Forum Discussion
Programs keep launching on my secondary display - why?
I've recently set up a new computer, Windows 11 Pro, on a dual-monitor setup. It's all working, except that some (not all) programs will keep launching on my secondary display instead of where I last closed them, on my primary one. Visual Studio is a prime candidate for this annoying behavior. Stranger still, this usually only happens the first time I load it each day (after booting up) -after which, once I've dragged it over to the primary display, I can close and re-open it, and it's fine (on the primary display). But then, next day I have to go through all this again, like Dylan in Memphis.
What can be going on here, and what can I do about it?
4 Replies
Open Settings > System > Display > select Second Display > uncheck Remeber window locations based on monitor connection > then click Extend these displays > select Show only on 1.
Then disconnect and reconnect the cable of the secondary display.
After that, check if apps will still open on the secondary monitor.
Hello! A simple way to remember the window position is simply to close it with the left shift key pressed.
I've had this happen sometimes.
Normally, Windows keeps track of window positions even when you change secondary monitor (e.g. removing the secondary monitor moves the windows to the main monitor, but if you reconnect again, they will be moved to the secondary where they were originally). Windows even differentiates between each secondary monitor.
While I don't have a direct solution for you, I do have some workarounds.
PowerToys "Fancy Zones" and "Workspaces" might help mitigate this problem for specific apps that are annoying:
https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/powertoys
Hope this helps.
Thanks. I do have power toys installed, and may try this, but it al seems a bit fiddly, and shouldn't be necessary. I would be intrigued to know why Windows is doing this. It's most strange, as it's not every program (just the ones I use mostly for work! :) ) that insist on opening on my secondary display, even though I've carefully dragged them over to my primary one and closed them there. As it only happens the first time I open theme ach day, it must be down to Windows "forgetting" this information when I shut down at night, which is odd. But even doing that, why does it want to open them on my secondary display anyway?
All very peculiar.
