Win7 desktop question on TV with GeForce GTX 470

[tinpanalley]

I've got a GeForce GTX470 and I've finally arranged a set up where I can have my TV close enough to my desktop to output video and gaming to my TV. I want to do this via HDMI. My question has to do with a problem I have with my laptop doing the same thing.
Every time I hook up my laptop to my TV via HDMI (the laptop has a GTX 660M GPU) I get my desktop shortcuts completely realigned and thrown to the left of the screen which is a huge pain because I keep them separated intro specific groups. Then I have to spend time reorganizing them. I've tried Fences and it doesn't seem to want to work on my laptop (Win 8.1). So, looking at this new setup with my desktop, what do I need to do to ensure that my desktop shortcuts don't go crazy the moment I plug in the computer to the TV? And why is this happening?

 

[ShintaiDK]

The reason its happening I assume is because for some reaon you actually get a much lower resolution during the change.

 

[tinpanalley]

The reason its happening I assume is because for some reaon you actually get a much lower resolution during the change.

Do you mean that when the video signal goes to the TV, the resolution somehow drops? If so, then that IS possible because the TV is only natively 720p. I have my laptop set to 1920X1080, as is my computer desktop. (Yes, it's a 16X9 monitor, not 16X10)

If I make sure they only ever display to screen 1 or 2 and not extended or mirrored, is there no way to let the laptop be at 1080 and the TV at 720 and just have them both stay in their own resolutions?

 

[ShintaiDK]

Extended should work. But you may suffer the same as another person on the forum. I cant remember the thread name, but it was essentially resolution change whenever it was in sleep i think. Registry edit fixed his issue.

 

[tinpanalley]

Extended should work. But you may suffer the same as another person on the forum. I cant remember the thread name, but it was essentially resolution change whenever it was in sleep i think. Registry edit fixed his issue.

But, in extended, both are on and one would want to have the resolution of the other, no?

 

[therealnickdanger]

Funny, I have the exact same setup in the office. One computer has a GTX 470 and one laptop has a GTX 660M.

I never encountered a problem with icons moving around on the laptop, but that's probably because I set it up in the NVIDIA control panel so that when I plug in the TV, it becomes the primary display. Nothing gets extended or duplicated, the laptop screen shuts off and the TV becomes the only display. Maybe I don't have as many icons as you do...

 

[tinpanalley]

Funny, I have the exact same setup in the office. One computer has a GTX 470 and one laptop has a GTX 660M.
I never encountered a problem with icons moving around on the laptop, but that's probably because I set it up in the NVIDIA control panel so that when I plug in the TV, it becomes the primary display. Nothing gets extended or duplicated, the laptop screen shuts off and the TV becomes the only display. Maybe I don't have as many icons as you do...

Wow, what a coincidence. I guess we're both brilliant at buying graphics engines.
Anyway, I have about 20-25 shortcuts on the desktop. So you set up the laptop to always be primary. And therefore, the laptop's settings are always the official ones. Do you not have any problems with the differing resolutions? What's your TV's native res? 1080 or 720?

 

[therealnickdanger]

Wow, what a coincidence. I guess we're both brilliant at buying graphics engines.
Anyway, I have about 20-25 shortcuts on the desktop. So you set up the laptop to always be primary. And therefore, the laptop's settings are always the official ones. Do you not have any problems with the differing resolutions? What's your TV's native res? 1080 or 720?

1. Laptop is 768p, TV is 1080p
2. I only have ~10 icons
3. I set the TV to be primary when connected. The laptop display turns off when I plug in an external display.

I think #2 is the reason that I don't have any problems with my setup, I just don't have as many icons, not enough to cause problems. Sorry.

 

[tinpanalley]

1. Laptop is 768p, TV is 1080p
2. I only have ~10 icons
3. I set the TV to be primary when connected. The laptop display turns off when I plug in an external display.

I think #2 is the reason that I don't have any problems with my setup, I just don't have as many icons, not enough to cause problems. Sorry.

No problem. I appreciate it. Helpful feedback.
But my laptop is 1080 and my TV is 720p.