Windows 7 will not save my multi monitor layout between boots

[btha]

I have 2 monitors, a Samsung Syncmaster 2639HM and a Dell se198wfp. I have been using them in a multimonitor setup for like 3 years now. The other day I disconnected the Dell for a couple of days because I needed it for my laptop. After I put it back Windows will not save my monitor layout between settings no matter what.

I have tried unplugging either and both, switching cables, switching the "main" monitors, plugging the dell into the "primary DVI", installing and uninstalling drivers, setting it up through windows, displayfusion and/or nvidia's drivers. No matter what I do windows will boot with the Dell monitor turned off.

Any ideas here? I tried googling this but did not find much of anything. This is really annoying because I have the Dell vertical and it stores all of my gadgets and shortcuts and persistent windows and now it's all scattered around in disarray! D:

 

[Bubbaleone]

Many times Windows will have multiple entries in the registry for the same device. As an example; every time you install a device, uninstall it, and then later decide to install it again (partitions, HDD's, USB devices, video cards, NIC cards, monitors, etc., etc.) all of the previous registry entries for that device no longer connected, or installed, are still loaded in the registry.

And in theory that shouldn't have any effect when you reinstall a device or update a driver. But in practice it does. A large percentage of the problems people have when trying to update existing device drivers, or reinstalling devices that had been installed previously, is the result of these invalid registry entries. And the longer you've been running that machine, and installing/uninstalling devices, the more problematic it becomes.

I'm not saying that I guarantee this will fix the issue with your monitor, but since I started using this method some ten years ago, I have never had another problem with device or driver installs, uninstalls, or reinstalls.

Keep in mind that Device Manager is nothing but a GUI for editing the registry, as are all Windows MMCs, MSCs, and dialog boxes. The default Windows Device Manager does not have the feature enabled that allows you to view and uninstall "super-hidden" devices.

Open Notepad and copy/paste the following:

set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1
start devmgmt.msc

Name the file "setdev.bat", and save it to the Desktop as "All files" (not text document [*.txt]). Double-click setdev.bat and it opens an advanced MSC version of Device Manager. Select; View>>Devices by type>>Show hidden devices. If this procedure has never been done before, you will now be able to see every single device that has ever been installed on your current Windows installation.

This view includes all currently installed devices, and all devices no longer installed or connected. All the icons for non-existent devices will be "ghosted" (semi-translucent, pale gray color). Starting at the top and working your way down the list, right-click each ghosted device icon and select "Uninstall" (you can skip "Sound, video, and game controllers"). Ignore any prompts to reboot the PC. When you're finished uninstalling all ghosted icon devices, reboot.

 

[tweakboy]

That is the first I have ever heard of this,, even way back way...

I would go to safe mode, run latest WHQL from nvidia install it.. Dont uninstall nVidia from control panel no more need to do that. You can install driver over driver with these new drivers....,,,,,, it wont ask you to reboot, but you will reboot.

This new nVidia installer doesn't ask for a reboot. Get back into normal mode Windows. Let us know what happens... Very Strange,,, gl

 

[btha]

Tried the hidden devices thing and safe mode reinstall, no luck :/

I have narrowed the problem down to full reboots only.. The display settings stay if I log on/off to different user accounts and back, no problem. If I reboot it always forgets it. It still knows about it though, if I select "extend" it will remember the last selected positioning and orientation.

 

[sm625]

Go to My Computer, Properties, Advanced, Environment Variables.
(How you get there varies slightly on each version of windows.)
Make a System variable named

devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices

Make its value 1.

Now go to device manager, view, and check Show Hidden Devices.

Now expand Monitors. You'll see more than you did before.
Right-click on and Uninstall everything but the Samsung Syncmaster.

more info: http://theether.net/kb/100153

 

[JackMDS]

For temp. solution you can get this free app. organize the icons and save the layout.
if it goes sour two clicks and you can restore it.

http://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK