Icons moved to seconday display, can't move them back to primary?


  1. Posts : 13
    Windows 7
       #1

    Icons moved to seconday display, can't move them back to primary?


    I disconnected my main monitor (my main monitor is connected by a DisplayPort cable) to move the wire and reposition the monitor on my desk. When I did that all the desktop icons and the taskbar moved onto my secondary monitor which is connected by DVI. When I reconnected my main monitor I had to run through the nVidia dual monitor setup and respecify my primary display which moved the taskbar back to where is had previously been.

    My secondary monitor is to the left of my main monitor. Next I tried highlighting a small group of icons and dragging them back to my primary display but when I release them they end up back on the secondary display on the right hand side of the screen that borders on the left hand side of my main monitor. I've also tried highlighting some icons and right clicking and dragging then to the main display and the releasing and selecting "Move here" from the context menu and the same thing happens and they end up back on the secondary display.

    Has anyone seen this problem and have a solution to enable me to move my desktop icons back to my primary display?

    - Norm
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 79
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #2

    Right-click somewhere in empty space on the desktop. Choose "Screen resolution". In the dialog box that appears, click the image of the screen that you want to be your primary. If you're unsure which image represents which physical monitor, click the "Identify" button. Once you've selected the image of the screen that you want to be the primary, check the box that says "Make this my main display", and click OK.

    Display - Change Main Display
    Last edited by Brink; 29 Oct 2013 at 14:02. Reason: added tutorial link for more info
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 13
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #3

    barnabas1969 said:
    Right-click somewhere in empty space on the desktop. Choose "Screen resolution". In the dialog box that appears, click the image of the screen that you want to be your primary. If you're unsure which image represents which physical monitor, click the "Identify" button. Once you've selected the image of the screen that you want to be the primary, check the box that says "Make this my main display", and click OK.

    Display - Change Main Display
    Thanks, but I did that when I ran the nVidia dual display wizard and when I right click on the empty space of my primary display and select screen resolution i.e. Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Display\Resolution it says "This is currently your main display" so that does not appear to be what the problem is.

    - Norm
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 132
    Win 7 x64
       #4

    If you right click on your desktop and click view, is auto arrange icons checked?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 13
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #5

    xunile said:
    If you right click on your desktop and click view, is auto arrange icons checked?
    No, it's not.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 13
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Don't ask me why but when I rebooted by computer the icons went back to the main display so I guess problem solved although this was really weird.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 4,566
    Windows 10 Pro
       #7

    Sometimes a restart is needed after making the main display change box.
    It all depends on the video card driver.
      My Computer


 

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