Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Disconnected monitors under Windows 10

I'm running Windows 10, and recently got a new docking station, and needed to disconnect a display port shown by the dock as "active".

Display settings >> Multiple Displays >> Disconnect This Display >> Apply

In Windows 7, the monitor disconnected and the icon in "Display Settings" for the specific monitor would go gray, and still be there.

To reconnect the now-disconnected monitor in Windows 7 was easy:
Clicking on the gray icon >> "Extend desktop to this display" >> Apply.

In Window 10, the display disappeared when I disconnected it in "Display Settings". Hitting "Detect" revealed absolutely nothing!

What I've found is that there's more than one way to manage your displays. (!)

For example:

  1. Open the control panel
  2. Click "Adjust screen resolution" under the "Appearance and Personalization" section. 
  3. Click the missing display, which should be black now
  4. Click Multiple Displays >> Extend desktop to this display
  5. Click Apply
Et Voila! There's your missing monitor!