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I have recently installed Windows 7 and still trying to learn how it works. The strange behavior is this: I set up the display for dual monitors and that works just fine. Later, when I get the security prompt asking whether I am sure I want something to run, AFTER it returns to normal display, the display reconfigures itself, and I lose the second monitor. I then go and manually reconfigure the displays and turn it back on. OR, I can unplud the display and plug it back in, and windows auto-detects it. But SOMETHING is running and turning off the monitor while it is connected.
I can reproduce this at any time by pressing "ctrl-alt-delete". This bring up the "lock this computer, switch users, etc screen". If I then press ESC, I return to my normal desktop (on two screens) but about 5 to 10 seconds later, the displays flash, and everything has been consolidated to a single screen.
After returning from the security mode SOMETHING is being run that resets the displays back to a single display mode.
My question is: how do I find that program and disable it? How do you find what programs are being run after returning from the "security screen" mode of windows? This is very likely a 'convenience utility' which is attempting to take care of the screens for me, but I don't want it to. I have been searching the web, searching windows documentation, but I am not even sure how to phrase the question.
Another clue: in the start menu, an entry appears for "displayswitch". I have never run this myself, but choosing it from the start menu I can re-enable the second monitor. It seems that something is causing this to be run, and this is causing my machine to return to single screen mode.
AgilePro
Posted 2013-03-10T03:45:33.840
Reputation: 151
What type of PC and video card do you have? It's likely worth checking if you have the latest video card drivers too. – Wayne Johnston – 2013-03-10T04:35:31.057
It is a laptop, a pretty standard one, and there appears to be nothing wrong with the video driver. I can set all the modes. Auto-detect works correctly, and it even correctly determines the native resolution of the screen. It actually is something running independently that is changing the settings on certain cues. I am trying to find out what that is that is triggered to run. – AgilePro – 2013-03-10T06:13:11.750
OK, well I found it - it was an OEM specific utility on the laptop for controlling "docking" status. It would automatically control configuration between docked and undocked, but it had this annoying side effect every time the security screen came up. I was able to disable that utility and all is fine. But the QUESTION STILL STANDS. I found this by literally opening every application in the control panel, and trying every option. There should be a BETTER WAY to determine what is configured to run at a particular time. Can anyone identify it? – AgilePro – 2013-03-11T21:20:41.807