Pack: Amazon.ca: Electronics

www.amazon.ca

Amazon.ca

 

[Red Squirrel]

Only thing how does this work if cable is already plugged in?

 

[mxnerd]

Only thing how does this work if cable is already plugged in?

You wanna to to turn off the monitor right? Of course you have to unplug the cable and put the adapter in.

These adapters just make the PC think that the monitor is still on.

 

[Red Squirrel]

You wanna to to turn off the monitor right? Of course you have to unplug the cable and put the adapter in.

These adapters just make the PC think that the monitor is still on.

Turn off or or simply switch inputs. Ex: when working from home, I might want to switch to the input to my home PC. Or sometimes I just want to turn off the monitor for the night so I can come back later. Minute I unplug the cable to put the dummy adapter it's going to go haywire which is what I'm trying to prevent. Or is there something I'm missing, are these pass threw where you plug the cable into the adapter? The ones I'm seeing don't appear to be though.

 

[mxnerd]

Maybe you need some sort of virtual desktop management with different profiles that you can switch between them?

Like this or similar ones?

Dexpot - virtual desktop mananger

virtual desktop mananger

www.snapfiles.com

7 Free Dual Monitor Tools & Multi Computer Screen For Windows

Personally, I prefer the UltraWide Screen Monitor over the dual screen. When it comes to gaming, I can utilize the entire screen without having black bars

www.geckoandfly.com

https://www.google.com/search?q=Multi+monitor+desktop+manager

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Like I said earlier, I have no experience with these adapters. But apparently you can't plug cable into it from the product photo.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Not sure how that would solve the issue though that could still be useful software in Windows since for whatever reason they don't have ability to have multiple workspaces even though Linux has had that since like 1996.

The dummy adapters had me search deeper and I did find these adapters though that are inline so you plug your monitor through it: http://monitordetectkiller.com/

You plug the adapter, then plug the monitor into it. The example he shows in the video with the TV is pretty much what I was facing. Turn off the TV or even switch inputs, and all hell breaks loose in Windows. The adapter stops it from happening.

I also found another solution, I'm not sure if this is something hit and miss and I just got lucky, but I used a DP to HDMI adapter, and that seems to have fixed it. Only thing is that adapter does not support 4k and I wanted to switch the 4k monitor but for now it will do. The 4k is just running in HD, but at least I can switch to my personal PC now, which is 4k. I have some 4k compatible HDMI adapters on the way, so I'm hoping those will behave the same way too then I'll get my dual 4k again for the work machine too.

Now that I'm using HDMI I was also able to plug into my KVM, as I was originally bypassing it. So I don't know if being plugged into the KVM has anything to do with why it's working now, as the KVM does emulation.

But yeah based on my googling this has been a problem since like 2010 and Microsoft seems to refuse to fix it despite people's pleas. So guess it won't be any better when we get switched to Windows 10 as it looks like it's a problem there too.

 

[mxnerd]

The dummy adapters had me search deeper and I did find these adapters though that are inline so you plug your monitor through it: http://monitordetectkiller.com/

Looks like it's what you need. Good luck.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Yeah I seemed to have fix my issue at home, but tempting to get some for at work. Everything is straight DP at work though so would need DP to HDMI adapters. Really I might test those at work when mine for at home come in. I am almost wondering if just the adapters alone are enough. I think this is a DP issue and not HDMI so depending on how the adapter works it might emulate a DP monitor even when HDMI end is turned off. Only ting at work we're doing this weird daisy chain stuff as there's only 2 ports and we have 3 monitors (well 4, but the other is on a separate small low end GPU)

Still though such a weird issue you'd think they would have a fix by now.