Dual Monitors: Folders Appear On Wrong Monitor

Bladeforce · 06 Oct 2010

Hi

I have a strange problem, certain programs always open on the 2nd monitor which i dont always have switched on. For example I double click the program to run and it always opens on the 2nd monitor even if I drag it to my main monitor it always defaults back to monitor 2. Also why when I run programs in full screen (games mainly) when I exit out the folders that were open are a difeerent size to what I set them at before running the game sometimes even the folder will move to the 2nd monitor upon exit. Any ideas?

Thanks

A Guy · 10 Oct 2010

This is not an unusual problem, and seemingly random as well. Something I have done that usually works for me. Move the folder to the primary monitor, and close it there. Sometimes that is enough, but sometimes I have to do this:

Disable the 2nd monitor (set multiple displays to show desktop only on 1 in screen resolution). Now open and close the folder a few times on the primary monitor. You can then reenable the 2nd monitor, and see if the folder has "learned" the proper monitor.

Sometimes I've repeated this several times before it will stick. And on occasion, it just doesn't work. Good luck. A Guy

mikedl · 10 Oct 2010

On dual monitors, programs usually remember the last screen on which they were closed and retain an affinity for such.

Use the Win+[right or left arrow] key combination (or the Win-Shift+[right or left arrow]) to move a window without dragging.

If, during your current session, wherein you might open multiple windows of a particular application, open the first new window, restore down, move it to the other monitor and then close it. Each and every time you open a new window in that application, for the duration of that session, every new window will open in the other monitor.

There is no way I know of to get a particular application to open on a particular monitor each and every time on the initial run of the application.

I do know that when I open explorer and move it to another monitor, then close it, it will always open on that same monitor. Same with Windows update, Resource Monitor, AutoCad Architecture, Word, Excel, Notepad ++ and many others.

However, Disk Management, Task Scheduler, Services, etc.. always open on the primary monitor no matter which monitor I had them on upon closing.