Windows 10: File Explorer not showing up on HDMI monitor connection; only D-Sub

Recently my neighborhood had some power fluctuations. The voltage regulator of my surge protector shut everything down and wouldn't allow me to restart my PC until the power was back to normal.


Now I'm having issues with my single monitor display. My computer guy out of town for a few months hooked and configured everything up for me a few years ago when I was new to Windows. I know more about the software I use than operating systems. I don't remember why he used both the HDMI and D-Sub cables/ports, but he did, it worked, and I went along figuring 'if it ain't broke.....'


Now that it's sort of broke I need to know how to fix things. In Settings > System > Display I switched things so that Display #2 on the left was the main display, which fixed the problem of having the main programs I use open in D-Sub, but now File Explorer and Windows functions in general have switched from opening in HDMI to D-Sub. It's not the end of the world, but more of an inconvenience since I now have to toggle the monitor to switch back and forth and wait for the cursor to appear. Also can't drag and drop from File Explorer into other programs with the computer like this. My fear is that playing around and simply guessing at a solution might make matters worse.


How do I get things back to how they were where everything opened in HDMI and D-Sub only showed a photo with no icons?

:)

 

120hz Monitor, HDMI or DVI-D cable?

I just wanna play games 1920x1080 at 120hz, anyting above doesnt matter to me at the moment. So by saying "both standards may be newer than the monitor that you list", you are basically saying that i should use dvi-d because the monitor ain't able to handle 1920x1080 at120hz using hdmi?

The maximum number of monitors wich can be connected to the 970 gtx is 4 if i recall right.

(playing games like various mmo's, overwatch, titles like mass effect and so on)

 

120hz Monitor, HDMI or DVI-D cable?

If I was a little vague about HDMI, it's because I don't know what your monitor supports. I can't swear that it won't do 120Hz, via HDMI, but I believe that it can't.

Interestingly, the spec sheet in post #1 lists 85Hz as the maximum vertical frequency for a digital input. However, the AnandTech review clearly has it as a 120Hz 3D capable monitor.

 

HDMI vs DVI vs SVGA (D-Sub)?

There are monitors with display port for sale out there,just no where near as much as DVI/D-Sub monitors.

I see a tendency to have monitors with HDMI/D-Sub nowadays too.