Forum Discussion
When Windows 11 is connected to an external monitor, the system cannot remember window positions
When I connect my laptop to an external monitor and drag some windows to the secondary screen, and then disconnect and reconnect the external monitor, the positions of the windows that were previously on the secondary screen are not retained; instead, they are all rearranged on the main screen. I have to manually drag them back to the secondary screen, which affects my productivity when working with multiple screens.
1 Reply
Hi there, this is usually tied to how Windows is detecting the monitor when it disconnects/reconnects. A few things I’d check first:
1. Use the same cable/port each time if possible, especially with docks.
2. Update the graphics driver from Intel/AMD/NVIDIA or the laptop vendor, not only Windows Update.
3. In Settings > System > Display, make sure Windows sees the monitor as the same display each time.
4. Try turning off Fast Startup, then do a full shutdown/restart.
As a practical workaround, Microsoft PowerToys FancyZones can help a lot because it lets you quickly snap apps back into saved zones. If this started after a driver or Windows update, rolling that driver back is also worth testing.
