How do I access my main monitor if broken in a multi-monitor setup?

D

Don69

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I have a setup with 6 monitors. Today my main monitor broke and I couldn't find a way to shut the PC down since I couldn't access the main desktop to get to the Start menu.

Is there a way to change which monitor is the main monitor without having access to the current main monitor?
 

My Computer My Computer

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Windows 7 RC
OS
Windows 7 RC
Unplug that monitor and reboot? (power button)
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 UltimateAMD Athlon II X2 245 2.90Ghz3.00 GB8800GTS 512MB
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom Built
OS
Windows 7 Ultimate
CPU
AMD Athlon II X2 245 2.90Ghz
Motherboard
Some Gigabyte one, dont remember model
Memory
3.00 GB
Graphics Card(s)
8800GTS 512MB
Sound Card
Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty
Monitor(s) Displays
Dual 22" widescreen
Hard Drives
250GB internal, 500GB internal
PSU
CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W Power Supply
Case
Thermalkake Tsunami Dream
Cooling
Thermaltake Golden Orb II
Keyboard
Saitek Eclipse 2
Mouse
Logitech MX518
If you physically unplug the video cable, windows may shift the primary to one of the other screens right away, if not, then just reboot or shut down and power back up.
Windows Key then Right Arrow and then press enter.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Ultimate 64bitIntel i7 3770K16GB DDR3 1333 Corsair XMS3XFX HD6950 2GB EyeFinity
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
HAL-9000
OS
Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
CPU
Intel i7 3770K
Motherboard
Asus Sabertooth Z77
Memory
16GB DDR3 1333 Corsair XMS3
Graphics Card(s)
XFX HD6950 2GB EyeFinity
Sound Card
Logitech G35 & Sennheiser PC135 & VIA HD
Monitor(s) Displays
23" HP 2310e, 23" Samsung B2230, 21.5" Viewsonic
Screen Resolution
5760x1080
Hard Drives
16TB of Storage
128GB & 256GB Crucial M4 SSD's, 2X 1TB WD Black, 3x 2TB WD, 3x 2TB Samsung F4, 1.5TB Seagate, WD 500GB,
PSU
Antec True Power New 650watt
Case
Cooler Master HAF-932
Cooling
Corsair H60 Hydro Cooler, 3x 230mm Fans, 2x120mm Fan
Keyboard
Logitech G15 and G13
Mouse
Logitech G700 Gaming Mouse
Internet Speed
50/10 Mbit
Other Info
Speakers : Alesis M1 Active Mk2 Studio Monitors , APC RS 1200 UPS, HP 4500DN Color Laser, HP P1006 mono Laser, Kodak 8500 Dye-Sub, Epson 1280 inkjet, Epson Worforce 610 MFC
If it's essential to change main display without disconnecting the broken one (?), repeat these steps exactly as told:
  • Right click desktop on any of the working displays, choose Screen Resolution
  • Press and hold ALT, press SPACE, release both keys
  • Press the DOWN ARROW key once, press ENTER
  • Press the UP ARROW key once (any arrow key is OK, but let's say UP ARROW to keep instructions simple). This step "glues" the window to the mouse, letting you move it without holding down a mouse button
  • Move your mouse to the direction of a working monitor until you can see the Screen Resolution window. Notice please: do this step without pressing any of the mouse buttons or keyboard keys before you can see the window
  • Press a mouse button, move windows where you want to
This trick also works if an application or folder window opens on a phantom display, out of visible range.

Kari
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB1.6 GHz Intel Core i7-720QM Processor6 GBATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 Graphics
Computer type
Laptop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
HP ENVY 17-1150eg
OS
Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
CPU
1.6 GHz Intel Core i7-720QM Processor
Memory
6 GB
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 Graphics
Sound Card
Beats sound system with integrated subwoofer
Monitor(s) Displays
17" laptop display, 22" LED and 32" Full HD TV through HDMI
Screen Resolution
1600*900 (1), 1920*1080 (2&3)
Hard Drives
Internal: 2 x 500 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpm
External: 2TB for backups, 3TB USB3 network drive for media
Cooling
As Envy runs a bit warm, I have it on a Cooler Master pad
Keyboard
Logitech diNovo Media Desktop Laser (bluetooth)
Mouse
Logitech Performance Mouse MX
Internet Speed
50/10 Mbps VDSL
Antivirus
Windows Defender 4.3.9431.0
Browser
Maxthon 3.5.2., IE11
Or just press the power button on the PC, which will initiate shutdown....
Then unplug the bad monitor and move on.

~Lordbob
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Ultimate x64, Mint 9Intel i5-2500k2x 4Gb Corsair VENGEANCE DDR3-1600NVidia GeForce N260GTX Twin Frozr
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Hera
OS
Windows 7 Ultimate x64, Mint 9
CPU
Intel i5-2500k
Motherboard
ASUS P8P67 Pro
Memory
2x 4Gb Corsair VENGEANCE DDR3-1600
Graphics Card(s)
NVidia GeForce N260GTX Twin Frozr
Sound Card
Realtek HD OnBoard Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
ASUS 24" Monitor
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
G.SKILL Phoenix Series 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3R 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA II
PSU
Cooler Master Real Power Pro 750W
Case
Cooler Master Haf 932
Cooling
Fans
Keyboard
Razer Tarantula
Mouse
Razer Lachesis
Internet Speed
not fast enough
Thanks guys. Great tips! These solved my problem.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 RC
OS
Windows 7 RC
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