Is there a way to get Windows to operate in a manner where if in a 2-monitor setup, if 1 monitor is powered off, that Windows does not allow the mouse to move off monitor 1 into Monitor 2's area?
Also, does anyone know of software or Windows registry hacks that forces modals to always open in the monitor that the application is in?
Aegis, A problem with the power switch on the monitor is that it doesn't tell the
computer that the screen is off. The computer still thinks that the monitor is running normally. Or at least that is the indication that I get on most of the sytems that I have worked with. You can turn on the computer and it just chugs along blind as the power to the monitor is off. When you turn the monitor on, there it is.
My take on this would be no you can't change the location of the mouse based on which monitor is on or off.
Rich
I'm not sure, good question too. I'm a dual monitor user myself and never had the need nor desire to shut off 2nd monitor. But your question did intrigued me, so I tried it and yep, mouse moves over to 2nd monitor and I can't find any way with windows natively to stop it.
No you can't have Widows recognize if a monitor is off, either one or multiples, as Rich said. As long as the cable is connected to the monitor and the PC, Windows "thinks" it is on.
You will have to disable the the 2nd one, then make the other one the primary.
It really is sad how little features Windows 7 has with multiple monitors.
One thing I LOVED in Windows XP and nVidia drivers was their nView program. It had a setting called "Automatically center modal windows to the monitor the application is in"
I would pay $50 for this feature. Suffice it to say, it is a complete NIGHTMARE dealing with modal windows in Windows 7. I can't leave monitor 2 on because if I don't use it all day long (it is a Cintiq 21UX) then I'm concerned for monitor burn in. I've seen it in Dell LCD monitors, and I don't want it to happen to my Cintiq.
DisplayFusion was the best bet to get the features I wanted, but their mouse monitor locking (which keeps a mouse in 1 monitor when enabled) doesn't work because Windows doesn't know the second monitor is off.
RE: Burn in. Is it possible to set a screens saver to "Blank" on only one monitor? Blank is a simple black screen.
Britton30-
That's a creative solution that might work. If I leave the Cintiq on, DisplayFusion DOES support the ability to define separate screensavers for both monitors. And with both monitors on, the Mouse lock should work, preventing me from moving my mouse over into the Cintiq screen until I want it to.
Hmmm. Good idea there. Now if only I could figure out these modal centerings! :) Kudos.
Ultramon can set up a hotkey or you can use the icon in the task tray to disable the secondary monitor with a click.
Realtime Soft UltraMon
The only monitors that currently get turned off in Windows 7 when they are powered down are Display Port monitors (and some HDMI monitors). I wish you could disable this feature (which is the feature you want) since my primary screen is Display Port and when I power down that screen, all the folders, windows, and gadgets get shifted to the other 2 screens.
It seems DisplayFusion and UltraMon both provide keys to toggle both displays, but neither provide the ability to auto-center modals.
Whomever gets that first will probably get a purchase from me. (Ultramon's non-American support hinted they can do this, but after using their trial, they said that Adobe's modals used a special characteristic which made them uncapturable by their software, so it couldn't move them)
I hope this isn't a deal breaker.
For me, this worked to remove monitor detection and required no setup.
http://monitordetectkiller.com/
I had tried everything and nothing worked before on my HTPC (Home Theater PC)
Good solution for display port/HDMI
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